The Washington times., 1922-06-09
Installment Xxx.
BY Z. NJ. HULL.

~@~ "a hcts ohe aOt hSA VSeD
fears died away. A reckless feeling,
like the excitement Of the morning
came over her. and she urged
the grey on with coaxing words.
and responding to her voice, and
hardly feeling her light weight.
he raced on untirinsly. All
around was silence and q soil.
tude that was stupendous: The
vast emptiness was awe-inspiring.
The afternoon was wearing away:
already 1t was growing cooler.
Diana had seen no sign Of hu.
man life since she had left Gas
ton hours before and q little
feeling of anxiety stirred family
deep down In her heart. Traces
Of caravans she passed several
= times. and from the whitening
bones Of dead camels she turned
her head in aversion-they were
too intimately suggestive. She
had seen a few jackais, and
once q hyena Numbered away
clumsily among some rocks a.
she passed. She had got away
from the level desert. and was
threading her way in and out
Of some low hills, witch she felt
were taking her out Of her right
course. She was steering by the
setting sun. which had turned the
sky into q glory Of golden Grim.
son. but the intricate turnings
amongst the rocky hills were be-
wildertng. The low. narrow de-
file seemed hemming her In.
menacing her on all sides, and
she was beginning to despair Of
finding her way out Of the laby-
rinth, when, on rounding q par.
ticularly sharp turn, the rocks
fell away suddenly and she rode
out into open country. She
breathed q sigh Of relief and
called out cheerily to the grey.
but. as she looked ahead, her
voice died away. and she refined
him in sharply with q quicken
ing heartbeat. Across the desert
about q mile away she saw a
party Of Arabs coming towards
her. There were about fifty OF
them, the leader. riding
big. black horse some little
distance in front Of his fol.
lowers. In the clear atmosphere
they seemed nearer than they
were. II was not what she wished.
She had hoped for an encampment,
where there would be women or a
caravan Of traders whose constant
communication with the towns
would make them realize the i'm.
portance Of guiding her to civiliza.
ton unharmed. This band Of fight
ing men, for she could see their
rifles clearly. and. their close and
orderly formation was anything
but peaceful. filled her with the
greatest misgivings. Only the
worst might be expected from the
wild. lawiexs tribesmen toward 4
woman alone amongst them. She
had fled from one hideousness to
another which would be ten times
more horrible. Her face blanched
and she set her teeth In despera-
ton. The human beingy she had
prayed for were now . deadly men.
ace, ana she prayed as fervently
that they might pass on and not
notice her. Perhaps 1t was not too
late. perhaps they had not yet seen
her and she might still slip away
and hide In the twisting turninss
Of the defIle. She backed Silver
Star further into the shadow Of the
rock. but as she did 50 she saw
that she had been seen. Tho leader
turned in his saddle and raised his
hand high above his head, and with
wild shout and q great cloud Of
dust and sand his men checked
their horses, dragging them back
on their launches. while he gal.
loped toward her alone. And at
the same moment an icy hand
ciutched at Dtana's heart and a
moan burst from her lips. There
was no mistaking him or the big
black horse he rode. For q mo.
ment she reeled with a sudden
faintness, and then with q tren.en.
dous effort she pulled herself to.
gether. dragging her horses head
= round and urged him back along
the track which she had just left.
2 and behind her raced Ahmed Ben
.Hassan. spurring the great black
stallion as he had never done he
fore. With ashy face and wild.
hunted eyes Diana crouched for.
ward on the srey's neck, saving
him all she could and riding as she
had never ridden in her life. Utterly
reckless, she urged the horse to his
utmost pace. regardless Of the
rough. dangerous track. Perhaps
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