Evening star., 1923-07-22

world is in the hollow of their
hands" Hasheesh. bast, bhang, the
names are myriad. The dried and
powdered leaves of Indian hemp or
the greenish leaf resin Is dissolved
in water as a not too pleasant drink.
smoked with tobacco in pipe. chew
ed as a diamond-shaped lozenge, or
eaten as a sweetmeat of honey. sugar
and aromatic spice. Since long be-
fore recorded history it has been the
means of transporting the labor
weary fellah or luxury stated Wazir
into a momentary heaven--or hell.
Which. the eater cannot know, for the
effects vary with the individual and
the time. Generally it is said to mag
Nifty astonishingly sense perception,
the eater hears each beat of his heart.
feels each valve open and shut.
Should he touch a broomstraw ii be-
comes a tree, a low-roofed hut be-
comes a vaulted palace.
THIS is why. when night blinds the
i eyes of the camel corps police.
through the desert into the land OF
the Nile lumber long caravans OF
Bedouin smugglers. The cargo is the
hhang, to be sold at much profit and
drowsily smoked at inn or about
campfire. This is the story of Abdul
Kada and the forty hasheesh camels.
Abdul Kada, the Bedouin, king of
smugslers, rode out of the desert,
month after month. at the head or his
band unfearing, unchecked. He was
blasphemed by the camel police,
cursed by the British at Cairo. At
point on the Tripolitan seacoast, not
many miles across the border past
Sallum, he would meet the bhang-
laden ships from Greece and speed
inland, eluding all traps. escaping all
pursuers Ever bolder he grew.
CHANGING one night to meet the camel
patrol radiating out of Sallum, he
fred into the policemen's midst before
he fed. The bullet found a target,
one Sidi Fattah. Mournfully the
troopers carried the body back to the
post he was of their kin, fellow
officer, a blood brother They vowed
vengeance. Last night Abdul Kada
was a brigand to be caught, if pos
sible, because it was for such as this
| thew received the khedive's payj to-
night he was the murderer. who had
spilled the blood of their blood
Blood must pay.
WITH knives sharp and bullets
w ready in the rifle chambers. they
increased their vigilance. Months
passed The smuggler they thought
was in league with Ibiis, the Ac-
cursed One, or he had departed to
another land. Then a tracker. mount
| ed on his solitary camel, found few
hours after the sun had risen that
| which all sought-a wide line or
beaten sand coming from the west,
turning south. Abdul Kada's cara
| van. He was certain; too many hoof-
prints for any other. Nor were the
| tracks. old. Elated, he raced his
clumsy steed to the station. He ar
rived at noon. The ten members of
the drowsy squad sprang from their
oriental lethargy. The numbers OF
| Abdul Kada were far greater, the
hoofprints told of many camels; they
neither feared nor cared. The blood
of a brother was to be avenged.
| They carried supplies for only five
days; they must move rapidly, and
water and food lessened speed. Grim
ly making certain of the knives in
their Jackets. they climbed upon the
kneeling dromedaries, rose and
| whipped away. Forty miles they fol-
1 lowed the tracks in the whiteness.
halting the dripping beasts only
when the sun suddenly dropped. 1t
Twas impossible to follow the trail in
the dark Eating scant meal. they