Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 51: what you’re looking at

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

~ The Seventeen Thieves of El-Kalil good with the Administration. Having to yell for help means they’ll get no credit for all that’s gone before. ! I hate to do it. es So did I hate it. Setting aside the mere physical exertion of the thirty-mile run, with a good chance of getting knifed or potted on the way and an even better one of being ‘‘spiked” by a British sentry in the dark under Jerusalem’s walls, I did not want to miss the big event. “Tf I get mine on the road,” I objected, “you'll be no better off than you were before.” ~ “No. But you'll have done your best along with the rest of us.” You couldn’t answer that. I pulled my boots off, to put soap on my socks. “Better give me some grub in a handker- chief and lend me a gun, then.”’ “Sure.” But he did nothing about it. paci the floor again, thinking. o!” he said suddenly. ‘Two of Ali Baba’s men must make the trip. If one. gets scuppered, the other may get through. I'll give them two identical letters. They'll hate to do it, but I can talk the old man round and they'll obey him. But it’s rotten having to squeal after all this! ! [hate it! Jiminy! No! Wait! Bygorry, man; I’ll be durned if I won’t try that first!” “Try what?” But one of a dozen things you can never make Grim do is talk over the details of a plan that is only half-formed in his mind. He quit pacing the floor, and went and squatted Arab-fashion on the window-seat Benin N) intended until half an hour later de a eae came in, bringing the a of the mosque with him. Grim gave the Sheikh the window-seat and took the darker corner for himself; taking the hint I squatted in the curtained alcove leading to the hall, where I might be pre- sumed to be door-keeper and could overhear without being too much seen. Grim began by asking the Sheikh what arrangements he had made for the night and listened gravely, making no comment. “Do you think the whole plan is good?” he asked at last. “Allah! It is your plan! He was i DID not get a glimmer of what he How should you ask that?” P. | ’ — ~+ . sua > a “T propose to call it off!” said Grim and even de Créspigny gasped. Bes, “Ma bu abadan! * = Call stot now, after I have stood up in the mosque before all the people and told of a vision and per- S suaded them and all? How can you callit. off? They will simply massacre the Jews!” “No. It seems to me it would be simpler after all to tell the truth about it.” aa ‘Who will believe you?” : 25 ‘Every one! I have the man who in- vented the whole trick as well as those who > [s8 carried it out. They are all Moslems. I. propose to tell the people quite simply that = S the whole thing was a trick, with you a party toit. Ican goand talk to them when _ BS they gather béfore the mosque tonight. — = They might kill the Jews then, afterward, but attend to you first!” “And you! They would kill you too!” ae | “Perhaps. But why me? I don’t think” = that in the circumstances they would kill a : 4, that British officer, who had exposed you for — a layin tricks on them!” Ss p § aan “A British officer? I don’t understand.” aa “Tm a British officer.” pee “Vou?” = “Sure. Used to be Governor of Hebron. > Grim’s my name. I’m better known as Jimgrim.” ere “Hah! Then that is simple! Denounce | me tonight. Tazb! I will denounce you for having entered the mosque by a trick. I will denounce you for sacrilege!’ “All right. Then they'll kill us both.” Se “But what good will that do you, Jim- 3? PIE a “No good.” mey ‘Nor’ me either!” The Sheikh mage ee like a man who believes he is conversing. aS with a lunatic. A “If you don’t want to be exposed to- night,” said Grim, “you’d better offer to Se make terms.” =e “Terms about what?” ae “You know as well as I do that the mob | aS is planning to-attack this Governorate after ees tonight’s ceremony, kill everybody in it, -~ plunder it of arms and march on Jerusalem.” = “T can do nothing about that.” ee “Yes you can.” sy “Allah!” es ie “You can think up some way of keeping the crowd idle until morning.’ od call - “I? They will not listen to me outside ees the mosque.’ ag *That will never do. x 3 ey = comicbooks.com — = ase < & : = oe Sa we ~~ = <= =—5 & oe ran YT . - Ae ~