Evening star., 1933-06-15
CHAPTER xxx.
An Ambush.

n "A MI IlOb W udIu, LILY VASSAAS~As
- " King of Beasts" cautioned
Il Raisul, cor I'll have your
4 4 tongue torn out by the roots.
Also you shall have hun
dred strokes, very much too hard.
"And not too light either" he con-
tinued. cor your stomach shall be SO
light for a month or two that youu
never get over it. You'll be Ibrahim the
Skeleton instead of Ibrahim the Lion
by the time I've done with you.
so just hard enough Just nard
enough to lay him out while we truss
him up. Understand"
Ibrahim the Lion grinned and shook
the hardwood stick which the Moroccan
Arab uses with such skill, whether as
cudgel or a missile.
"Yes, Sidi," he laughed, showing a
huge mouthful of great shining teeth.
Il shall watch you, all right" Raisul
assured him. Get behind that cur
tain. That swine will sit there, right
in front of it.
when I yawn loudly and say,
Tn'shallah,' strike, and don't bungle
your lob if you want to raise family"
A few minutes later RaisuPs personal
bodyguard entered the room, followed
by a soldier of the Legion.
"Sir Ohio Robert Mandeville-B Belleme,
I think" Raisul said, with pleasant
welcoming smile.
"The Legionnaire Otho Belleme,"
smiled Otho in reply.
st wonder if you remember me?" con-
tinued Raisul, "or whether this Moorish
AREN'T you the Mr.. Russell who
used to visit Jules Maligni at Oxford?"
asked Otho. Yes, I remember you
now-the Sidi Kaid ben Add allah Ka-
rim Of Mekazzen."
"Ah-we have both changed our
names slightly-as well as our clothes"
observed Raisul. Wont you sit down?"
And he indicated the low cushioned
divan that stood before the heavy stlken
curtain.
"Will you have coffee-or something
b little more Interestingly"
"Oh, coffee, thanks" replied Otho
quickly, with scarcely formulated and
instantly rejected suspicion.
Raisul seated himself comfortably
among his cushions, lighted cigarette
and blew smoke ring.
YES" he said musingly. "Oxford
,..I remember q certain luncheon
party. It was there first saw Jules
future WIFE"
"Yes, I remember. A Yelverbury
lunch party" replied otho quietly.
Queer little, small world, isn't 1t.
with its changes and chances. And how
we've all changedi
Margaret Maykings Is Margaret Ma
hgni. Sir Otho Robert Vaudeville Bel.
leme Is the Legionnaire Otho Belleme
Maligni the Magnificent, as you used to
call him at Oxford, Is not quite so mag
nificent as he was-and Mr.. RUSSELL
now on his native heath is, as you OBJ
served, the Sidi Kaid Raisul ben Abd'al-
aah Karin of Mekazzen."
YES. interesting" agreed Otho.
amusing. Mr. Russell wasn't of very
much Importance at that party and
neither Margaret nor anybody else had
a word to throw at him. And now he
holds you in the hollow of his hand"
And extending delicate but power
full hand, palm upward, the speaker
suddenly clenched it till the Enuckles
stood white through the oliye-tinted
skin.
"Really2" observed otho. fiicking ash
from his cigarette.
"Oh, very really" asserted Raisul.
sIn the hollow of my hand"
"Oh, how's that?" inquired Otho.
'Why-the lunch party is now q |
country house party-as regards four Of |
its members anyhow. You and I, my
dear Belleme, and Maligni the Magnih- |
cent and Margaret, his wife. All to- |
gether again In my nice country house |
in Mekazzen."
What" calculated otho. suddenly
sitting bolt upright. Margaret here? |
Here In Mekazzen?"
Eyes, MIR. and Mrs. Maligni are hon
eymooning herein the CASTLE"
Otho's. heart beat fast. /,
Was 1t possible that he was at this |
very moment close to Margaret Was
It possible that he was about to see her |
again? What should he say to her?
What would she say to him? He knew
by heart the letter which she had writ |
ten him from Gibraltar and he had re-
ceived at Mellerat It had ended:
I'VE are crossing to Taugier next
week for holiday In Morocco, ending |
up with q visit to real live kaid whom |
jules knows well. can't tell you how
thrilled am.
Il say. Tho, we shall both be in North |
Africa. wouldn't it be lovely II we could |
all meet?
Anyhow, do write me care the secre-
tary, Cosmopolitan Club, Tangier.
with lots Of love, Tho, dear.
MARGARET"
And then the heart-warming. treas
0red postscript:
] ever had"
by jovel" he said, with something
Of the impetuosity Of which life had,
even yet, not wholly cured him. II
should love to see her again"
You SHALL" replied Raisul.
And. yawning loudly, he added:
"In'shallah! Which means, as you
know, IF God wills. ;"
And Ibrafim the Lion struck.
When Otho recovered consciousness
and tried to move he found he could
move nothing but his eyes. Nor did he
keep his eyes open for more than a few
seconds, as the pain that he suffered
was intolerable and the vision that he
beheld unendurable.
Was he again sun-smitten In the des-
ert and beholding maddening mirage?
For he had seemed to see Margaret her
self standing between her husband,
Jules Maligni, and that fellow Raisul.
Yes, each was holding one of her arms
and she was struggling violently.
Margaret struggling violently?
Then she needed help. He must help
he. He must spring up and rescue her.
He'd break their damned necks.
But Belleme could not get up
And Belleme could not speak, for he
was gagged.
And Belleme could not do anything,