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inclined　to　cross…question　the　Belgian　too　minutely。



〃And　if　I　ride　north　with　you；〃　he　asked；　〃half　the

jewels　and　half　the　ransom　of　the　woman　shall　be　mine？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　Werper。



〃Good；〃　said　Mohammed　Beyd。　　〃I　go　now　to　give　the

order　for　the　breaking　of　camp　early　on　the　morrow；〃

and　he　rose　to　leave　the　tent。



Werper　laid　a　detaining　hand　upon　his　arm。



〃Wait；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　determine　how　many　shall

accompany　us。　　It　is　not　well　that　we　be　burdened　by

the　women　and　children；　for　then　indeed　we　might　be

overtaken　by　the　Abyssinians。　　It　would　be　far　better

to　select　a　small　guard　of　your　bravest　men；　and　leave

word　behind　that　we　are　riding　WEST。　　Then；　when

the　Abyssinians　come　they　will　be　put　upon　the　wrong

trail　should　they　have　it　in　their　hearts　to　pursue　us；

and　if　they　do　not　they　will　at　least　ride　north　with

less　rapidity　than　as　though　they　thought　that　we　were

ahead　of　them。〃



〃The　serpent　is　less　wise　than　thou；　Werper；〃　said

Mohammed　Beyd　with　a　smile。　　〃It　shall　be　done　as　you

say。　　Twenty　men　shall　accompany　us；　and　we　shall　ride

WESTwhen　we　leave　the　village。〃



〃Good；〃　cried　the　Belgian；　and　so　it　was　arranged。



Early　the　next　morning　Jane　Clayton；　after　an　almost

sleepless　night；　was　aroused　by　the　sound　of　voices

outside　her　prison；　and　a　moment　later；　M。　Frecoult；

and　two　Arabs　entered。　　The　latter　unbound　her　ankles

and　lifted　her　to　her　feet。　　Then　her　wrists　were

loosed；　she　was　given　a　handful　of　dry　bread；　and　led

out　into　the　faint　light　of　dawn。



She　looked　questioningly　at　Frecoult；　and　at　a　moment

that　the　Arab's　attention　was　attracted　in　another

direction　the　man　leaned　toward　her　and　whispered　that

all　was　working　out　as　he　had　planned。　　Thus　assured；

the　young　woman　felt　a　renewal　of　the　hope　which　the

long　and　miserable　night　of　bondage　had　almost　expunged。



Shortly　after；　she　was　lifted　to　the　back　of　a　horse；

and　surrounded　by　Arabs；　was　escorted　through　the

gateway　of　the　village　and　off　into　the　jungle　toward

the　west。　　Half　an　hour　later　the　party　turned　north；

and　northerly　was　their　direction　for　the　balance　of

the　march。



M。　Frecoult　spoke　with　her　but　seldom；　and　she

understood　that　in　carrying　out　his　deception　he　must

maintain　the　semblance　of　her　captor；　rather　than

protector；　and　so　she　suspected　nothing　though　she　saw

the　friendly　relations　which　seemed　to　exist　between

the　European　and　the　Arab　leader　of　the　band。



If　Werper　succeeded　in　keeping　himself　from

conversation　with　the　young　woman；　he　failed　signally

to　expel　her　from　his　thoughts。　　A　hundred　times　a　day

he　found　his　eyes　wandering　in　her　direction　and

feasting　themselves　upon　her　charms　of　face　and　figure。

Each　hour　his　infatuation　for　her　grew；　until　his

desire　to　possess　her　gained　almost　the　proportions　of

madness。



If　either　the　girl　or　Mohammed　Beyd　could　have　guessed

what　passed　in　the　mind　of　the　man　which　each　thought　a

friend　and　ally；　the　apparent　harmony　of　the　little

company　would　have　been　rudely　disturbed。



Werper　had　not　succeeded　in　arranging　to　tent　with

Mohammed　Beyd；　and　so　he　revolved　many　plans　for　the

assassination　of　the　Arab　that　would　have　been　greatly

simplified　had　he　been　permitted　to　share　the　other's

nightly　shelter。



Upon　the　second　day　out　Mohammed　Beyd　reined　his　horse

to　the　side　of　the　animal　on　which　the　captive　was

mounted。　　It　was；　apparently；　the　first　notice　which

the　Arab　had　taken　of　the　girl；　but　many　times　during

these　two　days　had　his　cunning　eyes　peered　greedily

from　beneath　the　hood　of　his　burnoose　to　gloat　upon　the

beauties　of　the　prisoner。



Nor　was　this　hidden　infatuation　of　any　recent　origin。

He　had　conceived　it　when　first　the　wife　of　the

Englishman　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　Achmet　Zek；　but

while　that　austere　chieftain　lived；　Mohammed　Beyd　had

not　even　dared　hope　for　a　realization　of　his

imaginings。



Now；　though；　it　was　differentonly　a　despised　dog　of　a

Christian　stood　between　himself　and　possession　of　the

girl。　　How　easy　it　would　be　to　slay　the　unbeliever；　and

take　unto　himself　both　the　woman　and　the　jewels！　　With

the　latter　in　his　possession；　the　ransom　which　might　be

obtained　for　the　captive　would　form　no　great　inducement

to　her　relinquishment　in　the　face　of　the　pleasures　of

sole　ownership　of　her。　　Yes；　he　would　kill　Werper；

retain　all　the　jewels　and　keep　the　Englishwoman。



He　turned　his　eyes　upon　her　as　she　rode　along　at　his

side。　　How　beautiful　she　was！　　His　fingers　opened　and

closedskinny；　brown　talons　itching　to　feel　the　soft

flesh　of　the　victim　in　their　remorseless　clutch。



〃Do　you　know；〃　he　asked　leaning　toward　her；　〃where　this

man　would　take　you？〃



Jane　Clayton　nodded　affirmatively。



〃And　you　are　willing　to　become　the　plaything　of　a　black

sultan？〃



The　girl　drew　herself　up　to　her　full　height；　and　turned

her　head　away；　but　she　did　not　reply。　　She　feared　lest

her　knowledge　of　the　ruse　that　M。　Frecoult　was　playing

upon　the　Arab　might　cause　her　to　betray　herself　through

an　insufficient　display　of　terror　and　aversion。



〃You　can　escape　this　fate；〃　continued　the　Arab；

〃Mohammed　Beyd　will　save　you；〃　and　he　reached　out　a

brown　hand　and　seized　the　fingers　of　her　right　hand　in

a　grasp　so　sudden　and　so　fierce　that　this　brutal

passion　was　revealed　as　clearly　in　the　act　as　though

his　lips　had　confessed　it　in　words。　Jane　Clayton

wrenched　herself　from　his　grasp。



〃You　beast！〃　she　cried。　　〃Leave　me　or　I　shall　call　M。

Frecoult。〃



Mohammed　Beyd　drew　back　with　a　scowl。　　His　thin；　upper

lip　curled　upward；　revealing　his　smooth；　white　teeth。



〃M。　Frecoult？〃　he　jeered。　　〃There　is　no　such　person。

The　man's　name　is　Werper。　　He　is　a　liar；　a　thief；　and　a

murderer。　　He　killed　his　captain　in　the　Congo　country

and　fled　to　the　protection　of　Achmet　Zek。　　He　led

Achmet　Zek　to　the　plunder　of　your　home。　　He　followed

your　husband；　and　planned　to　steal　his　gold　from　him。

He　has　told　me　that　you　think　him　your　protector；　and

he　has　played　upon　this　to　win　your　confidence　that　it

might　be　easier　to　carry　you　north　and　sell　you　into

some　black　sultan's　harem。　　Mohammed　Beyd　is　your　only

hope；〃　and　with　this　assertion　to　provide　the　captive

with　food　for　thought；　the　Arab　spurred　forward　toward

the　head　of　the　column。



Jane　Clayton　could　not　know　how　much　of　Mohammed　Beyd's

indictment　might　be　true；　or　how　much　false；　but　at

least　it　had　the　effect　of　dampening　her　hopes　and

causing　her　to　review　with　suspicion　every　past　act　of

the　man　upon　whom　she　had　been　looking　as　her　sole

protector　in　the　midst　of　a　world　of　enemies　and

dangers。



On　the　march　a　separate　tent　had　been　provided　for　the

captive；　and　at　night　it　was　pitched　between　those　of

Mohammed　Beyd　and　Werper。　　A　sentry　was　posted　at　the

front　and　another　at　the　back；　and　with　these

precautions　it　had　not　been　thought　necessary　to

confine　the　prisoner　to　bonds。　　The　evening　following

her　interview　with　Mohammed　Beyd；　Jane　Clayton　sat　for

some　time　at　the　opening　of　her　tent　watching　the　rough

activities　of　the　camp。　　She　had　eaten　the　meal　that

had　been　brought　her　by　Mohammed　Beyd's　Negro　slavea

meal　of　cassava　cakes　and　a　nondescript　stew　in　which　a

new…killed　monkey；　a　couple　of　squirrels　and　the

remains　of　a　zebra；　slain　the　previous　day；　were

impartially　and　unsavorily　combined；　but　the　one…time

Baltimore　belle　had　long　since　submerged　in　the　stern

battle　for　existence；　an　estheticism　which　formerly

revolted　at　much　slighter　provocation。



As　the　girl's　eyes　wandered　across　the　trampled　jungle

clearing；　already　squalid　from　the　presence　of　man；　she

no　longer　apprehended　either　the　nearer　objects　of　the

foreground；　the　uncouth　men　laughing　or　quarreling

among　themselves；　or　the　jungle　beyond；　which

circumscribed　the　extreme　range　of　her　material　vision。

Her　gaze　passed　through　all　these；　unseeing；　to　center

itself　upon　a　distant　bungalow　and　scenes　of　happy

security　which　brought　to　her　eyes　tears　of　mingled　joy

and　sorrow。　　She　saw　a　tall；　broad…shouldered　man

riding　in　from　distant　fields；　she　saw　herself　waiting

to　greet　him　with　an　armful　of　fresh…cut　roses　from　the

bushes　which　flanked　the　little　rustic　gate　before　her。

All　this　was　gone；　vanished　into　the　past；　wiped　out　by

the　torches　and　bullets　and　hatred　of　these　hideous　and

degenerate　men。　　With　a　stifled　sob；　and　a　little

shudder；　Jane　Clayton　turned　back　into　her　tent　and

sought　the　pile　of　unclean　blankets　which　were　her　bed。

Throwing　herself　face　downward　upon　them　she　sobbed

forth　her　misery　until　kindly　sleep　brought　her；　at

least　temporary；　relief。



And　while　she　slept　a　figure　stole　from　the　tent　that

stood　to　the　right　of　hers。　　It　approached　the　sentry

before　the　doorway　and　whispered　a　few　words　in　the

man's　ear。　　The　latter　nodded；　and　strode　off　through

the　darkness　in　the　direction　of　his　own　blankets。

The　figure　passed　to　the　rear　of　Jane　Clayton's　tent

and　spoke　again　to　the　sentry　there；　and　this　man　also

left；　following　in　the　trail　of　the　first。



Then　he　who　had　sent　them　away　stole　silently　to　the

tent　flap　and　untying　the　fastenings　entered　with　the

noiselessness　of　a　disembodied　spirit。







21



The　Flight　to　the　Jungle





Sleepless　upon　his　blankets；　Albert　Werper　let　his　evil

mind　dwell　upon　the　charms　of　the　woman　in　the　nearby

tent。　　He　had　noted　Mohammed　Beyd's　sudden　interest　in

the　girl；　and　judging　the　man　by　his　own　standards；　had

guessed　at　the　basis　of　the　Arab's　sudden　change　of

attitude　toward　the　prisoner。



And　as　he　let　his　imaginings　run　riot　they　aroused

within　him　a　bestial　jealousy　of　Mohammed　Beyd；　and　a

great　fear　that　the　other　might　encompass　his　base

designs　upon　the　defenseless　girl。　　By　a　strange

process　of　reasoning；　Werper；　whose　designs　were

identical　with　the　Arab's；　pictured　himself　as　Jane

Clayton's　protector；　and　presently　convinced　himself

that　the　attentions　which　might　seem　hideous　to　her

if　proffered　by　Mohammed　Beyd；　would　be　welcomed　from

Albert　Werper。



Her　husband　was　dead；　and　Werper　fancied　that　he　could

replace　in　the　girl's　heart　the　position　which　had　been

vacated　by　the　act　of　the　grim　reaper。　　He　could　offer

Jane　Clayton　marriagea　thing　which　Mohammed　Beyd

would　not　offer；　and　which　the　girl　would　spurn　from

him　with　as　deep　disgust　as　she　would　his　unholy　lust。



It　was　not　long　before　the　Belgian　had　succeeded　in

convincing　himself　that　the　captive　not　only　had　every

reason　for　having　conceived　sentiments　of　love　for　him；

but　that　she　had　by　various　feminine　methods

acknowledged　her　new…born　affection。



And　then　a　sudden　resolution　possessed　him。　　He　threw

the　blankets　from　him　and　rose　to　his　feet。　　Pulling　on

his　boots　and　buckling　his　cartridge　belt　and　revolver