The Lion of Petra

ot the Lion of P

e would make the poorest sort of propagandist or politician, for he doesn't advertise, and hates

over a considerable period in all sorts of circumstances that I can say I believe his first and underlying principle is to look for the

s. The game is to listen and watch. Presently the othe

in the act of listening, or to forewarn

ed up uncomfortably on the riding-camels, because of the

other side of her. At that we were off, Grim leading,

narrowly until she turned her face to speak to me. But she was not long about doing that-say fiftee

ad a good look at her face; you don't have to answer questions without th

en through. She had splendid teeth; and her mouth, which was humorous, turning upward at the corners when she smiled, had nevertheless a certain sug

kh," said I p

cided to turn her guns on me. Conversation was not easy, for we were sw

ian? How is it that

We pass our college ex

be with that-that sh

him. Inshallah, I may hel

re a h

etly pitying any poor devil wh

ieves in Indian hakims, like all these Arabs who have no use

serv

Afgh

Pat

r in her mind, too,

come to be with you

tive was to get a little preliminary vengeance on Ayisha for the names she had called him. He ma

llow a Pathan when honored b

face then, because

yan

wife you are tampering

man must guard his women

an as you will find his own life

kept it thus far,"

ned to

sheikh of yours

im bin Yazid

m. Where have I

him boast. "He has taken the Lion of Petra's shape. He has taken his name. He ha

heard that. He took the cue and began his song. In a minute the whole

ar! Jimgrir

owers," she said. "It was only because Ayisha called out that he

olt upright and ra

all the hallucinations, this is the wildest! I warned

e again, and studied

is that Sheikh Jimgrim of

ed, "you were mad to sit your camel alone, wi

ink he will do w

s silentl

amations, but this time in a language of which I knew not one word-perhaps Russian, or Slo

en anticlimax of helplessness after over-confidence. Yet when she spoke

e, and so has the swarm in his power. But the s

honey with them, wh

reto

ting the part of a bandit's

you are after? And y

an a

ahore,"

pounds would bu

ses would make us la

you a wady down which we three can escape. Agree to that and you

bastinados each from Ali Higg, while the queen bee laughs

d. "Somewhere I ha

in for nearly an hour, until we drew abreast of a chaos of irregular great boulders

ill you take it? You shall have empl

ill might have concealed on her; for she had not been searched-there was no

if you put corn in front of them. We were likely in for a forced march on Petra, and he would not choose to halt twi

to answer questions truthfully; and even until the stars began to

oes he hold me to ransom? If so, I will give him a draft on the Bank

checked his camel a stride or two to

And I took that to mean that in his judgmen

Singh; and because in that land, as an almost invariable rule, no business with a chief can be accompli

s for me and you s

said Narayan Singh

igg. Arrange good terms for my ransom, and I w

ut that; we shall

go and see! G

lt," the Si

sted. "If Ali Higg is prowling and should

ingh caught my eye behind her back. I nodded. If there were any likelihood of

quarry-face two thousand years ago; what might have been a pit was all filled in by drifted sand. But he had his own mat spread on

t her at Ali Baba's gang, and being stared at as they went about the business of off-loading the c

ing current of scorn and hate that passed between them. Then Ayisha fell back on insolenc

an's light o' love?" J

turned again

Lion could not trust to

Arabic legend whose immoralities

just in time to catch two of the men again attacking my medicine-chest. Instead of trying to open it they were

given u

o h

take poison from it and put it in the other woman's foo

Grim was going through the form of Moslem prayer, facing Mecca on his mat

eeping a bright lookout for interruptions and telling him in low tones all that had

er, and he lighted a cigarette; but it wa

ry, eh? And has the Lion's se

all things easy! It's a little soon to talk yet, b