The Washington times., 1922-05-27
Installment VII.
BY r., nj. HILL

she was unprepared and unable
70 resist. For a moment she was
stunned, then her senses came
oack to her and she struggled
Wildly, but, sufled in the thick
toids OF the Arabs robes, against
which her face was crushed, and
heid In a grip that seemed to be
slowly suffocating her, her strug.
gies were futile. The hard, mus.
cular arm round her hurt her
acutely, her ribs seemed TO be
almost breaking under it's weight
ana strength, it was nearly i'm.
possible to breathe with the close
contact of his body. She was
unusually strong for a girl, but
against this steely strength that
held her she was helpless. And
Tor a time the sense of her helm.
lessness and the pain that anv
resistance to the arm wrapped
round her gave her made her lie
quiet. She felt the Arab check
his horse. felt the chestnut
wheel, spinning high on his hind
legs and then bound forward
again.
Her feelings were indescribable.
She did not know what to think
Her mind felt Jared. She was
unable to frame any thoughts
coherently. What had happened
was so unexpected. so prepostcr.
Gus, that no conclusion seemed
adequate. Only rage filled her
blind, passionate rage against the
man who dared to touch her. who
had dared to lay his hands on her.
and those hands, the hands of a
native. A shiver OF revulsion ran
through her. She was choking
with fury, with anger and with
disgust. The ignominy OF her
plight hurt her pride badly. She
had been outridden. swept from
her saddle as If she were a puppet.
and compelled to bear the prox.
unity OF the mans own hateful,
body and the retraint Of his
arms. No one had ever dared 70
touch her before No one had
ever dared to handle her as she
was being handled now. How
was il going to end? Where were
they going? With her face hid.
den she had lost all sense OF ii.
rection. She had no idea to what
point the horse had turned wh-n
he had wheeled so suddenly. 'Ie
was galloping swiftly with con.
tinual disconCerting bounds that
indicated either temper or nerves,
but the man riding him seemed
in no way disturbed by his horre's
behavior. She could feel him smsv-
ing easily in the saddle, and even
the widest leaps did not cause
any slackening of the arm around
her.
But by degrees as she con.
tinued to lie still the pressure cn
her body was relieved slightly,
and she was able to turn her head
Q little toward the air for which
che was almost falntiES, but not
enough to enable her to see what
was passing around her. She
drank in the cool air eagerly.
Though she could not see, ,'he
knew that the night had come.
the night that she had hoped
would fall before she reached her
destination but which now seem.
Cd horrible.
The fresh strength that the air
gave her famed the courage that
still remained with her. Collect.
ing all her force she made a sud.
den desperate spring, trying to
leap clear Of the arm that now
lay almost loosely about her, her
spurred heels tearing the chest
nuts flank until he reared PEI
pendiculsrly, snortins and tremb-
ling. But with a quick sweep Of
his long arm the Arab gathered
her back into his hold, still strug-
Cling fiercely. His arms waia
both round her; he was controlling
the maddened horse only with the
pressure of his knees
"Doucement, doucement." She
heard the slow, soft voice indis-
tinctly, for he was pressing her
head again closely to him, and she
did not know IL the words were
applied to herself or to the horse
She fought to lift her head 20
escape the grip that held her.
straininE, striving until he spoke
again.
Lie still, you little fool" ne
snarled with sudden vehemsnce.
and with brutal hands ne forced
her to obey him, until she won.
dered II he would leave single
bone unbroken in her body, iii
further resistance was impossible.
GaspinE for breath she yielded to
the strength that overpowered