Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 28: what you’re looking at

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

wy he = a La " de Lewis W 2 | Pa - © * Ms Tb i Ar ‘ ot 4 ci * ¢ 4 \ a : 3 ; be - 4 ge ry . = rr ~ . +; 7 : ; > - ° . as Cy ie a *.F ‘>| as * i - Pe * wr aes. > an 4 tabs i a a 26 quick with your message. <= squatted on the priceless rugs that cover every inch of a floor larger than some cathedrals boast. We passed among them down the center aisle between two ceno- taphs that mark the graves of Isaac and — Rebecca; for they and Jacob and his wife as well, are buried in the same cave under the mosque floor. But the Sheikh did not pause there; there were too many who might _ listen, and the dim light from lamps that hung on chains shone in their eyes as they watched us, and on the hilts of swords, so that we seemed to be trespassing where ghouls brewed wrath. At the north end the Sheikh led into an _ octagonal-shaped chapel, with the ceno- taphs of Abraham and Sarah draped with green and crimson in the midst; and why that place was desertéd just at that time was a mystery, for there was no barrier to exclude any one. Not a soul moved in there; none whispered in the shadows. The * _ “Sheikh and we three squatted down on a Turkoman rug above Abraham’s bones and faced one another unlistened to, unseen. “What now?” said the Sheikh. “Be This is no time for gossip. I have my responsibilities.”’ -~ As Cohen had remarked, Grim had his nerve with him. Face. to ‘face with that . explosive-minded Sheikh he “came straight to the point. I have seen lion-tamers act the same way; they don’t pretty-pussy the beast through the bars, but go right in and seize the upper hand. “Seyyed Omar of El-Kudz,* Sheikh of the Dome of the Rock, demands to know why you dare permit this place to be pol- luted by the mummery they call the fire- gift! All the City is talking of it.” “Allah! Am I dreaming? Who are you ‘that dare speak such insolence to me?” _ “Seyyed Omar’s messenger.” “Show me a writing from him.” - -Grim shook his head and sneered. “Tt is from you that there must be a writing. I come with two witnesses to hear me ask the question and to prove that | report your answer truly. Shall I ask a second time?” THE Sheikh glared back and_bit ‘his beard, tortured I thought, be- tween indignation and fear. I ' guessed Grim was on pretty safe ground now, for he knew Sheikh Seyyed Omar of *J ~ *Jerusalem. — “7 Adventure El-Kudz intimately, and to my knowledge had done him a greater service than could ever be lightly overlooked; he was truly . delivering a message from “him for aught I knew; more improbable things have hap- pened. True message or not, he waited with the air of a man who represents high authority. “‘What business is it of Seyyed Omar’s? Let him mind his own mosque!” “It is his judgment,” Grim answered, “that this place is lapsing into disrepute. If that is true it is his duty to accuse you. If the fault is not yours, although the charge is true, it is his purpose to help you re edy the matter.” ‘It is not my fault.” “But the charge is true?” “Allah pity us, it is true! But how can Seyyed Omar help—a fat man with both hands full of troubles of his own?” “He has sent us three.” “If you were three angels with the trum- pet of Gabriel I fail to see how you could set matters straight. There are seventeen thieves of El-Kalil who have tricked me and won the upper hand. May the curse of the Most High break their bones forever!” ‘“‘Who are they?” “Ali Baba ben Hamza and his brood of rascals.” “YT have heard of them. Such ignorant men can surely never get the better of us.” “They have it! Listen. That old dog Ali Baba ben Hamza came to me and said: ‘I am old and my sins weigh heavy on mie. I saw a vision in the night. A spirit appeared to me and said I must pray all night at the tomb of Abraham, I and my 3 sixteen sons, together with none watching. So I may obtain mercy and my sons shall have new hearts.’ That was fair s g, was it not? Who am I that I should stand ‘between a man and Allah’s mercy? But they are thieves, those seventeen, and the charge of this mosque is mine; so I would not lock them in the place alone, as they desired. I and another entered with them on a cer- tain night and locked the door.” “Leaving no guard outside?” asked Grim. “‘Leaving seven men outside, whose orders were to stay awake. the door was locked those seventeen devils took me and the man who was with me, and ~laid cloths over our faces, having first saturated the cloths with a drug they had. stolen from the hospital. I know that, But they slept. When. Ss Eom HOOKS com! ze EP. an ao a PS ee -* hd a - we Sa at