Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-05-31

the Arab who bought their NUM-
tons!
He must have been staring very
hard for the count said, Eyes, you
are right, Mr.. Burgess. The hadji
and I are the same person. And
you, although you fooled me at first.
are the silent Arab captain who -"
With an almost invisibly quick
step the count moved out of the
doorway and there was a clang as a
knife struck the stone where he
had been standing, and fell to the
ground. In two long steps he
reached Carlita and grasped her
right arm. twisting it with steel
fingers as he said:
That wouldn't have done you any
good, my little tigress, but it was a
pretty try"
She lowered her head and bit his
hand savagely. He promptly let go,
but his gun remained leveled at her
stomach. "Sapristi." she spat at
him. III kill you for touching me.
I swear I will! Tauru! Tauru!
Where are you?"
The count smiled, hugely enjoying
himself. ''Tauru had an engagement
In the city. He won't be back. Hes
done his share!"
Carlita stared at him HE was
your spy! You put him in our house
to spy against u.s."
Yes" the count admitted. Hes
clever lad, don't you think?"
Matt Tried, Anyway.
Matt was standing with his arm
around Leigh, fixing together in
his mind the pieces of this extraor-
binary intrigue. He spoke now.
This looks like a private fight
Well Just leave you two alone"
"One moment if you please" The
count stopped him. 1T is very en-
barrassing but I must ask you both
to remain. I regret you had to be
here but, since you are here. there
is nothing to do but take you
along"
This melodrama isn't really very
funny, Reynol," Matt said. You're
not taking Leigh anywhere. I'm
taking her home. -
AS the count moved toward him
Matt lunged and caught him off
balance They went down together
and Matt reached for the gun. It
was inches from his fingers when a
scream exploded in his ears and at
the same instant. the force of some
thing hard striking his head
plunged him into utter darkness.
The next thing he was conscious
of was a peculiar lurching move
ment under him and something solid
in front of him. His head was twice
its usual size and throbbing with
every movement. Slowly he opened
his heavy eyes to a white cloth
shoulder and in front of that the
high head of a fine mehara camel.
He rubbed his eyes with one hand
and looked around him. He was
riding back of one of the Arabs: he
wondered if it was the one who hit
him. Then he discovered he was
tied to the Arab. Around him and
in front of him were more camels.
He saw Carlita's cloak on the back
of one just in front of him and the
small jodhpured figure of Leigh
ahead of that.
ReynOl Explains.
The whole scene rushed back at
him and he cursed himself for fool
He lifted his head and called Rey-
mol. A beautiful white camel trotted
out of line and back to him. The
count looked a complete Arab now
for he had donned his green turban
Feeling better, Mr.. Burgess?" he
inquired solicitously. Rather bad
blow they gave you, I'm afraid"
"Reynol, I want to know what's
going on You can't kidnap three
people like this and get away with
it,"
oh" the count said, maybe
can. This is not New York, you
know. You're in the wilderness of
colony of a warning nation
a desperately warning nation, Mr..
Burgess. The fate of three rather
unimportant individuals is not so
much here"
Il can guess what your purpose
in kidnapping Carlita is" Matt said
impatiently. And it's a lousy way
to do business"
With man like San Porte, what
other way is there? I know he is
cheating us; cheating the man who
buys the i. er, supplies He makes
a profit many times over on each
article and I am going to correct
that. I shall hold his daughter
until the price becomes more rea-
sonable and I have everything I
need from him"
and Miss Bannon and ~"
Unfortunately, when Tauru gave
me the information that Carlita
would be at the oasis, he did not
mention you two would be there.
It's too bad for I'd intended to use
you to carry my message to San
Porte, but now I have to send
Tauru."
There's a guy who really knows
his embarrassing" Matt muttered.
momentarily distracted by the bitter
remembrance of his implicit trust
in the boy. "All the time he was
double-crossing me. by working for
Carlita, he was triple crossing her
by informing you about her activi-
ties"
Proud of Tauru.
Yes, I'm proud of Tauru. Good
boy. He knows how to play the same