The Argosy, August 1905 — page 84: what you’re looking at

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

7A THE ARGOSY. up! Help me move these planks back to the raft. Step on the next one and then lift this one you're on now. We'll need them.” Dully the native obeyed. He had been too near death to realize clearly his unexpected deliverance. Working mechanically under Mohun’s orders, he gained the strip of safer sand where the raft lay and set to work at his task of repairing the rude vessel. Five minutes later the three were on the west bank again, May crymg quietly in Mrs. Sharpe’s arms, and Mohun looking very foolish as he re- eeived the thanks of the much-lustered major. “You showed pluck, my boy!” the older man was voctferating, “and what is better, you showed presence of mind. It was a proof tha x “That there may still be a few dan- gers even in Syria?” queried Ralph innocently, and the major’s mingled re- sentment and gratitude strangled the reply in his throat. But a diversion occurred to end the embarrassing situation. Imbarak, the groom, who had stood stupidly staring across at the quicksands, suddenly turned and walked up to the tourists. Slowly unwinding his dirty white turban, the Syrian laid it at Mohun’s feet. Ignorant of Eastern customs, Ralph did not realize that this is the world-old oriental form of vowing eternal allegiance—not until the groom’s words enlightened him. “ Howaj,” said Imbarak simply, “I am your dog. By the tombs of my fathers, by the sword of the Prophet, I lay my life forever at your feet. When the hand of death was on me, you lifted me to life again. Another would have saved the sit and would have forgotten the servant. My life is yours. I say it— I, Imbarak Abou-Najib.” : The quiet simplicity with which he spoke robbed the words of much of their melodramatic effect, yet, with the Anglo-Saxon hatred of demonstrative- ness, Mohun looked and felt supremely uncomfortable as he answered lamely. “Oh, that’s all right. Glad to have been able to do you a good turn, Let the matter drop there!” He walked away, leaving the native to pick up and resume his turban and to mutter guttural prayers of gratitude in his own dissonant Arabic tongue. CHAPTER II. A SURPRISE. For two days longer the party re- mained encamped beside the Jordan, making little horseback trips to the near-by ruins of ancient Jericho; to the salt plains at the northern end of the Dead Sea; to that weird, uncanny body of water, the Dead Sea itself: and to the sites of the Cities of the Plain. The whole valley of the Jordan is full of wonders of nature and of historical and religious interest. The Americans, with the exception of two of their party, enjoyed the experience to the full. These two exceptions were Ralph Mohun and May Farrar. And the reason for their lack of interest in out- side environment was easy to under- stand. When Ralph Mohun had chanced to meet Miss Farrar and the major, through having a seat at their table at Shepheard’s Hotel in Cairo a month before, both uncle and niece had taken an instant liking to him. On hearing that he was on his way to the Holy Land they begged him to join their party. Hesitatingly he consented. A frank friendship of rapid growth had sprung up between the young fel- low and May, and had, unconsciously on both sides, ripened into a deeper feeling of whose nature and comprehensiveness both had for the first time heeome aware in that one moment of rescue on the quicksands. ne But since then, to May’s surprise and chagrin, the man appeared to avoid her. He seldom addressed her directly, and evaded all chances of a téte-a-téte. _At first May fancied this attitude on his part might he accidental, and she was secretly grateful for the respite wherein she might adjust her mind and heart to this new and wonderful emo- tion which, springing into life in one moment, now filled and swayed her whole heing. 4 But before the party turned their faces toward Jerusalem on the morning comicbooks.com ie