Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 63: what you’re looking at

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

54 After that they had idled about Egypt, Morocco, Tunis, Algeria, ir coast towns, in oases—wherever they coula* secure en- gagements. In Paris their act would have been a sensation, but out back of beyond it was an every-day bit of frivolity such as passes unnoted, almost, in obscure Near East or north African resorts, year. by-year. Pierre and ’Leesah, each a product of cross- breeding in lands of wonder, recked not of Paris or Berlin or Vienna. The very names were-far, far away. The two were of the little folk of the world of amusement, chas- ing care from the dark brows of wrinkled traders, men of Mars, camel merchants, bazar folk, Jew gem merchants, rug buy- ers, sweetmeat sellers and the like in the Lands of Mixed Peoples under the brazen sun of Egypt and her dimmer neighbor- lands. If "Leesah wished to enjoy a mild period of amusement with some friendly male who was attracted by her brown-rose shoulders, languid eyes with thalf-lights of sombre meaning, white teeth like peeled almonds, hands of the softest when they touched one’s cheek, why, Pierre only laughed, for he had the privilege of amusing him- self, and found it not hard to make women see that his supple, hard-muscled, tense body, his oval, beautiful face, his slender, strong hands, and easeful attitudes as he stood about the bazars or sat idling in cafés, or strolled about in all sorts of queer quarters in his usual Bedouin costume, were interesting and attractive. The heritage of purposeful languor from his Arab ‘mother, tempering the fiery inpetuosity of his Gallic father, had given him poise, charm, cour- age, delightfully blended. The desert moon’s sickle, occulting with one mystic-rayed star, feebly lighted the dim, shadow-wrapped street onto which Pierre had stepped. A few strides took him from the café and its lights. A warning cry made him flatten against a wall as a late- coming string of camels sprawled by, bound for the caravansary. From latticed win- dows eyes flashed in vain, for Pierre was minded to stroll. To stroll, and, oddly enough, to think of—’Leesah! Pshaw! Past walled-up fronts of houses, with their shielded delights, La Forge idled, the ARGOSY-ALLSTORY. WEEKLY. last hulking camel serving as his guide. A new cry behind warned him in time to give way to a smaller line of desert burden-bear- ers. He saw them sway by the niche in the wall into which he had stepped—saw that they were led by a giant dromedary of the choicest racing breed, which was followed by his mate. Then he fell in be- hind the second lot and went slowly onward without purpose or plan. The first string of camels entered the ~ dim gate of the rest-place, but the second went straight past. Pierre, the Bedouin half of him yearning for the tang of real Arab tobacco, the reek of camel-dung fires, the taste of bitter-sweet, thick coffee, al- most turned into the caravansary. But the lure_of the giant dromedaries gripped him as he noted that their drivers kept on, as if to cross the town and camp in the sands at the edge of the oasis. He followed the urge that swirled him past the dim gate and into the track of the lurching beasts, that, spectral-wise, faded as he watched into the melting quiet distance. Among the sand-billows the dromedaries were stopped. Afar La Forge saw them grouped for the night—saw the hair tents silhouetted against the glow that enrimmed the distant horizon. Then, and then only, did he venture forward, sending howling into the farther night a skulking jackal that had been, like him, a watcher of the making of the new camp. The voice of the grave-robbing animal made the blood of La Forge run icy for a heart’s beat, and for once he knew fear. ‘Never before had a jackal’s plaint so affected him! “T would have speech with your sheik,” La Forge said to the wiry, erect Arab who accosted him at the edge of the ring of tents. Already the reek of the smoke his nos- trils craved for was on the mild air. The day had not been one of the greatest warmth; the sun’s slumber had brought out a faint, potent coolness. The sand was pleasantly warm underfoot. The dromeda- ries made their stomachs to rumble and moaned in comfortable dissonances. “ Be off!” the man called. “ We want no guests.”’ Pierre glanced keenly at the fellow and Go DOO ANG SS CO