The Washington times., 1922-05-14


staring dry-eyed across the heat
scorched sands.
BY ones and twos the tired men
disappeared into their tents until
only the mother, one Arab and my
self were left outside. This native
was a Hail, with a beard painted
fiery red, and unquestioned author
ity. He now saw fit to exercise this
power by abusing the woman and
ordering her to bed. She. shrank
from him and begged piteously :"
be let alone. saw an expression
OF deepest cruelty overspread his
features as he bent over her, i,s.
ing
"Sosbe II. You sit here this night
and tomorrow your ear drums shall
be bored in with thorns and your
soft eyelids split thrice" And his
fingers caressed a keen knife blade
while he spoke.
The threat was sufficient. Hor
ror shone In her dark. tragic eyes.
With one last, long look toward the
small mound of sand. she moved
rapidly away to her tent. noticed
the unconscious grace, the subtle
glide of her movements. ] felt the
charm and understood why she
danced for weary men.
!, too, sought sleep and my pallet
once more. but mental rest was far
from me. For the hundredth time
within a month I condemned my.
self for a travel.mad idiot who had
followed the bait OF adventure
1900 miles from Western civiliza.
tion.
Why. mused, would I endure the
hardships of a desert trip with
band OF wanderers. rocking all day
on a camel's back. eating only dried
fruits and drinking muddy Tigris
water from a goatskin-why? Be-
cause the sweet siren voice OF Ad.
venture called-was still calling
and | smiled at the a ility OF that
voice to be heard over these bodily
discomforts as | got up and went
once more out of the tent for q cool
breath.
1t was almost Immediately that
my attention was attracted to a
queerlooking object lying on the
desert to the east Of our camp, near
a depression called The Wells. 4
few low trees and camel thorns
grew there. but | did not remem-
ber this particular boulder, for such
1t appeared.
thnn1ht frtun1nnolU
some feverish. bespectacled anti.
quarian dug 1t up and left 1t after
he Mad removed the ancient scarab
II concealed. The place invited ex.
ploration. decided to walk out
to II.
had gone about half Of the dis
lance between the camp and the
desert stone when | was brought
to a standstill so suddenly that my
vertebrae tweaked. With slow.
clumsy twitch the thing had rolled
jerkily over once. then all was still.
The sands were silent, with only
deserts, silence. No human was
awake but myself I was perfectly
we'll: II was no hallucination. This
object OF my stroll had turned over.
unaided by human hands. And
more, as It turned I could have
sworn II emitted radiant flashes as
OF diamonds in a basis Of gold. My
breath came short and hard, my
eyes were strained from their
sockets-I wanted little more as
surance that was looking upon a
phenomenon. had not long 10
wait. The gorgeous apparition
turned again, and, slowly acquiring
q regular motion, came directly
toward me. Its revolutions dazzled
my eyes as the light OF the moon
caught the fire OF the jewels. Fear
anG wonder transfixed me while an
icy grasp enveloped my arms and
legs. I seemed to be freezing with
hOrror-and the ball was gaining
speed, fairly whirling toward me,
afame with Its own splendor.
Suddenly my paralysis dropped
away. Self.preservation sent me
running at my highest speed across
the hot earth. I believed II was u
small celestial body that would kill
us with ire or smother US with its
poisonous gases. Musa, my good
guide, slept by my door. must
warn him Of this approaching doom.
I was breathless and could not call
out. was tiring-and that hor-
rtble thing Just behind me. I stag.
ger against the first tent prop
and looked back to gauge the dis.
tance between myself and this mes.
senger of death, when . brain-storm
seized me. My hand sought my