The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-07-24
By George Gibbs

that's swell 1Qea. O1Qn LHe
wireless man know to. whom it
was delivered?"
"That's the second queer thing
about it. He tried one or two peo-
pie, but he didn't succeed in de-
livering it. He showed it to me
just because it was queer"
He handed the message to her
and she read, ''Koran embarrasez
royale antique khorassan. What
on earth can that mean?"
did you read it backward? No
That doesn't make sense. The
first letters? K-E-R-A-K. That
spells Kerak. That doesn't mean
a thing to me either. Kerak
What's Kerak? 1t might be Ara
bic"
He tried to keep the look in in
terest out of his eyes but she did
not miss it. "You've discovered
something. What is it,"
Nothing. Nothing at all"
She peered at him keenly.
"Kerak," she said again, frown-
| ing. 'Kerak. I remember now -
here on the ship an article about
Syria in a magazine. In the ships
library. Ell Kerak! I have it! A
bandit who rcams east and south
of the Lebanon Mountains, ter
! rorizing the natives. This article
said he was kind of oriental Ro-
bin Hood, little better than thief
and an assassin, but with mo-
ments of great generosity"
did it say that?"
cts curious" she gasped. "Wait
a moment!'
And before he had time for a
word in reply she had darted into
the companionway.
In the corner of the saloon were
the bookcases and magazines. In
few moments Camilla had found
what she had come for, a copy of
the Geographic Magazine for the
month of July of the previous
year. An article by an American
newspaper man. She skinned
the pages rapidly. Pictures of the
Lebanon Mountains, views of Da-
mascus, camps of Bedouins .
and then-here it was-El Kerak,
a photograph Of the Syrian ban
dit at the flap Of his tent; an
other one, better one, a candid
shot in the full blaze Of sunlight
as he mounted his horse, possibly
taken without his knowledge. He
wore the conventional flowing
white robes and kaffiyeh, a small
mustache and an incipient beard.
She gave a gasp of surprise and
rose, aware that Barker had fol-
lowed her from the deck outside
and now stood beside her chair.
"Mr. Barker, I've made a dis
covery. Please look. Pictures of
! Ronald Barker in masquerade.
Excellent pictures and the like
ness unmistakeable-"
He took the magazine from her
hand, turned over the pages and
then, "Astonishing resemblance,
isn't it," he said, almost too care
lessly this time.
Every. The mask is off. Admit
it Ronald Barker"
He seemed really disturbed and
she had good deal of quiet
pleasure from her triumph. He
took the magazine from her fin
gers again, looked at the pictures,
then, putting it under his arm,
turned toward the door of the
gangway.
Come" he said quietly. Lets
60 out on deck again. Do you
mind?"
They reached the rail where
they could continue their CONVEX
sation beyond the reach of listen
ers. II suppose I might attempt
to carry on, but I'm afraid you've
got the goods on me as we say
in the U. S. A. I'm sorry you've
found me out. You see, I've moved
about in Syria and Palestine with
the utmost freedom and now,
possibly, I'll have to find new
personality, a new identity"
II hope that won't be neces-
sary," she said quietly. well end
that story now" She took the
magazine from his fingers and
dropped it into the sea. He
glanced at her and then muttered
the one word, 'Thanks.'
"But you've got the story; I
may as we'll tell you. There's a
price set on Ell Kerak's head by
the French and by the British
(which they will never have
a chance to pay"
Exactly" he finished.
There was a silence made more
definite by the swish of foam and
the rising wind. ''Well," he said
at last, ''What are you going to
do about it,"
"What can be done about it?
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