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

ordinary strength of the two men on
either side supported him by the ell
bows.
Everywhere lay the dark, indistinct
outlines of the sleeping Touaregs, and
on the tops of nearby dunes the ad-
venturers could distinguish motionless
senkinels, ever on the alert and watch
the sky line ceaselessly.
To Captain Roberts great surprise
and relief, they reached the spot
where their knee haltered camels
grumbled and whined, endlessly twist
ing lonk snake-like necks in all direc-
tions.
"Is it not better that I ride double,
oh, Sidi?" murmured the Senegalese.
"Thou art a surer shot and so can
cover our retreat"
It was only a moment before the
camels, with protesting grunts, heaved
themselves to their spongy splay feet.
AS he thrust his feet into the wide
native stirrups, Roberts noted with
considerable alarm that several Of
the sleeping tribesmen reused them
selves and were looking sleepily at
the heavily laden mehara which at
once sought the edge of the camp.
Several called in loud voices, demand
ing to know what had chanced, for the
sight of two camels, one with a double
load, stimulated their imaginations to
acute suspicion.
Selim blandly called back some OBJ
scene commonplace which, unfortunate
ly, failed to dispel the suspicious of
the Touaregs. Instead, several of
them got to their feet and stood look
ing after the riders with increasing
excitement.
"Wish we dared trot," thought Rob-
erts, but did not yield to the impulse
to urge the camels to disastrous
trot. To increase speed would raise
final doubts in the minds of the Toua-
regs behind.
Ever louder grew the outcry, so
when they gained the edge of the
douar, the engineer lashed his mount
a stinging cut. Roberts glanced anx-
iously across at Selim's shadowy, muf-
fled figure. By sheer strength the
Senegalese held the limp and helpless
Mulai before him on the saddle.
Unerringly, the two guided their
camels toward that spot where they
had slain the sentinel, knowing very
we'll it was the sole outlet in that ring
of guardsmen. Behind, the aroused
camp broke into loud shouts and warn
rifles cracked when one by one the
sentinels caught the alarm. They
were passing over the first dune top
when the engineer, on peering over his
shoulder, was dismayed to see that
several tribesmen had mounted and
were giving chase at full speed.
But relentlessly the Touaregs gain
ed until they were not more than fifty
yards behind, when the gray walls of
the foundouk loomed near and volley
over the heads of the fugi-
tives. Obviously fearing ambuscade,
the Touaregs reluctantly reined aside
and dashed back off into the darkness,
ltering shrill shouts of anger.
"It's a question:" observed Roberts
bitterly to himself, show long the
lrug will keep the genial cut-throat
quiet" The engineer stood to the
side of a rough pallet, gazing with
somber eyes upon the unconscious
Touareg. He eyed a cleaning hypo-
lermic on a nearby table. GIVE CIV
m him all the hyoscine have"
Beware" warned Selim, with a
;omber shake of his bullet head. GAS
he jackal is treacherous, as the tiger
S cruel, so are the accursed Blue-veil-
ID Ones. Do thou watch well, oh Sidi,
md demand that the white lafla and
Ter people are within the walls ere
;hou dost let this thief among thieves
return to his people"
Il doubt II Ichek lSmall Will agree
70 such terms" objected Roberts, "but
f he insists, there's way, I think
70 bring the matter successfully to an
end" Again he eyed certain bottle
in his medicine case. All night long
he hadpondered, until just as the youth
Mulai, was about to regain conscious
ness, he injected dose of sleep-pro-
ducing hyoscine.
At that, the sergeant of the tirrail-
leurs, who bore a bloodied bandage
about his forehead, broke into the
"Trust them not" he urged. "The
dogs of Eblis will, of a
surety, murder the lady. Their word