Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-06
CHAPTER XIN-(Continued)

INIERPER heard the men approach
w ing. To be apprehended as the
slayer of Mohammed Beyd would be
equivalent to a sentence of immediate
death. The fierce and brutal raiders
would tear to pieces Christian who
dared spill the blood of their leader
lie must find some excuse to delay the
finding of Mohammed Beyd's dead
body.
Returning his revolver to its holster
he walked quickly to the entrance of
the tent. Parting the flaps. he stepped
out and confronted the men. who were
rapidly approaching. Somehow he
found within him the necessary
bravado TO force a smile TO his lips
as he held up his hand to bar their
| further progress.
The woman resisted" he said, "and
Mohammed Beyd was forced to shoot
her. She is not dead-ony slightly
wounded. You may go back to your
! blankets. Mohammed Beyd and | will
look after the prisoner" Then he
| turned and re.entered the tent. and
the raiders. satisfied by this eXpana-
tion. gladly returned to their broken
| slumbers.
! As he again faced Jane Clayton wer.
per found himself animated by quite
different intentions from those which
had lured him from his blankets but
a few minutes before. The excite.
ment Of his encounter with Mohani.
med Beyd, as well as the dangers which
he now faced at the hands of the
raiders when morning must inevitably
reveal the truth OF what had occurred
in the tent of the prisoner that night,
had nnnIaI yhs h,t
which had dominsted him when he en-.
tered the tent.
But another and stronger force was
exerting itself in the girls favor.
However low a man may sink, honor
and chivalry. has he ever possessed
them, are never entirely eradicated
from his character. and though Albert
Werper had long since ceased TO evince
the slightest claim to either the one
or the other, the spontaneous acknowl.
edgment of them which the girls
speech had presumed had reawakened
them both within him.
For the first time he realized the
frightful and almost hopeless position
Of the fair captive, and the depths of
ignominy to which he had sunk that
had made it possible for him. well.
born European gentleman, to have en-.
tertained even for moment the part
that he had taken in the ruin of her
home, her happiness and herself
Too much of baseness already lay
at the threshold of his conscience for
him ever to hope entirely to redeem
himself: but in the first sudden burst
Of contrition the man conceived an
honest intention to undo. in so far as
law within his tha nIi1 TINT
his criminal avarice had brought upon
this sweet and unoffending woman.
AS he stood apparently listening to
the retreating footsteps of the Arabs
though actually engrossed in thought
Jane Clayton approached him.
What are we to do now?" she
asked. Morning will bring discovery
Of this" and she pointed to the still
body of AIohammed Boyd. "They will
kill you when they find him"
For a time Werper did not reply.
then he turned suddenly toward the
woman.
II have a PLAN" lie cried. at will
require nerve and courage on your
part: but you have already shown
that YOU possess both. Can YOU en-.
dure still more"
Il can endure anything" she re.
piled with IL brave smile. that may
offer us even a slight chance for
escape
You must simulate death" he en-
planned, while | carry you from the
camp. 7 will explain to the sentries
that Mohammed Beyd has ordered me
to take your body into the jungle.
This seemingly unnecessary act |
shall explain upon the grounds that
Mohammed Beyd had conceived
violent passion for YOU. and that he
so regretted the act by which he had
become your slayer that he could not