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YOUNG JACK HARKAWA Y
His course was open to the garden gate.
Ilc must l‘Hl.ClI this at any cost.
A habel of cries followed in his wake; he was yelled alter as iI by a
pack 01' hounds.
shots we:‘e tired at random.
Not a hultet hit him, iiowever.
He had occasion to coiitteiiiii the divided skirt or lilooiiier costume
he was wt-ai'iii'.;.
It would not let him rtiii fast PIl0II;!iI.
Allu llllli not hetrayt-id him; he was as good as his word and had left
the door unlocked.
Jack opened it, darted outside, and hreatlied freely as he shut it he-
hliid him and wallt:-11 away.
He had not rosctiail his wile, but he had found out all about her.
If he had retiiaiiietl iii the palace grounds he could have done her no
good.
They would have matte him a prisoner and perhaps taken his life.
But. what would liecotiie of Clara.
’I'liti.t was the question which pii7,zlt>-d him.
When lie arrivt-tl at the hotel lie went to his room, put oti his own
attire and .‘5l)lIL:‘lll Ilarry.
Girdwood was t'e.nling ti. hook in the sitting room, Mole and Moiiday
Wen-, talking togetlh-r and SIIIlil(lIl'.[ in a coriie-,r.
“ Jack, my hay," cried Girtlwootl, “I am so glad you have turned
up. I was g<’LllIl‘.( Iwarlnlly ulariiiml about you, old cliappie.”
" Wt->,ll you iiiight he,” replied Jaclt. “I have had a most pt-irilmis
adv--iiture.”
" Still you have come out all riglil."
" Not with Clara, thotigli,” said Jack.
life is not sale."
“ That is eiimigli to distract you. Can I help you in any way?"
“ Wait till I tell you all, then you may advise me well, but I have
small hope.”
Jm-k inforiiied him of all he had heard and seen. (‘lam was the
slave of the .<ult:ii::i, or Khahouin, as the people called her, whose re-
suiitnioiit she had IIlClll’l‘Wl.
“ What will it. conio to?" asketl Ilarry.
“ .lIiirtlor, I la tr," replic-,tI .Iacl<. “ WI
You see how crippled an-I llt‘ll)lt‘:?i I ain.'
“I wish I could siitzxe.-it soim-.t.liiti'.;."
“ If we Could only see Alitiir-,t--7"
" Yes, yes!" cried llarry. “He is Iaitlifull
and gets itil'ortiiatioii."
“ .-tin I on the l‘I‘,;llLl.rI1Cl(?"
“ (]v'i‘taiiily.”
As I - spoke, Ahin--t. the -,v,uide and courier, glided solemnly atid
glltirll, as into the room.
Jack iiiottriiietl him to a chair.
II-- sat down, wiiinti the [)l.‘l'S[)lI‘Il.llO!i Ironi his hrow and sniilt-Ll.
“ You llllVt‘ crwited a pretty din in the palace," ho exclainied.
" How is tnat'!" nslteil .lack. "I tlid nothint: iitnch."
" (iii, no! You iiever do. l)idn‘t you kill two of the liiiiiticlis of the
giiarti?"
Iltitlestly, Wliliuut taking much credit to liinist-If, Jack admitted that
“I have seen her, and her
hit am I to do to prevent it?
He knows everyone,
AND THE SIIAII OF I’I<IRSIA.
“ Wlu-.t have you a.tteiiiptetl‘?"
“ Allti my friend, the gardetier, and another, have gone to the ditch."
You mean the moat."
The ditch we T<'lIE?I‘:Ll1S call it,” replied Ahmet. “ It is dry; look
n‘. the devilish weather we liave tieeti having; no rain for :lX ihontlis.
ditch is dry and hard as atlaiiiaut."
Iler neck will he hroketi it she is thrown over the wall."
No, it will not.”
What is to save her?"
Allti’s plan. Let me tell you wlitit it is. air, and I really think
you Will he sattslietl," said Aliiiiht. “ He and I arraiitged e=vri')tliiiig
for the lit-tat, kiiowiiig that you would reward us according.’ to our
merits it succt-s=:tul.”
“ You can rely on tliat.”
“ We liars done so,”
" What is the tpiotiuiit? What does it all amount to alter all this
Lignriiig out?" tleniaiidetl Jack.
Ila was liecoiiiiiig iiiipatieiit.
' llll atid lllS ll'lt’Iltl, who is a Iorage tiiercliaiit, are going to t ;e
several hules of hay to the ditch and lay them down right under the
place in the wall from which the last leap is takeii."
“Will that lireak her fall!"
“ More. It will save her he,” said Ahniet. “ When the victim is
thrown over, the guards go aiiay thinking their work is doiie."
" (Jan we pick her up?’
“ Yes, sir, and hi'iiij.: her here. I am a man
your anihussadoi' and deiiiuiid protection.
will not dare to iiiterlere with her agaiiti.”
Jack :lll(,ll)l'( his liatid wariiily.
II(- was consoled and hoped that in avery short time Clara would
be restored to his ariiis.
It is LlllllU:ll,.lIlI[iUSSllJlU ‘.0 describe how he longed for that eveiit.
" Goine!" coiitltiucd Aliiiiet. “ We will go and see how events liave
traiispirotl."
Young Jack rose and l1lll<)Wl‘tl the l’9l‘SlZl.Ii into the street.
Iliirry l.‘irdwtiod ziccoiiipaiiietl them. ’1‘h+-re were few people in the
tliorotiglilaw they were ll":iVt‘I‘.'IIll;,, hut in the CIll(‘S were the usual
hahitn:-s, tlI'llllx'llILf, <,;os;-Iipiiig, and plnyiutj cards and clwss.
The stars WI'l"M out. No moon was VIs'll)lH atid the sky was clear.
Tliey loft the city hy the south gate, and walked ziloiig tlit: iiiuat, till
may rpuchetl Lita flljtlia wliure the wonien were thrown down.
A dark stiatltiw was cast over them.
They l‘v'2lLClllltl and WILll<‘ll.
Young Jack Iooketl at his watch and trenihled.
It was the iiihliiitght ll0ul‘.
Wliere w:i< Alltt‘.’
'l'lioy iooltvd at-otiiitl, and sutltloiily Ahiiied exclaiuied:
Son of u htirnt fatlior."
“ llow L-hi?" tishutl Jattk.
“ 'I'ht- Inol-Itillt-r has cast dirt tin my beard.”
" lixplaiii ‘oiir:wlf."
“ We are ‘ r yards lwlow the jtinipiti: oll’ place they call the Last
Leap. Ijoiiio up l'iii'tliei‘."
‘- With ]lll',tl“lII'l'. Why didn't you say so tieItirh.”’
of litisiih-,s.-I. Go to
The Persiaiis in the palace
“I am the
ho had done so.
” lint," he ad-led, “all that is .’lIlClHl'il. Iiistory. I know what passml
while I was in the garden of the >'eragiio. Tell me what litippetiml
when I was out."
" I came to do so.”
“ In that case yo.i are welcoiiie."
“ Sir, I am Gllgilglltl hi" you, and while you pay iiie. I shrill serve you t
wt=,II,"at'itl AHIIIHL " Uf ctiiirae, lietwoi-ti two Ill<’Il like you and I, l
l.ll8I'l-‘ can he no preteti:iion even of l'rie.idsliip." ‘
“ Wit)‘ not?" ‘
“ Siniply hncziuse our relatioii is that of master and at-rvziiit." l
“ Don't you helievu in eipiality, and that one man is as good as an-
Other as long as he lwli:ivos liitiiselI‘."' t
“ No, sir. (loll did not iiiaku us that wtiyebreetliiig and l)ll)()(l and l
etlticntion coiiiit."
“ Well." llill>‘I‘t‘lIl)l.Cll Jack, “we won't waste time in iirgiiiiig the
point. I'm it hit til at .<oci.ilist and follow in the llli+‘S and it-acting oI
Christ as tiiucii as I can. Ile was the great levvller nun‘ frinihl Hi the
poor, Go nlit-ail. What occtirio-I after I left the IIiipei'idus‘?"
“ Aliti was lIH,[Plllll‘.(. Ile told int: all lio llI‘.I1l‘ll. It was not iiiticli."
“ The I‘b'f-llll[7’""
“ Aniine, tho favorite 0! l<‘:i.tiiii
gItIlll.lll;.' a revolt in the Zr-.iiaiia.'
" l)n they know iiie? '
“ Not at all. That, is a iiiistnry. They think you are :1 (Jeorgm
WOIIIIIII, lately iniportwl into the liarutn. 'l'lio- (Li a has to lie i:iwst.i-
tzatetl. ”H'iVHVl‘l", one fact is plain, Ulara is to in‘, thrown from the wall
at iiiitliiigzht."
.lat:k s uugitretl.
llid wits-. was to take lll0lIIl‘llLl’1l])lIIIll"Wll()lll‘:l' IIHIII.
A few hours!
llv lll‘lix"‘li til his watch.
lihly one. It, was Ul55I'l'll o't:lo<‘l< then.
lilo"-‘I.
Ii I-titlilessly ho crioil, $H‘I%ilIL( Aliiiiol lit’ the haiitl: " ll)’ tzon-l It-llow‘
0 int we do .-uirmitliiiig” (Luiiint you :4llL('.:t‘Ell, II iiiotl-2 of g--ttiiig out ol
th.< hvll”'
"l lIIIV-‘1il)l)0:ibtn]l](tli:13! I Clillltl, sir," l‘t'I)ilI‘ll .‘.hiii--I, “Il(‘tIllIl‘l2lllLfll'.
“ llti not l!lfIV with my .’m>liiir,:-v."
“ lly no iiit-ans. As Allali is iiiyjtitlzt-. I aui trtilliltilrelivw nu-2"
rt, the Sultana, llCC'-lSr‘li Clara of or-
.
lln ini-.;ht (‘all it n Imv min-
“ 'I‘lw light lIllr'lt’ll till‘. I dill not ixlIUW exactly where I was.
I sue the track plainly."
Tlioy walked on.
At last. they caiiie to the spot, which was all secltiileil.
.<n(-iitioiis was the light that they coultl see the top of the wall,
lint 1l.lIY(>'lI‘llH'I‘lt(‘tilllll tit)l :Iw- tliutti.
' wow in (‘,ttiitiivt‘i:tii glooiii.
All . 5 oiice lllf‘l' in-art voice.
" I4 llI:l'. ynti, Alitnut‘? 1t<lIl'tl:<‘l)IIlF‘,(>Ili3,
I: was .tllu llie ;[:ll'llt’lil‘I', anti tho ruplt was in the I1llit'Ill11l.lVe.
With him was Ne-stlei; his ll'lt'lill, the tor:iLw lll6‘l"(.'lI:ilIl.
'l'liuy hatl l)l't)ll',flIl tilt-iiti’ of hiiii-lles of hay in a cart with them.
'l'tte.-ie were tli.-‘ti'ihiitnd aliotit tho ditch pretty thickly.
" We ‘:9 ]!l‘l‘]HlI‘(’tl.” “'lll“[l9r(’li Alln,
" ])iiti L tall: loo lotitl,“ said Animal,
“ Nor Wu may he nvo>rliPai‘tl.
" lwl tit!‘ toll yoti, it will not he sale to take the lady into the city,
if she >'<(!1l]hw with a lirnkvii iiuclt.”
" Why not?" .'iske.l .laclt.
“ She will he H“-'Il'(‘,lIE‘ll Ior, mid tlioy will lI1l(P her ollauaiii. In
that (‘1Ir'9‘. ion will iio-ver see lH'l' again, for lllt‘-Y will put ll+‘I‘ out of
UN‘ wziv tniit-klv iii a dill":-rt-tit iiianner altogetlior."
“ 'l'li:il IR so?’
“I am :iIlVlHlti;( Ior her gtotl Illlll yours."
“ Wtturv will we ttikn In-t‘?"
“ ’l‘ho-iv is n pl- saiit llil‘[l4l of iniiin, who lives in n Iariii-liouse :7.
mile (int lI'ltll) liert-. lilill!llll$ll4]’1lV(llH‘. llo, his wife and two .<rblI9.
will she-Iii-r anti llIllH her for a small (‘0lI.'llll"I‘:tllI)Il l)l ti lIIl)Ill'L:lI’y
ii:t‘.Iin-," atttlt--I .ttlIi.
“ AW Xmi stitu site will lie safe tliert"."’
“ I can .’LIl4WI'r with thy lilo Ior I’iivoiie, whom I have lciiown since a
boy."
llarrv (liwiivooti advise-tl .l.it.'k to at'Ct‘itl ll10l>ll'l'I1
llu llltl en.
'i‘ll!'h‘lllItlllT)IllIliWWt1‘iIl vory 9lI'llx'lll,( oiw.
A (‘I"‘.‘-'('5'Ill llllillll had inst Ill:Itll' its 4'K[lliI‘.'lI‘tIlll“‘ in tho li:n'iVf‘tl5. Stars
wt-rn ui.ti;mg, ’]‘].ouv in the IIll('li wt-1--vo-tlutl ;ii rlarit s‘ atltiw.
mivlult-iitx llin snnnti of t‘lllliIill"ll Vuttxw 1llilil'tI wt-rv lieuid.
’I'i.xvi nit-ii .'iptio>:iw-tl oii lht- l)1Illl"llIl‘lIlt'L
“ [kirk as pitch," I‘t‘IIllAI‘lU‘ll out-.
Now