Argosy, Vol. 111, No. 1 — page 85: what you’re looking at

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

THROUGH RABAT’S EYES. chosen victim! Continue, O father of words!” ‘With the son of Bekr are three infidels, two men Americana, as ye know of great wealth, and one girl fairer than the par- tridge at harvest time!” “By Allah!” exclaimed Wakid, sitting up, “what color is her hair? And didst say that she was plumper than the par- tridge?”’ ‘““ Knowest not, O fool from the moun- tain, that all infidel women are skinnier than thine own goats! We speak not of lust, but of that which is even fairer, for the father and lover of the maiden have more wealth than owr lord, the Sultan! With Ghali this night are but scarce a dozen men, and they plainsmen. With swiftness and a mighty arm can we pluck the prize from the hands of the unrighteous robber who is so overfat with wealth that blood-letting may perhaps save his un- worthy life!”’ ‘“ By the beard of Khalid, the sword of God!” swore Larbi, rising to his neight, ‘‘am I not more than the equal of twenty lions this dark night? Come thou! And I alone shall lead ye! To horse! To horse! for the dark cloak of Allah will shield us to victory!” ‘“To horse!” echoed Rabbit, springing up. “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Benevolent!” CHAPTER VII. OUT OF THE FRYING-PAN— ” MY dear boy, you’ve just swallowed the pill like any rube!” snorted Sea- grove disgustedly as Morden finished the account of his adventures. ‘It’s just as plain as the Statue of Liberty. This won- derful fellow of yours is just the stool- pigeon of our Tammany friend.” ‘But it was very brave of Morden, dad!”’ protested Eileen. ‘‘ And he meant—” ‘“Meant! You know where good inten- tions lead? Right here!”’ ‘“You’d pay more than that to get out of that place, dad!” retorted his daughter, and her hand sought Morden’s in the shadow of the dimly lighted tent. 15 Seagrove stared savagely into the dark- ness. The train of cireumstances and their present plight had given rise to an uneasy feeling that his daughter was in some re- spects wiser than he, a reflection disconcert- ing to his vanity, for indeed the motivating principle of his action in bargaining with Ben Ghali had not been the actual sum of’ twenty thousand dollars, but the instinct to get the better in a business deal for the joy ‘thereof rather than the money. Being by temperament courageous and as a civilized city man unaware of the real danger, he had at first looked upon the whole affair as rather a joke. However, this repressed longing for romance had been thoroughly satiated by the week’s residence in adventure’s rude tent. _ Now the disgust against himself for hav- ing been so foolish as to permit childish sentiments to conjure up such personal dis- comforts was expressed in the irritable atti- tude toward both his daughter and Morden. As for Eileen the said discomforts, al- though fully appreciated by her as experi- enced for the first time in her sheltered life, were somewhat mitigated now by the seemingly. miraculous appearance of her lover in spite of the fact that apparently his efforts were rendered abortive; a ro- mantic fact that had a similiar reaction , upon Morden in discounting even the dis- astrous effects of following the advice of the philosophic Rabbit. No matter how much Seagrove might rail at the financial advantage gained by the wily brigand and his alleged accomplice, that did not alter the sweet fact that the night was soft and balmy, and the stars were made the brighter by the gentle pres- sure of his beloved’s hand. ‘ Listen!” whispered Eileen. ‘ Do you hear? Some, one playing a guitar!” “Yes, it’s a two-stringed thing they call a gimbri. That fellow Rabbit was alway playing it on the road,” said Morden. ‘Perhaps they are dancing,” added Eileen. ‘“ Perhaps that confounded thief of yours is discounting the dollars,’’ muttered Sea- grove sourly, giving vent to a half-sup- pressed knowledge that he was a quite un- necessary third. comicloool< CO