The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1920-03-12

4 HIS COHSleTHdtlOu, lilcIe was III Sign
| of them in the garments of Achmet
Eek. Puzzled, disappointed and angry,
he at last returned to the girl. 1.-THE
wallet is gone" he explained, crisply,
land dare not delay longer in search
of it. We must reach the camp before
| the returning raiders"
Unsuspicious of the mans true char
acter, Jane Clayton saw nothing pc
culiar in his plans, or in his specious
] explanation of his former friendship
/ for the raider, and so she grasped with
alacrity the seeming hope for safety
which he proffered her and, turning
about, she set out with Albert Werper
/ toward the hostile camp in which she
/ so lately had been prisoner.
Calling aloud to those who tended
the gates, Werper, grasping Jane Clay
ton by the arm, walked boldly across
/ the clearing. Those who opened the
gates to him permitted their surprise
1 to show clearly in their expressions.
/ That the discredited and hunted lieu
/ tenant should be thus returning fear
disarm them quite as effectually as his
manner toward Lady Greystoke had
+ deceived her.
Jane Clayton was again confined to
j the prison hut she had formerly occu-
/ pied, but as she realized that this was
but a part of the deception which she
and Frecoult were playing upon the
/ credulous raiders it was with a differ
ent sensation that she again entered
the vile and filthy interior, from that
which she had previously experienced
when hope was so far away.
Once more she was bound and sem
/ tries placed before the door of her
prison but before Werper left her he
whispered words of cheer into her ear.
Then he left and made his way back
| to the tent of Mohammed Boyd. Ach-
| NETS lieutenant.
Mohammed Boyd sat cross-legged
| upon a rug. smoking. The Arab looked
up as the European came into his pres
ence.
Greetings, o, brotherp' he said.
"Greetings" replied Werper.
For while neither spoke further.
The Arab was the first to break the
silence
And my master, Achmet Eek. was
well when last you saw himF' he
asked.
Never was he safer from the sins
and dangers of mortality" replied the
Belgian.
1T is WE'LL" said Mohammed Boyd,
blowing little puff of blue smoke
straight out before him.
Again there was silence for several
minutes.
And if he were dead?" asked the
Belgian, determined to lead up to the
truth and attempt to bride Mohammed
Boyd into his service.
The Arabs eyes narrowed and he
leaned forward, his gaze boring
straight into the eyes of the Belgian.
Il have been thinking much, Werper,
since you returned so Unexpectedly to
the camp of the man whom you de-
ceived and who sought you with death
in his heart. | have thought much, as
| said, and the result of my thinking
has assured me that Achmet Eek is
| dead-for otherwise you would never
have dared return to his camp, unless
you be either a Drawer man or big
ger fool than | have imagined. And,
if this evidence of my judgment is not
sufficient, have but just now received
from your own lips even more con-
firmatory witness-for did you not say
that Achmet Eek was never more safe
from the sins and dangers of mortal
ity? Tell me why you have come back
here. Tell me what you want and,
Werper, if you still possess the jewels
of which Achmet Eek told me, there is
no reason why you and | should not
ride north together and divide the ran
som of the white woman and the con-
! tents of the pouch you wear about
your person. Eh?'
Werper was both relieved and dis
turbed by the Arabs attitude. The
compiacency with which he accepted
the death of his chief lifted a consid-
cradle burden of apprehension from
the shoulders of Achmet Zek's assas-
sin; but his demand for share of the
jewels BODIED i'll for Werper when Mo
manned Boyd should have learned
that the precious stones were no long
er in the Belgian's possession.
Yes" he said. "Achmet Eek is dead
He fell in battle with company of
it,io hot l,o1
tive. During the fighting l escaped,
but l doubt if any of Achmet Eek s
men live, and the gold they sought is
in the possession of the Abyssinians.
Even now they are doubtless marching
on this camp, for they were sent by
Menelek to punish Achmet Eek and his
followers for a raid upon the Abyssin-
ian village. There are many of them,
and if we do not make haste to escape
we shall all suffer the same fate as
Achmet Eek"
Mohammed Boyd listened in silence.
How much of the unbeliever's story he
might safely believe he did not know
but as it afforded him an excuse for
| deserving the village and making for
the north he was not inclined to cross.
question the Belgian too minutely.
"And if l ride north with you,'~ he
asked, half the jewels and half the
ransom of the woman shall be miner"
YES replied Werper
Good" said Mohammed Boyd. 81
90 now to give the order for the
braoI,iDer Of cou,p aarlx, ON +bo NO.,