Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise., 1937-07-02
CHAPTER 8

tance. The Touaregs stared as though
struck dumb by her loveliness.
"Look," he pursued. "Is it not bet
ter to have among us a slave fair as
the houris of the seventh heaven?"
Fiercely he turned to the two old men
who advocated the ransom. "Fools,"
he snarled, "can you not see that she
plays with us? See! Her teeth are
perfect" He thrust a great thumb
in between the shrinking girls scar
let lips and barred the double row of
pearl teeth in the manner of horse
dealer.
The old man who had been conduct
ing the negotiations apparently agreed
with his son, but the others fell into
a violent quarrel. They leaped to
their feet, dark faces agleam, and
crowded about the terrified girl, while
Roberts in a torment of furious sus-
pense waited developments.
They were not long in coming.
There sounded the swift rasp of a
dagger being drawn, and the young
man suddenly plunged his poniard in
to the side of the chieftain opposite
him. For moment the stricken Toua
reg swayed drunkenly, his side sud-
denly dyed scarlet; then with strang-
led cough he sank to his knees and
fell forward on his face.
"Keuttal!" (murderer) cried the
Tchek with a forked black beard.
In an instant, the daggers of the
remaining three flashed up and blades
CLEANED bright for an instant; then
the three men were fiercely merged in
struggling group, their vari-colored
robes much resembling an animated
patchwork quilt. To and fro they
reeled, Kissing frenzied curses and
epithets.
At the first warning of the strug-
gle Anne" zero guard flung one arm
about h ~ -ith great speed, van
ished ,:ia passage into the
tent .J. ~ .n.o rrreter stood as
tho r ss.l vi,h fright.
'"- fr' -roas s.: dggle was over
8' sur"a.siAg sr ed. The Touareg
"l n;ae< br rd struck the young
an @.-f his dagger, and Roberts
a h2ndsome brown face contract
.o2v i re'y and for moment Won
&er-I # le trouble-maker had not
h4sa Killed.
hrne Gs then made his bid for sue
e With pantherish leap, he rails
ea ne edge and dashed into the tent
strike down Tchek Ismail with a
errific right-hand blow. There would
be no firearms to alarm the sleeping
camp, if he could help it. Selim at
the same moment grasped the terri
fled interpreter by the throat, as the
fourth Touareg, the fierce old fellow
with the black beard, gaped in sur
prise at the suddenness of intruders.
In an instant, Captain Roberts flung
himself upon the raider, bringing
down the butt of his automatic with
stunning force on the chieftain's shay
zen crown. Whether he killed him or
not, the engineer never knew. He was
to occupied in deciding plan of ac-
tion. To rescue Anne was impossible,
now that she had been dragged in the
farther tent-it probably was filled
with guards and slaves. Then a
fleeting inspiration occurred to him.
He knew he must not waste second
at any instant the Tchek's bodyguard,
summoned by Anne's jailer, would
come bursting into the tent.
The interpreter, with eyes bulging
and on the verge of strangulation,
dangled helplessly at the end of
Selim's arm.
On the ground the young Tchek lay
sprawled, breathing heavily and with
fast shut eyes. Evidently the black
bearded Tchek had in some manner
stunned him.
For a moment, Roberts stood unde-
cided what to do. He looked at the
four fallen Touaregs.
"Selim," he painted in hoarse whis-
per, "gag and bind the interpreter.
The black beard will not wake for
many hours, nor will Tchek Ismail.
Thy blow hast knocked him into the
arms of Eblis."
"Now," Roberts savagely hissed to
the interpreter, "tell thy master when
he wakes-that the Roumis have tax
en- his son. We hold him hostage for
the white lalla. Tell the Tchek this"
he touched the PROSTATE youth with
his foot, twill die with the rising of
the sun unless the white lalla and her
servants and all her goods are placed