The Washington times., 1922-05-26
a Co. Inc.)
Installment vi.
BY e. NJ. HULL.

at them ride off. and the
laugh died away on her lips.
1t was not a farewell salute.
The rifles that the Arabs were
firing were not pointing up
into the heavens. but aim.
ing straight at her and her
escort. And as she stared with
suddenly startled eyes. unable to
do anything with her plunging
horse, Mustafa Alis men were
blotted out from her sight, cut
off by a band Of Arabs who rode
between her and them. Mustafa
All himself was lying forward on
the neck of his horse. who was
standing quiet amidst the general
confusion. Then there came
another volley. and the guide slid
slowly out of his saddle on to the
ground, and at the same time
Diana's horse went off with a
wild leap that nearly unseated
her.
Until they started shooting the
thought that the Arabs could be
hostile had not crossed her mind.
She imagined that they were
merely showing off with the
childish love of display which she
knew was characteristic. The
French authorities had been right
after all. Diana's first feeling
was one OF contempt for an ad-
ministration that made possible
such an attempt so near civiliZI.
ton. Her second fleeting
amusement at the thought of
how Aubrey would jeer. But her
amusement passed as the real
seriousness Of the attack came
home to her. For the first time
1t occurred to her that her guides
descent from his saddle was due
to a wound and not to the fear
that she had at first disgustedly
attributed to him. But nobody
had seemed to put UP any kind
of a fight, she thought wrath
fully. She tugged angrily at her
horses mouth, but the bit was
between his teeth and he tore on
frantically. Her own position
made her furious. Her guide
was wounded, his men sur
rounded, and she was ignomin-
iously being run away with by
boiling horse. If she could only
turn the wretched animal. 1t
would only be a question Of ran.
som, OF that she was positive.
She must get back somehow to
the others and arrange terms.
1t was an annoyance, OF course,
but after all it added a certain
piquancy to her trip, II would be
an experience. 1t was only
"hold.up." She did not suppose
the Arabs had even really meant
to hurt any one, but they were
excited and someone's shot, aimed
wide. had found an unexpected
billet. 1t could only be that. It
was too near Biskra for any real
danger, she argued with herself,
still straining on the reins. She
would not admit that there was
any danger. though her heart was
beating in a way that 1t had fever
done before. Then as she hauled
Intellectually at the bride with all
her strength there came from be-
hind her the sound Of long shrill
whistle. Her horse pricked up
his ears and she was conscious
that his pace sensibly lessencd. In.
stinctively she looked behind. A
solitary Arab was riding after her
and as she looked she realized that
his horse was gaining on hers.
The thought drove every idea Of
stopping her runaway from her
and made her dig her spurs into
him instead. There was a si..ister
air of deliberation in the way In
which the Arab was following her;
he was riding her down.
Diana's mouth closed firmly and
a new keeness came into her stcndy
eyes. 1t was one thing 10 90 lack
voluntarily to make terms with
the men who had attacked hsr
party: II was quite another thing
to be deliberately chased across
the desert by an Arab freebooter.
Her obstinate chin was almost
square. Then the shadow OF a
laugh flickered in her eyes und
curved her mouth. New expert.
ences were crowding In upon her
today. She had often wondered
what the feelings Of a hunted cr"a.
ture were. She seemed in fair
way OF finding out. She had al
ways stoutly maintained that the
fox enjoyed the run ss much as
a. A. -