The Argosy, August 1905 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

4 their eyes on the ‘ Unbelievers’ ’ wealth, and also want to make themselves pop- ular with the rabble. The authorities fear the influence of the nobles with the Sultan, and therefore they dare not crush the threatened revolt with an iron: hand. there, I hear. wiser to postpone “ Postpone our trip there? * cried the major, who had listened with incredu- lous impatience. “ My boy, you're talk- ing arrant nonsense! We're living 1n the latter half of the nineteenth century and under the protection of the Ameri- can flag. Massacre? Rot!” “ But it’s true that fanatics from all parts of Islam are flocking to Damascus; and Bedouins from the Syrian Desert, and " “If you're afraid to risk your life there, Ralph.” said the major disgust- edly, “stay in the safer neighborhood of Jerusalem. We should be sorry to lose your society, of course, but we don’t want you to die of fright. “Why, man alive, do you suppose I’d take my niece to Damascus if there was an atom of danger? Or that I’d advise the rest of our party to go there with us if it were not perfectly safe? Absurd!” “JI think you know that I don’t fear for myself,” said Mohun, rising from the deck chair into which he had thrown himself, “ but as to safety—well, as Sir Richard Burton once said, ‘ There can be no real security in the lands dark- ened by the Shadow of the Prophet.’ ” He strolled away toward the river bank, where he stood watching Imbarak deftly guiding the raft through the swirl of yellow waters toward a wide strip of white sand on the opposite bank. P “Tm sorry I spoke so harshly to the boy,” said the major, looking after him, “I shouldn’t have pretended to doubt his courage, for if I’m any judge of men he’s as plucky and as square a chap as ever I saw. But his talk of danger riled me, I trust, madam,” he went on, turning to Mrs. Sharpe, “ that you are not alarmed at the prospect of going to Damascus with us?” “Why, to be frank with you, I am,” replied the old lady. “I’m a little timid by nature, I suppose, and all this talk Things are getting serious up Perhaps it might be 22 3 72 THE ARGOSY. of fanatics and Bedouins and the ‘Shadow of the Prophet’ frightens me. But,” she added brightly, “Tm going all the same. It will be my only chance, for I must return to Boston next month.” “So soon? I thought you were to stay on this side of the Atlantie until summer.” “JT was. But my mail, that M. Gelat sent on from Jerusalem to-day, has altered my plans.” “No bad news, I hope?” ; “Very bad, I fear. But it’s a longish story, and I won’t bore you with it.” e Nothing you tell me, madam, could possibly bore me,” and there was a note of real feeling in the pompous tones that brought a faint flush to her with- ered cheek, “ I beg that you will let me know if I ean be of assistance in any way.” “Thank you, major. I appreciate your words more than I can say. My news, 1n brief, is that the great banking house of Warren & Co., of Boston, is in grave danger.” “You don’t say so! I thought it was one of the most solidly established houses in America. Mark Warren, the president of the bank, was a chum of mine in Yale. I haven’t seen him for ten years, but up to that time we were like brothers. Poor old Mark!” “You are wasting your sympathy on him if the reports in my letter are true. It is thought that he or some member of his firm has squandered in specula- tion a large sum of money entrusted to the bank’s keeping. All my little for- tune is involved, and if the bank fails I But don’t let us think of that. I only mention it to explain why I must cut short my visit to the Hast. My letter was from a lawyer whom I know. It was delayed three weeks by the cholera quarantine at Port Said. I should have received it nearly a month ago. At the time it was written the story of the de- faleation was still hushed up. But it is probally public by now, and the bank may have gone to pieces for all I know. Oh, if there were only some means of getting news! [—_ A cry from the farther bank, an answering shout, and the sound of a plunge into the water, brought them