The Washington times., 1922-05-27

that she was beaten, and turned
his undivided attention to his
horse with the same low saugh
OF amusement that had sent the
strange feeling through her when
her shots had missed him. 1t had
puzzled her then, but It grew now
with a horrible intensity, until she
knew that IT was fear that had
come to her for the first time in
her nfe-a strange fear that
she fought against desperate
ly, but which was gaining
on her with a force that
was sapping her strength from
her and making her head reel
She did not faint, but her
whole body seemed to grow
nerveless with the sudden realiza-
tion Of the horror Of her posi-
tion.
After that Diana lost all sense
Of time, as she had already lost
all sense of direction. She did
not know IL it was minutes or
hours that passed as they still
galloped swiftly through TIE
night. She did not know # thy
were alone or II the band Ot
Arabs to which this man belong.
ed were riding with them. noise.
less over the ground. What mad
happened to her guide and mis-
men? Had they been butchrrsd
and left where they fell or were
they, too, being hurried unwil.
lingly into some obscure region NJ
the desert? But for the moment
the fate OF Mustafa Ali and his
companions did not trouble her
very much; they had not played a
very valiant part in the short en-.
counter, and her own situati IN
swamped her mind to the exclu.
sion of everything else.
The sense OF fear was growing
on her. She scorned and deridsd
1t. She tried to convince herself
it did not exist, but 1t did exist,
torturing her with its strange.
ness and with the thoughts that II
engendered. She had anticipated
nothing like this. She had never
thought OF a contingency that
would end so. that would induce
a situation before which her cour.
age was shuddering into pieces
with the horror that was opon.
ing up before her-a thing that
had always seemed a remote I'm.
possibility that could never touch
her, from even the knowledge Of
which her life with Aubrey had al.
most shielded her, but which now
loomed near her, forcing its
reality upon her till she trembl-d
and great drops Of moisture gath.
cred on her forehead.
The Arab moved her position
once. roughly, but she was glad of
the change for it freed her head
from the sitting folds Of h-r
robes. He did not speak agoin-
only once when the chestnut shipd
violently he muttered something
under his breath. But her salts.
faction was short.lived. A few
minutes afterwards his arm tight.
ened round her once more and he
twined a fold Of his long cloak
round her head, binding her. And
then she understood The gallon.
ing horse was pulled in with al.
most the same suddenness TINT
had amazed her when she had .irst
seen the Arabs She felt him
draw her close into his arms and
slip down on to the ground there
were voices around her-confused,
unintelligible: then they died away
as she felt him carry her a few
PAGES. He set her down and un.
wound the covering from her face
The light that shone around her
seemed by contrast dazzling with
the darkness that had gone be-
fore. Confused, she clasped her
hands over her eyes for a mo-
ment and then looked up slowly.
She was in a big, lofty tent,
brightly lit by two hanging lamps.
But she took no heed of her sur.
roundings; her eyes were fixed
on the man who had brought her
there. He had flung aside the
heavy cloak that enveloped lim
from head to foot and was stand.
ing before her, tall and broad
shouldered, dressed in white flow.
ing robes, a waistcloth embroidei ed
in black and silver wound several
times about him, and from the top
OF which showed a revolver that
was thrust into the folds.