Part 19 (1/2)

Stepping outside he passed to the rear of the girl's tent There was no sentry there, either! And now, boldly, he walked to the entrance and stepped within

Diht illuure bent above the blankets of a bed There was a whispered word, and another figure rose fro position Slowly Albert Werper's eyes were beco accustoure leaning over the bed was that of a uessed at the truth of the nocturnal visitor's identity

A sullen, jealous rage enveloped hihtened cry break fronized the features of the man above her, and he saw Mohammed Beyd seize her by the throat and bear her back upon the blankets

Cheated passion cast a red blur before the eyes of the Belgian No! The man should not have her She was for hihts

Quickly he ran across the tent and threw hih surprised by this sudden and unexpected attack, was not one to give up without a battle The Belgian's fingers were feeling for his throat, but the Arab tore the wheeled upon his adversary As they faced each other Werper struck the Arab a heavy blow in the face, sending hie he would have had Mohaed at his revolver to draw it from its holster, and Fate ordained that at that particular moment the weapon should stick in its leather scabbard

Before he could disengage it, Moha upon hiain Werper struck the other in the face, and the Arab returned the blow Striking at each other and ceaselessly atte to clinch, the two battled about the sirl, wide-eyed in terror and astonishain Werper struggled to draw his weapon Moha no such opposition to his base desires, had co knife which he no as he stood panting during the first brief rest of the encounter

”Dog of a Christian,” he whispered, ”look upon this knife in the hands of Moha in life that you shall see or feel With it Mohammed Beyd will cut out your black heart If you have a God pray to him now-in a minute more you shall be dead,” and with that he rushed viciously upon the Belgian, his knife raised high above his head

Werper was still dragging futilely at his weapon The Arab was almost upon him In desperation the European waited until Mohaainst him, then he threw hi extended in the path of the Arab

The trick succeeded Mohae, sturound Instantly he was up again and wheeling to renew the battle; but Werper was on foot ahead of him, and now his revolver, loosened from its holster, flashed in his hand

The Arab dove headfirst to grapple with hileam of flame in the darkness, and Mohammed Beyd rolled over and over upon the floor to coht to dishonor

Al the report came the sound of excited voices in the ca back and forth to one another asking thehither and thither, investigating

Jane Clayton had risen to her feet as the Arab died, and now she came forith outstretched hands toward Werper

”How can I ever thank you, my friend?” she asked ”And to think that only today I had almost believed the infamous story which this beast told ive entleht else than the protector of a woe land”

Werper's hands dropped liirl; but he could find no words to reply to her Her innocent arraignment of his true purposes was unanswerable

Outside, the Arabs were searching for the author of the disturbing shot The two sentries who had been relieved and sent to their blankets by Moha to the tent of the prisoner It occurred to theainst their leader

Werper heard theTo be apprehended as the slayer of Mohammed Beyd would be equivalent to a sentence of immediate death The fierce and brutal raiders would tear to pieces a Christian who had dared spill the blood of their leader Heof Moha his revolver to its holster, he walked quickly to the entrance of the tent Parting the flaps he stepped out and confronted theSomehow he found within him the necessary bravado to force a smile to his lips, as he held up his hand to bar their farther progress

”The woman resisted,” he said, ”and Mohahtly wounded You o back to your blankets Mohammed Beyd and I will look after the prisoner;” then he turned and re-entered the tent, and the raiders, satisfied by this explanation, gladly returned to their broken sluain faced Jane Clayton, Werper found himself animated by quite different intentions than those which had lured him from his blankets but a few minutes before The exciteers which he now faced at the hands of the raiders whenmust inevitably reveal the truth of what had occurred in the tent of the prisoner that night, had naturally cooled the hot passion which had dominated hier force was exerting itself in the girl's favor However low a man may sink, honor and chivalry, has he ever possessed theh Albert Werper had long since ceased to evidence the slightest claiirl's speech had presumed had reawakened them both within him

For the first tihtful position of the fair captive, and the depths of ignominy to which he had sunk, that had entleman, to have entertained even for a moment the part that he had taken in the ruin of her home, happiness, and herself

Too much of baseness already lay at the threshold of his conscience for him ever to hope entirely to redeem himself; but in the first, sudden burst of contrition the man conceived an honest intention to undo, in so far as lay within his power, the evil that his cri wo footsteps-Jane Clayton approached hi will bring discovery of this,” and she pointed to the still body of Mohammed Beyd ”They will kill you when they find him”

For a time Werper did not reply, then he turned suddenly toward the woman

”I have a plan,” he cried ”It will require nerve and courage on your part; but you have already shown that you possess both Can you endure still ,” she replied with a brave sht chance for escape”

”You must simulate death,” he explained, ”while I carry you from the camp I will explain to the sentries that Mohale This seerounds that Mohammed Beyd had conceived a violent passion for you and that he so regretted the act by which he had become your slayer that he could not endure the silent reproach of your lifeless body”