Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-10-03
THE OWLS HOUSE
A Thrilling Adventure Story
By Crosbie Garstin
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr
ny vi OOIIS oCI OlIII
Copyright, 1924. by Frederick A. Stokes Co.

among his ladies' and Ortho released
the donkey from its tether among the
olive trees outside the Chaafa gate
and fetched wood and water, getting
the former from charcoal burners
women from the Forest of Marmora.
He met many other European
slaves similarly employed-French-
men, Spaniards, Italians, Dutchmen,
Portuguese, Greeks and not few
British. They spoke Arabic together
and lingua franco, a compound of
their several tongues, but Ortho was
not attracted by any of them; they
we're either too reticent or too friend
~ He remembered what Puddicombe
mad said about spies and kept his
mouth shut except on the most trivial
opicS. Puddicombe he frequently en-
ountered in the streets, but never at
ne wells or in the charcoal market.
he mental hauling of wood and
craving of water were not for that
'stute gentleman: he had passed onto
higher plane and was now steward
18th menials under him.
His master (whom he designated as
"Sore-EyesD was very amable when
rot suffering from any of his
lanifold intirmities, amable, not
- say indulgent. He had
lareS in every corSair in the
ort. II COWS and a large orchard.
he slaves had couscous. fat mutton
nd chicken crdpinSS almost every
ty, butter galore and as much fruit
they could eat. He was teaching
pre-Eyes the Kings Game and get
ng, into his good Sraces. but pur-
osely, not too deep. Did he make
imself indispensable Sore Eyes
light refuse TO part with him and
would not see Sidi Okbar street
5ain-a Jew merchant had promised
10 get his letter through. Between
his present mast r and the notary
here was little to choose, but Sallee
vas d mere rat-hole compared with
\lgiers. He enlarged on the city
his captivity, its white terraces
lmbing steeply from the blue har-
or. its beauty, wealth and activity V,
Nth all the tremulous passion of an
exile pining for home.
Many free renegadeS were there
also about the town with whom Ortho
Vas on terms of friendship--muti-
GERS, murderers, eX-convicts, wanted
iminalS to a man. These gentry
ere almost entirely employed either
:, gunnerS and petty officers aboard
tre rorsairs or as skilled laborers in
re yards They had their own grog-
IopS and resorts. and when they had
oney lived rotously and invited
-erybody to join. Many night did
tho spond in the renegade taverns
men the ToNeTS were III after d SUI
ssful raid watching them dicing
shares of plumber and dancing
ieir gathering hornpipes: listening
IL their melancholy and boastfui
.,.ngs, to their wild tales of battle
and disaster, sudden aft1uence and
: bauch; tales of superstition and
bilious adventure. of phantom ships.
!. tost islands. white whales. sea
agonS Jonahs and mermaidS; of
nj inf nil TO a
ain, slave barracoons on the Guinea
last, orchid poisoned forests in the
-aZilS of Indian mogulS who rode
1 jeWeled elephants beneath fans or
acock feathers. and the ice bar
erS to the north. where the bergs
God mountain high and glittered
le green glass.
Sometimes there were brawls when
long sheath knives came out and
he or other of the combatants
.opped, occasionally both. They
ere hauled outside by the heels and
,re fun went on again. But these
Iittle npleaSantnesseS were eXcep-
onal The "mala casta' ashore
=, ere the essence of good fellowship
I'd of a royal liberality; they were
pecially generous to the Christian
.ptives. far more kindly than the
ayes were to each other.
The habitual feeling of restraint,
suspicion, vanished before the
,isterous conviviality of these ras-
U.s. When the fleets came, banging
nd cheering, home over the bar into
f',e Bou Regreg and the "mala casta'
ere in town blowing their money
-. the Europeans met together, spoke
,oenly drank, laughed and were
lends When they were gone the
'oud descended once more, the slaves
,oked at each other Slant-WiSe and
alked apart.
But Ortho cared little for that; he
as at home in the house on the
i'll and passably happy. 1t was
My necessary for him to watch the
overnment slaves being herded to
ork in the quarries and salt pans.
f'l-clad. half starved, battered along
With sticks and gun butts, to make
i'm content with his mild lot Not
"pr nothing had he been named
Said" the fortunate.
He had no longer any thought OF
scape. One morning returning with
God he met rabble in the narrow
ouika- They had a mule in their
,idst, and dragging head down at
he mules tail was what had once
zen man. His hands were strapped
lehind him SO that he could in no
-ay protect himself but bumped
long the rutS and cobbieS. twisting
as not a particle of skin left on
i'm, and at this red abomination the
omen cursed, the beggars spat, the
hildren threw stones and the dogs
ore.
1t was a Christian, Ortho learnt,
!, slave who had killed his warder,
escaped and been recaptured.
The rabble went on, shouting and
"tonins, toward the Fee Gate. and
Drtho drove his donkey home, SILVER
ng, determined that freedom was too
ear at that risk. There was moth
og in his life at the captains estab-
ishment to make him anxious to
un. The ample MAMMA did not re-
ard him with favor, but that served
enhance him in the eyes of Saheb
he steward, between whom and the
tousekeeper there was certain rival
y and no love lost.
The two negresSes were merely
'azy young animals with no thoughts
beyond how much work they could
avoid and how much food they could
steal OF the harem beauties he saw
little except when MacBride was
present and then, they were fully
occupied with their lord. MacBride
was amiability itself.
Capt. MacBride at sea, at the first
sign of indiscipline. tricing his men
raw; Capt. MacBride. yardmaster of
Sallee, believing blaspherhies at a
riTger on a top-mast truck, laying
a caulker out with his own mallet
for skimped work, was totally dif-
ferent person from Ben MacBride
of the house on the hill. The
moment he entered it's portals he, as
it were, resigned his commission and
put on childish things. He would
ho