Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 20: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

, ate : as a= ES | I return to Jerusalem. My life and the life __. of all these is on the heads of Ali Baba and his sixteen sons and grandsons!” z Soh “Certainly, ” said Grim. “Let Allah ee witness!” x Then Ali Baba did a thing that: hardly Ee. fitted into the modern frame. He stood up ba and I thought he was going to denounce us all, for he was trembling and his lips quiv- ES ered. His eyes were on Grim’s, as steady as __ the Westerner’s now, and for ‘the space of half a minute he stood erect, seeming to -__ grow in height as the dignity of olden days descended on him. Then, to-my astonish- ment and Cohen’s, he took Grim’s hand _ and bowed and kissed it. ae written,” he said. “Life for life. '. - Friendship in return for friendship. In oie affair thy way and mine are one, Jim- a ee.” == Grim nodded. Fe “I knew you’d do the right thing, Ali Baba. Now sit down again and let’s discuss Fs the details. When your sons and grand- _ + sons come what do you propose to say to ae them?” . “Let your heart speak to them with my ee oa Surely they will listen.” _. “What do you suggest?” . | “Nay, lam in your hands. We seventeen are thieves, but we be honest men. With our lives and all that we have we are your servants until this affair is over.’ “There hasn’t got to be any affair,” said Grim. “Allah! -I have seen a tree stand up _* against the hail, but the hail fell. I have im “ _ A * _.. - - t E os ES S Ee _ seen the stones ‘withstand the locusts, but re the locusts came. “Shall a river turn back- __ wards in its course because Jimgrim bids-it — re — seventeen thieves stand with him and _ ath “What i is your story then, about. you and _ your sixteen working miracles?” - “That is different. That is the fire-gift that we won by entering the tomb.of Abra- ham.” nts St Bry ~~ — Pa “You've been using it by all, accounts to ___ Stir up the city for a massacre of Jews.” 5 “Truly. Fire begat fire in men’s hearts. ae ~ Shall it now put out the fire it lit?” “Certainly.” = “Allah! Shi muhal! You speak in riddles, Jimgrim!” E +» “Not I. Tell your sons and grandsons to repeat their miracle tree You'd better ee » » bas ' . a =* «# : > Son ® ~~" > m : ——. »* ~*~ > 7 Bee er pe We - v4 * es COS, - = Adventure ~ go along and help them. See that you all do your best. Only, instead of proclaiming that the massacre should be tonight, you must announce that tomorrow is the great night. »” “And then?” “Simply this—if a greater miracle than yours should take place tomorrow night, admit it. Confess that it is greater than yours and tell the crowd that it puts yours in the shade and makes the massacre inad- visable. In that way you'll save the situa- tion and your own reputation as well. Will you do that?” 6é T ab. ”» As the old man gave his consent, reluc- tantly and only half-convinced, there came the stuttering ram-or- you roar of a mo- torcycle from the direction of Jerusalem. It stopped before the gate and in a minute a dusty British corporal stood saluting in the door. “Dispatch for, Captain de Crespigny!” he announced, in the matter-of-fact voice of a postman delivering the mail. “Till take it,” answered Grim. CHAPTER IV “T feel like Pontius Pilate!” 5 gee you ever had an official dispatch passed to you to read, marked ‘“‘secret,”’ that as been brought at sixty miles an hour by a grimy man on a motorcycle? It feels good, never mind what serious news it con- tains. Grim tore open the envelope, glanced at the single sheet-and handed it to me; whereat I enjoyed all the sensations that attach themselves to unauthorized partici- pation in events, all the thrills that come of reading tragic news—as if I were a spectator and not actor in a drama—and pride be- sides, because Cohen, of course, belonged to an inferior breed and might not read it. “Any trouble on the way?” asked Grim. “‘Nothing to speak of, sir. Fired at nine or ten times, but only one bullet through my tunic.” “Think you can get back all right?”’ “Have a try; sir. Sixty mile an hour’s a poor target. Gettin’ dark too.” “Did you notice any signs of concerted action as you came along?”’ “Can’t say I did, sir. I was comin’ that fast I didn’t dare tike me eyes off the road. Them what fired at me was snipers.” _ ,OO mic (E€@) =cO