The Washington times., 1922-06-08
Installment XIX.
by e. NJ. HULL.
Copyright 1871. by Small. Maynard q
Co, lncJ

new. silver star nad
u settled down into III.
steady. tireless gallop for which
Ahmed Ben Hassan's horses were
famous. The little breeze had died
away as quickly as 1t had sprung
up, and It was very hot. Diana
looked about her with glowing
eyes. Everything seemed different
From the first she had loved the
desert. but back Of everything and
mingled with everything had been
the feeling OF fear, the continual
restraint. the perpetual subser.
vience to the whims OF her captor
which had dominated everything.
But now the whole aspect was
changed. She loved the endless,
undulatins expense stretching out
before her, and as the grey topped
each rise her interest grew keener.
What might not be behind the
next one? For an hour or more the
ground rose and fell in monoto.
nous succession. and then the
desert grew level again and quite
suddenly she could see for miles.
About two miles away few palm
trees showed clustering together.
and Diana turned in their direction.
They probably meant a well. and
II was time she rested her horse
and herself 1t was the tiniest
little oasis. and she drew rein and
dismounted with fears for the well
she had hoped 10 find. But there
was one. very much silted up. and
she set 10 work 10 clear II as we'll
as she could TO procure enough for
herself and Silver Star, who was
frantically trying TO get to the
water. II was exhausting work.
but she managed 10 satisfy the
grey, and. having unloosed his
girths. she flung herself down on
the ground in a small patch OF
shade. She lit a cigarette and lay
flat on her back with her helmet
over her eyes.
For the first time since she had
shaken off CASTOR she began 10
think seriously. What she had
done was madness She had no
food for herself or her horse. no
water. and Heaven alone knew
where the next well might be. She
was alone in an uncivilized country
among savage people with no
protection OF any kind. She might
fan In with friendly Arabs or she
might not. She might come across
an encampment. or she might
wander for days and see no one. in
which case death from hunger and
thirst stared her in the face. What
would she do when night came?
With a sharp cry she Ieaped to her
feet What was she to do She
looked all around the little oasis
with startled eyes. a. the few palm
trees and clumps Of camel thorn,
the broken we'll and the grey horse
still snufflng about its mouth. She
felt frightened for the first time:
she was alone and about her was
unending space. and she felt an
atom, insignificant. the least OF all
things. She looked up into the
clear sky and the blue vastness
appalled, her.
Then the sudden panic 10 which
she had given way subsided and
her courage rose with a bound II
was only midday. anything might
happen between then and nightfall
OF one thing only she was sure,
she did not repent Of what she had
done. Behind her was Ahmed
Ben Hassan and before her was
possibly death. and death was
preferable She was quite calm
again and lay down in the patch
OF shade once more with a reso-
lutte determination to mind. Time
to think OF them when they came.
For the next hour or two she
must rest and escape the intense
heat. She rolled over on her flce
with her head in her arms and
tried 70 sleep. but she was too
excited, and soon gave up the at.
tempt And in any case, she
argued with herself, she might
sleep too long and lose precious
time. She stretched luxuriously
on the soft ground. thankful for
the shade from the burning sun.
The grey, tired Of nosing round the
we'll and blowing disdainfully at
the thorn bushes, wandered over
to her side and nozzled her gently.
She caught at his velvety nose
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