Evening star., 1924-10-01
THE OWLS HOUSE
A Thrilling Adventure Story
By CrOsbie Garstin
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Starr
By CrOSble GarStin


Continued from Yesterdays STAR
He waited tin the other had gone
to sleep. and then ate his cake and
meat. He was ravcnouS and didn't
want to share il.
Black day succeeded black night
dow in the hold, cha nginC places i'm
pcrrcptihly. Once every - hours the
prisoners were taken on deck for a
few minutes. In the morning and
evening they were fed. Nothing else
served TO break the stifinE monotonN.
1t seemed to 0rtho that he had been
chained up in blank gloom for untold
years-Eloom pcopled with discm
bodied voices that became loquacious
only in sleep. Courage gagged their
waking hours, but when they slept
and no longer had control of them
selves they talked. muttered. Croancd
and cried aloud for lost places and
lost loves. At night that hold was an
inferno, "a dark cavern filled with
damned souls Wailing. Two Biscay-
ners did actually fight once. but they
didn't fight for long: hadn't spirit
enough. 1t Was over A few crumbs
Of bread that they fell out. The man
on Ortho's right. an old German sea-
man, never uttered a word. One
morning. when they came around
with food, he didn't put his hand out
for his portion. and they found that
he was dead-a fact the rats had dis
covered some hours before. The only
pSrSon who was not depressed was
Nr. Puddicombe. late of BriXham and
Slgiers. He had the advantage Of
knowing what he was called upon to
face, combined with a strong strain
OF natural philosophy.
England. viewed from Algiers. had
seemed green land of plenty. of per-
cnrial beer and skittles. When he
got home he found he had to work
harder than ever he had done in
Africa, and after nine years of sub
tropics the northern Winter had bit
ten him to the bone. Provided he did
not become government slave
(Which he thought unlikely. being too
old, he was not sure but that all
was for the best. He was good
tailor and carpenter and generally
useful about the house. a valuable
possession. in short. He would be
well treated. He would try to get a
letter through TO his old master. he
said and see if an exchange could be
worked. He had been quite happy in
Sidi Okbar street The notary had
treated him more as a friend than a
servant. They used TO play The
kings game" "a form of chess) to-
Eethcr OF an evening. He thought
Add ell l-Hamri. being a notary, man
o: means. could easily effect the ex
change, and then, once comfortably
settled down to slavery in Algiers,
nothing on earth should tempt him
TO take any more silly chances with
freedom. he assured Ortf1o.- He also
gave him a lot Of advice concerning
his future conduct
i've taken a fancy to you, my lad"
he said one evening, AN I'm givip'
YOU advice others would pay ducats
and golden pistoles to get, y'under
stano"
Ortho was duly grateful.
Are you a professed Catholic, by
any chance"
"No-Protestant.'
We'll. if you was Catholic pro-
fesscd I would tell you to hold by it
Fathers could help you, but if you
be a Protestant nobody won't do
nothin' for you. So you'd best turn
renegade and turn sharp-like l done.
See what I mean:"
"Renegado?'
Turn Moslem. Sing out night and
mernin' that there's only one Allah
and nobody like him. After that they
got to treat YOU kinder If you'm
- SO 10 Spedh-lney re
doin' this here Allah a favor by peltiu
stones at you. If you're a Moham-
medan, you're one of Allah's own, and
they got to love you. See what ]
mean? Mind you. there's drawbacks.
You amt supposed to touch liquor
but that needn't lie on your mind.
God knows when the corsairs came
home full to the matches and business
was brisk there was mighty few OF us
renegades in Algiers City went sober
to bed, y'understan'? Then there's
Ramadan. That means you got to
close-rcef your belt from sunrise to
sunset for so mortal days. If they
catch you As much as sucking a lemon
they'll beat your innards out. I don't
say it can't be done, but don't let EN-
catch you. See what I mean? Lcav-
ing aside his views on liquor and this
here Ramadan. J. amt got nothin'
against the Prophet. When you get
as old and clever as me, you'll find
that religions is much like clo'cS-
wear what the others is wcarin' and
you can do what you like. You take
my advice, my son, and soon as
you land holla out that theirs only
one Allah. and keep on hollaing.
Understand?