The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1920-02-27


arms above his head, he turned slowly
toward the opposite end of the tent.
The face of Achmet Eek, had disap-
peared from the opening.
To say that Albert Werper was ter
rified would be putting it mildly. He
realized that he not only had sacri-
feed his treasure; but his life as well.
Achmet Eek would never permit the
wealth that he had discovered to slip
through his fingers, nor would he for
give the duplicity Of a lieutenant who
had gained possession of such treas
ure without offering to share it with
his chief.
Slowly the Belgian prepared for bed.
If he were being watched, he could
not know; but if so the watcher saw
no indication Of the nervous excite
ment which the European strove
to conceal. When ready for his
blankets, the man crossed to the little
table and extinguished the light.
1t was two hours later that the
flaps at the front Of the tent separated
silently and gave entrance to dark
robed figure, which passed noiselessly
from the darkness without to the dark
crossed the interior. In. one hand was
long knife. He came at last to the
pile of blankets spread upon several
rugs close to one of the tent walls.
Lightly, his fingers sought and found
the bulk beneath the blankets-the
bulk that should be Albert Werper.
They traced out the figure Of man,
and then an arm shot upward, poised
for an instant and descended. Again
and again it rose and fell, and each
time the long blade of the knife buried
itself in the thing beneath the blank
etss But there was an initial life
lessness in the silent bulk that gave
the assassin momentary wonder. Few
erishly he threw back the coverlets
and searched with nervous hands for
the pouch of jewels which he expected
to find concealed upon his victims
body.
An instant later he rose with a
curse upon his lips. 1t was Achmet
Eek, and he cursed because he had
discovered beneath the blankets of his
clothing arranged in the form and
semblance of sleeping man-Albert
Werper had fled.
Out into the village ran the chief,
calling in angry tones to the sleepy
Arabs, who tumbled from their tents
in answer to his voice. But though
they searched the village again and
again they found no trace of the Bel
gian. Foaming with anger, Achmet
Eek called his followers to horse, and
though the night was pitchy black
they set out to scour the adjoining
forest for their quarry.
AS they galloped from the open
gates, Mugambi, hiding in a nearby
bush, slipped, unseen, within the pal
isade. In the darkness he passed, I'M
challenged, and for an hour he crept
about in the'rear of the various huts
and tents in an effort to locate that in
which his masters mate was impris-
oned. One there was which he was
reasonably ASSURED contained her. for
1t was the only hut before the door of
which sentry had been posted.
Mugambi was crouching in the shadow
of this structure, just around the cor
: ner from the unsuspecting guard,
when another approached to relieve
his comrade.
"The prisoner is safe withln?" asked
the newcomer.
"She u.s." replied the other, "for
none has passed this doorway since
came"
The new sentry squatted beside the
door. while he whom he had relieved
made his way to his own hut. Mugam-
bi skunk closer to the corner Of the
building. In one powerful hand he.
gripped a heavy knob-stick. No sign
of elation disturbed his phlegmatic
calm, yet inwardly he was aroused to
joy by the proof he had just had that
LADY" really was within.
The sentry's back was toward the
corner of the hut which hid the giant
black. The fellow did not see the
huge form which silently doomed be-
hind him. The knob-stick swung up
ward in curve, and downward again.
There was the sound Of dull thud.
the crushing of heavy bone. and the