Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-05-14
CHAPTER 1


that souk," announced Mistress Anne
Cleeves with chilling hauteur. "Here
in civilized place like Insalah there
can be no danger. Stand aside-my
good fellow, you're acting ridiculous
ly.". The brown-faced courier, how
ever, shook his shaven head all the
more firmly and held up a slender
brown hand in warning.
"No, no, Madmoiselle," he firmly
insisted. "Please this SIOUX not for
ladies'" He glanced down the narrow
passage in which he and his fair en-
ployer found themselves, to see the
goods-hung doorways beginning to
fill with evil, tattoed faces that bold
ly eyed the radiant presence chance
had brought to their haunts.
"Stand aside-do you understand"
repeated the girl loftily and clutching
her green sunshade firmly, she took
a step forward.
-Mam'selle," implored the
Arab, rising fear in his voice. His
dark eyes rolled apprehensively and
his none too clean white gandoura
fluttered with his agitated gestures.
For a moment, Anne Cleeves peered
on down the winding, picturesque pas
sage which, rooted over to keep out
the scorching heat of the African sun,
was pierced here and there with cir
cular vents. She observed that the
SIOUX itself was so narrow that by ex-
tending both arms, the courier could
easily touch the walls on either side.
This SIOUX was somewhat different
from all the others. There were no
small patient gray donkeys with slit
nostrils, no bleating goats, no shrilly
imploring, persistent merchants.
About that passage was an indescrib-
ably sinister air-she knew the cour-
Ter was right-yet it would not be
like Anne Cleeves to give in. When
she wanted to do thing, she did it
always had done it and always in
tended to do whatever her fancy die
tated. The courier in a desperate ges
ture raised his arms to bar her pas
sage, as the Cleeves girl, clad in a
translucent white dress--priceless pro-
duct of Paris-advanced with her soft
red lips compressed in wilful anger.
In so doing, she stepped squarely into
a dazzling shaft of light from vent
hole in the grazed and fly-blown cell
ing above.
The vertical golden rays lighted her
straight, slender body with pristine
glory and wrought alluring fiery
flashes among the red curls which
showed here and there beneath the
brim of her white Bangkok hat. Light
reflected from the dingy whitewashed
walls, lighted up the perfect oval of
her face, revealing gracefully curved
and slender eyebrows, alert dark blue
eyes and vivid little mouth which al
that moment was set in an angry line
Anne took a step forward and, ir
spite of the natives obsequious anc
anxious pleading, prepared to brush
boldly by the alarmed courier.
The eager, heavy-lipped faces were
increasing every instant and in des
peration, the unhappy native put out
an arm to stop her and caught hel
gently by the elbow with hand thai
trembled with fright. All too well h
recognized the purpose clearly writer
in the lecherous stares of the denizen
of the SIOUX. Their sloe black eye
were hungrily wide as they behel'
that fragile vision of white lovelines
standing in the little patch of sun
light-for all the world like one o
Mohammed's fairest houris descende'
to earth on a sunbeam. The watch
ers silently shuffled closer and greed
lily passed tongue tips over thick an
pendulous lower lips.
At the contact of the courier's HAND
Anne stepped back, her lovely fac
flushed with a wilful, angry express
ion. Up whirled her little parasol an
she struck the AraO a reSoundlng DloN
on the cheek.
"How dare you touch me?" sh
stormed as the startled courier fe
back, flinging up a warding arm
"Stand aside, you insolent fool, G
where I pleased"
She had taken but a single ste
when suddenly a powerful khaki-cla
arm shot in front of her and 81
found herself confronted by pa
of the coolest, sternest grey eyes 81
had ever seen. That it was an Amer
can she instantly realized.
"No," snapped the stranger hars
ly, "you don't go down there! tt
courier's right. You ought to
4