East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1922-09-21

& the guard who possessed the most e
. fective weapon where it was practica
ly of no use against me; for this gay
u me a screen of the men and animal
: The danger from Mohammed and A
depended entirely upon their abilit
q to close in on me, so while in tha
> position there was nothing to fea
: from them. As for Muraiche, he wa
under my direct surveillance with tn
! advantage all my way, as | rode wit
drawn weapon.
But I knew the Arab we'll enougl
to know that so long as he is not eX
cited or his fanaticism aroused he will
not risk his own skin while stratag.
will serve his ends: and also knev
that had no one to depend upon bu
myself, and that my safety lay il
maintaining as far as possible norma
condition of things. So I watched
watched my men in front and watched
to the side and behind for signs of the
thieves, of whom I caught glimpses
now and again. My Arabs COnjunc-
ton with these men thwarted it was
| but natural that they should commu-
nicate with each other to further their
| plans, and in various ways they
| sought to do this. While caravan men,
while marching through a safe district
and many strong often chant to ease
their dreary march or to pacify the
camels, in our circumstances the less
attention we could draw to ourselves
the better. So when Mohammed
started to chant in loud voice by
way of giving information, | ordered
him to be quiet.
Again as we rounded a short bend
Mi made a break for the brush, but
he started Il second too soon. I saw
him, and called his name sharply; he
halted and returned to the caravan.
When we passed within gln-shot of
objects which might conceal a foe l !
rode abreast of Muraiche, using him |
to screen myself, knowing we'll that
they would only attack from the side |
which from their position placed us in |
the full moonlight. And in the mar
row ravines, though he growled, I oft
en- crowded him close, affording little |
or no opportunity to the Arabs to !!
single me out for a shot without en-
dangering Muraiche. So we travelled |
until a thong of one of Mohammed's |
sandles broke on the rocky ground !,
and he asked to be allowed to drop
behind a little and fix it. Since we
low long slope of hill 1 acceded;
but as he fell behind some distance, |:
I called to him to come, and when he
approached us | turned my attention
to the men ahead, feeling a sense of
IYp ont .it,c In Ia
relief that we were in more open
country
The moon was slightly behind us, !:
nigh in the heavens, and cast our
shadows diagonally to the right and
ahead of us. I watched the shadows of :
my horse and myself squirm and un-
lulate as they Travelled over the
ground. AS I relaxed from the ten
sion under which I had been mo-
nent gazing unthinginkly ahead, the
movement of another shadow caught :
my eye, that of an upward-moving :
rrm and knobbed club. There was
10 time to look first. Instnctively !
ny right hand thrust my revolver un- :
Ter my reinarm, and | turned my head
Iharply to find, what l had expected,
hat my revolver was pointing full at :
lie breast of the big fellow Moham-
ned. who stealing up quietly behind :
ne with sandles removed had intend :
d to strike.
"Boor-r-rO." (Go on). I said. Low
ring his club, without a sign of en- :
he took his place in line,
he others apparently having been OBJ
ivious to the whole affair.
After he left me. and the excite
nent of the moment had passed, cold :
hills chased one another up and z
lOwn my spine. From then on saw Z
10 sign of thieves. For five hours 1
lad ridden with my finger on the :
rigger of my pistol, covering my men. :
FOR five hours / had sensations which :
trust l shall not experience again. z
About one o'clock in the morning, :
igh upon the hill top we sighted the Z
White walls of Kussabat, and, after E
ONE hard climbing we came into fun :
lew of the silver city-glistening in :
bath of silver as Khoms had shone :
n flood of gold.
\ few words with the town guard, e
nd the great doors Of its main gate, e
y l'dI I'll lANS0dbdl 'ltdAtu anu =
roaned as they swung open. and we e
utered the city, clattercrcd up the g
.ccp, narrow streets, where, from the :
NV housetUps on either side sleeping =
crms mufflcd in barracans awOke 2
nd pccred over at us, and big white =
olf-hOunds craning their necks set z
andemonium loose from one end Of &
&c town to the other, as they snarled e
nd yelped in our very faces. IL
Soon we were in small fonduk 8
tth doors heavily boltcd. The other e
ccupants were selected stock of e
'mels, goats. sheep, and fowls taken s
ON the Arabs by the Turks in lieu e
taxes; in fact the fonduk had been e
inverted into a short Of pound. On =
b. roof were "a dozen or 50 OF Arabs e
I'd blacks asleep. and ] preferred e
leir company in the moonlight 10 e
at of my four men under the dark e
-e!Ways. To prevent scheming. IL
ok with me Ngraich-. the cause Of r
] the trouble. some Of these blaCSsI=
ID Arabs raised up out "f their sleep e
-olably for the first time. an aprari- =
IN in Khaki and white helmet =
hen We lay down. and, thanks e
the previous nights rest. II
anagsd % keep awake most Of the g
ght When Muraichc rolled over - n