The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-09-18
By George Gibbs

was also the pride IN her achieve
ment and the wish to accomplish
the arrest in Bagdad if possible.
And if she couldn't fond out
where Ronald Barker had gone
what was she to do? Must she 60
to Kufah on the Tigris at Bag
dad and try to find Osman? And
if she succeeded in finding him
what was she to do with him?
Tell him that she was a young
American girl who very much
wanted him to be given into the
custody of the British? That was
a laugh. She began to see untold
trouble in the way of an Ameri-
can doing anything in French
mandate or a Turkish city with a
fugitive demanded by the British
government. Of course, Ronnie
would have found some way of
circumventing this difficulty -
such as, perhaps, using hijacking
methods and kidnapping the dis
tinguished gentleman. Camilla
was sure that she wanted to see
Ronnie more than she had ever
wanted to see him before, that he
was the only man who could get
things Strengthened out. She
couldn't marry Hassan if he pro-
missed her all the treasures of the
East. She was suddenly sick of
assimilation and deception, too.
She could not lie any more even
to help Ronnie.
It was almost eleven when Josie
called her to the window at the
front of the hotel where a great
crowd of tourists, French soldiers
from the barracks nearby, street
merchants and small boys sur
rounded Michael Gay and his bus
which had just arrived from Bel
rut. She examined the crowd and
made out the tall figure of Slim,
sending off people from Michael
as he descended after his dusty
night on the road. Other members
of Mr.. Vikings party moved to
and fro commenting on the
American bus with great enthu-
siasm. And any doubt that Ca
milla might have had as to her
choice of going to Beirut as Ron
aid Barker might have wished, or
going on to Bagdad with Michael
Gay was at once dispelled. Down.
stairs, she found the party from
the Orizaba talking with Michael.
The roads from Beirut were good.
Michael was all set to make the
run east tomorrow morning over
the northern edge of the Syrian
desert to the Euphrates.
Mail came to the desk, but
none of it was for Camilla-no
word that night or the next day
from Ronald Barker. Not even a
card from Hassan. That incident,
it seemed, was finished.
Mr.. Willing, having tourist bust
ness in Damascus, turned the par
ty over to Michael, who drove,
seated beside his Syrian chauf-
feur and guide. The Syrian's
name was Zaagi and he spoke
English and French, telling tales
of the country they were passing
through and of the tribes that in
habited them. From time to time
they passed caravans of moth
eaten camels and dromedaries on
the road to Palmyra. But more
interesting were the tribesmen, in
|Kaffiyeh and Kumbaz, riding
spirited horses which pranced and
pirouetted as the great bus thun-
dered past and the riders shot
into the air, the bullets whizzing
close to the bus while they shout
ed and laughed in amusement at
the tourists.
"rd hate to meet that crowd on
dark night without a machine
gun, few bombs and some tear
gas" Slim said.
But the chauffeur only smiled
the superior smile of the Syrian,
which is more superior than any
smile in the world. machine
guns! Bah, monsieur, would you
shoot with machine guns at lot
of children? It is their way. They
are just having a good time"
"Sure! But the next bunch may
not think they're having a good
enough time. I'd feel more COM
Portable if we had some rifles and
ammunition in case they gang up
on U.S."
Zaagi laughed again He seemed
to find a great deal of pleasure
in Sims remarks.
Michael drove carefully and,