The Horry herald. (Conway, S.C.) 1886-1923, November 25, 1915, Page SIX, Image 6
|j m BLA<
I By E. PHILLIP
I Author qf'Tho Mooing Novelist
I Finger, " " The Prince of nme iu
I Sinner*/' ''Anna, the Manufa<
Adventure**, ' etc. tographa
y^^^^(Copyright^Mfc
This interesting instalment of
the Black Box will be shown in
motion pictures at the Casino
Theatre Thursday night.
SYNOPSIS.
Sanford Quest, master criminologist ol
the world, finds that In bringing to Justice
Macdougal, the murderer of I.ord
Ashleigh's daughter, he has but Just begun
a life-and-death struggle with n
mysterious master criminal, in a hidden
hut in Professor Ashleigh's garden he has
seen an anthropoid ape skeleton and a
living Inhuman creature, half monkey,
half man, destroyed by lire. In his rooms
have appeared from nowhere black boxes
containing sarcastic, notes, signed by a
pair of armless hands. I.aura and hcnora,
his assistants, suspect Craig, the professor's
servant, of a double murder. The
black boxes continue to appear in uncanny
fashion. Craig is trapped by Quest,
hut escapes to England, where Quest, L?enora
ami the professor follow him. I.ord
Ashleigh is murdered by the Hands. T,enora
is abducted in London and rescued.
Craig is captured and escapes to Port
Said, where Quest and his party also go,
and beyond into the desert.
ELEVENTH INSTALLMENT
CHAPTER XXIII.
I I
IN THE DESERT.
Quest was the first the next morning
to open his eyes, to grope his
way through the tent opening and
stand for a moment alone, watching
Al 1 I i
mw aiauasier skies. Ho turned lazily
around, meaning to summon the
Arab who had volunteered to take
Hassan's place. His arms?he had
been in the act of stretching?fell to j
bis sides. He stared at the spot I
where the camels had been tethered, |
incredulously. There were no camels,
no drivers, no Arabs. There was
not a soul nor an object in sight except
the stark body of Hassan, which
they had dragged half out of sight
behind a slight knoll. High up in the
sky above were two little black specks,
wheeling lower and lower. Quest
shivered as he suddenly realized that
for the first time in his life he was
looking upon the winged ghouls of the
desert Lower and lower they came.
He turned away with a shiver.
The professor was still sleeping
,$'hen Quest re-entered the tent. He
woke him up and beckoned him to
come outside.
Quest pointed to the little sandy
knoll with its sparse covering of grass,
deserted?with scarcely a sign, even,
that it had been the resting place of
the little caravan. The professor gave
Von r\ o liHIn 1 ? . 4 :
? y v vv u inuc CAk.'lUUlUlIUU,
f The Professor hurried off towards
the spot where the encampment had
been made. Suddenly he stood still
and pointed with his finger. In the
clearer, almost crystalline light of the
coming day, they saw tho track of the
Camels in one long, unbroken line
stretching away northwards],
^ He glanced around a little helplessly.
Quest took a cigar from his case
i?4 m
;> "No good worrying," Quest sighed.
"The question is how best to get out
of the mess. Wh^'s the next move,
anyway?"
The professor glanced towards the
Bon and took a small compass from
pocket. He pointed across the desert.
>'< tuM
, "That's exactly our route," he said,
"but I reckon we still must bo two
days from the Mongars, and how we
are going to get there ourselves, much
more get the women there, without
camels, I don't know. There are no
wells, and 1 don't believe those fellows
have left us a single tin of wa
ter.''
Laura put her head out of the tent
in which the two women had slept.
"Say, where's breakfast?" she exclaimed.
"I can't smell the coffee."
They turned and approached her silently.
The two girls, fully dressed,
came out of the tent as they approached.
"Young ladies," the professor announced,
"I regret to say that a mis- I
fortune has befallen us, a mis- !
fortune which we shall be able, with- |
out doubt, to surmount, but which will
mean a day of hardship and much in- j
convenience."
"Where are the camels?" Lenora
asked breathlessly.
"Gone!" Quest replied.
"And the Arabs?"
"Gone with them?wo are left high
and dry," Quest explained.
"And what is worse," the professor
added, with a groan, "they have taken
with them all our stores, our rifles and
our water."
"How far are we from the Mongar
OO nr\ r\ ' I Annvo
^??iu|/ ucuuia anivcu.
"About a day's tramp," Quest replied
quickly. "We may reach there
by nightfall."
"Then let's start walking at once,
before It gets any hotter," Lenora suggested.
Quest patted her on the back. They
made a close search of the tents, but
found that the Arabs had taken everything
In the way of food and drink, except
a single half-filled tin of drinking
water.
?/ They started bravely enough, but by
midday their little stock of water was
m >1
1 * : j t
CK BOX |
S OPPENHE1M
rd from the motion picture drama of tho
ime produced by the Universal Film
rturing Company Illustrated with phoi
from the motion picture production.
by Otla F. Wood.)
gone, their feet were sorely blistered.
No one complained, however, and the
professor did his best to revive their
spirits.
"We have come farther than I had
dared to hope. In the time," he announced.
"Fortunately, 1 know the
exact direction we must take. Keep up
your spirits, young ladies. At any time
we may see signs of our destination."
They struggled on once more. Night
came and brought with it a half-soothing,
half-torturing coolness. That
vain straining of the eyes upon the
norizon at any rate was spared to
them. They slept in a fashion, but
soon after dawn they were on their
feet again. Suddenly Quest, who had
gone a little out of his way to mount
a low range of sand hills, waved his
arm furiously. He was holding his
field-glasses to his eyc-S. It was wonderful
how that ruy of hope transformed
them. They hurried to where
he was. He passed the glasses to the
professor.
"A caravan!" he exclaimed. "I can
see the camels, and horses!"
The professor almost snatched the
glasses.
"Jt is quite true," he agreed. "It is
a caravan crossing at right angles to
our direction. Come! They will see
us before long."
Presently three or four horsemen
detached themselves from the main
body and came galloping towards
them. The eyes of the little party
glistened as they saw that the foremost
had a water-bottle slung around
his neck. He came dashing up, waving
his arms.
V mi 1^.0* ~ 9" 1. 1 ? '
? uu iwoi, jjcupic ; ne tiiiiieu. >v am
water?"
They almost snatched the bottle
from him. It was like pouring life
into their veins. They all, at the professor's
instigation, drank sparingly.
Quest, with a great sigh of relief; lit
a cigar.
'Some adventure, this!" he declared.
The professor, who had been talking
to the men in their own language,
turned back towards the two girls
"It is a caravan,' he explained, "of
peaceful merchants on their way to
Jaffa. They are halting for us, and
we shall be able, without a doubt, to
arrange for water and food and a
camel or two horses. The man here
asks if the ladies will take the horses
and ride?"
They started off gayly to where the
caravan had come to a standstill. They
had scarcely traversed a hundred
yards, however, before the Arab who
was leading Lenora's horse came to a
sudden standstill. lie pointed with
his arm and commenced to talk in an
excited fashion to lib two companion?,
From across the desert, facing them,
came a little company of horsemen,
galloping fast and with the sunlight
flashing upon their rifles.
"The Mongars!" the Arab cried,
pointing wildly. "They attack the
caniYanJJ\
The three Arabs talked together for
a moment in an excited fashion. Then,
without excuse or warning, they swung
the two women to the ground, leaped^
* ??
I
"If You Value Your Lives, You Will
Do at You Are Bidden."
on their horses, and, turning northwards,
galloped away.
The professor looked on anxiously.
"1 am not at all sure," he said in
an undertone to Quest, "about our position
with the Mongars. Craig has a
peculiar hold upon them, but as a rule
thoy hate white men, and their blood
will be up. . . . See! the fight it all
over. Those fellows were no match for
the Mongars. Most of them have fled
and left the caravan."
The fight was indeed over. Four of
the Mongars had galloped away in
pursuit of the Arabs who had been
THgteOBBYHER
the temporary escort ot Quest and his
companions. They passed about a
hundred yards away, waving their
arms and shouting furiously. One of
them even fired a shot, which missed
Quest by only a few Inches.
"They say they are coming back,"
the professor muttered. "Who' this?
It's the chief and?"
"Our search is over, at any rate,"
Quest interrupted. "It's Craig!"
They came galloping up, Craig in
white linen clothes and an Arab's
cloak; the chief by his side?a fine,
upright man with long, gray beard; behind,
three Mongars, their rifles already
to their shoulders. The chief
wheeled up his horse as he came within
twenty paces of the little party.
"White! English!" he shouted.
"Why do you seek death here?"
He waited for no reply, but turned
to his men. Three of them dashed forward,
their rifles, which were fitted
with an odd sort of bayonet, drawn
back for the lunge. Suddenly Craig,
who had been a little in the rear, galloped.
shouting, into the line of fire.
"Stop!" he ordered "Chief, these
people are my friends. Chief, the
wora:"
The chief raised his arm promptly.
The men lowered their rifles. Craig
galloped back to his host's side. The
chief listened to him and nodded
gravely. Presently h<? rode up to the !
little party. He saluted the professor
gravely and talked to him in his own
language. The profeSsOT turned to the
others.
"The cliiefj apologizes for not recognizing
me," he apnonnOed,, "It seems
that Craig had told tartjin ,tb?t |ie had
come to the desert for shelter, and he
imagined at once, when, he gave the
order for the attack upon us, that we
were his enemies. He says that we
are welcome to go with him to his
encampment."
Craig turned slowly towards them.
It was a strange meeting.
"It is necessary," he told them, j
"that you should pretend to be my j
friends. The chief has ordered two of,
his men to dismount. Their ponies are I
for the young ladies. There will be
horses for you among the captured
ones from the caravan yonder."
They all turned towards the chief,
who remained a little on the outside
of the circle. The professor raised
his hat and spoke a few words in the i
Mongar language, then he turned to
the others.
"I have accepted the invitation of
the chief," he announced. "We had
better start."
*******
"This may not be Delmonico's," I
Laura remarked, a few hours later
with a little sigh of contentment,!
"but believe me that goat-stew and
sherbet tasted better than any j
chicken and champagne 1 ever tasted." j
They moved to the opening of the j
tent and sat looking out across the
silent desert. Laura took the flap of
the canvas in her hand.
"What do all these marks mean?"
she asked.
"They are cabalistic signs," the
professor replied, "part of the language
of the tribe. They Indicate
that this is the guest tent, and there
are a few little maxims traced upon
it, extolling the virtues of hospitality."
Lenora leaned forward to where a
little group of Mongars were talking
together.
"I wish that beautiful girl would
come and let us see her again," she
murmured.
"She." the professor explained, "is
the chief's daughter, Feerda, whose
life Craig saved."
"And from the way she looks at
him," Laura observed, "I should say
she hadn't forgotten it, either."
The professor held up a warning
finger. The girl herself had glided
to their side out of the shadows. She
faced the professor. The rest of the
party she seemed to Ignore. She
spoke slowly and in halting English.
| "My father wishes to know that
you are satisfied?" she said. "You
have no further wants?"
"None," the professor assured her.
"We are very grateful for his hospitality,
Feerda."
"Won't you talk to us for a little
time?" Lcnora begged, leaning for!
vard.
The girl turned suddenly to the
1 professor and spoke to him in her
1 own language. She pointed to the
signs upon the tent, drew her finger
along one of the sentences, flashed a
fierce glance at them all and disappeared.
"Seems to me that we are not exactly
popular with the young lady."
Quest remarked. "What was she saying.
professor?"
"SllP SllRiinpta 11a " tVin nrnfnurnr
said slowly, "of wishing to bring evil
to Craig. She pointed to a sentence
upon the tent. Roughly It means 'Gratitude
is the debt of hospitality.' T am
very much afraid that the young lady
must have been listening to our conversation."
The professor suddenly leaned forward.
There was a queer change In
his face. From somewhere on the
other side of that soft bank of violet
darkness came what seemed to be the
ciear, low cry or some animal.
"It Is the Mongarcryof warning," he
said hoarsely. "Something Is going to
happen."
The whole encampment was suddenly
in a state of activity. The
Mongers rsn hither and thither, ret.tlr?r
tr.gether their horses. The ohte'.
with Craig by his side, was standing
on the outskirts of the camp.
"Seems to me there's a move on,"
Quest muttered, as they rose to their
feet. "I wonder if we are in It."
A moment or two later Craig ap
A J). OOHWAY, S. q. ?
y
...... .?. ' ?.^ y>*.>:s& ?$<
Captured by
proached them.
"Word has been brought to the
chief," he announced, "that the Arab
who escaped from the caravan has
fallen in with an outpost of British
soldiers. They have already started
in pursuit of us. The Mongars will
take refuge in the jungle, where thoy
have prepared hiding-places. W4
start at once."
"What about us?" the professor inquired.
"I endeavored," Craig continued, "to
persuade the chief to allow you to re
main b^re, when the care of you
would devolve upon the English soldiers.
He and Fecrda. however, have
absolutely refused my request. Feerda
has overheard some of your conversa
tion, and the chief believes that you
will betray us. You will have to come,
too.'*
They all rose at once to their feet,
and a few moments later horses were
brought.
The little procession was already being
formed in line. Craig approached
them once more.
"You will mount now and ride in the
middle of our caravan," he directed.
"The chief does not trust you. If you
value your lives, you will do as you are
bidden."
CHAPTER XXIV.
"You can call this fairyland, if you
want," Laura remarked, gazing around
her; "I call it a nasty, damp, oozy
spot."
Quest motioned them to sit a little
nearer.
"I had a moment's talk with Craig
this morning, and from what ho says
I fancy they mean to make a move
a little farther in before Ion? It'll he
all the more difficult to escape them."
"You think we could get away?"
Lenora whispered, eagerly.
Quest glanced cautiously around.
They were surrounded by thick vegetation,
but they were only a very short
distance from the camp.
"Seem3 to me," he continued, "we
shall have to try it some day or other
and I'm all for trying it soon. Even
if they caught us, I don't believe
they'd dare to kill us, with the English
soldiers so close behind. 1 am
going to get hold of two or three rifles
and* some ammunition. That's easy,
because they leave them about ail
the time. And what you girls want to
do is to hide some food and get a botvtle
of water."
"What about Craig?" the professor
asked.
"We are going to take him along,"
Quest declared, grimly. "He's had the
devil's own luck so far but it can't
last forever. I'll see to that part of
the business, if you others get ready
and wait for me to give the signal."
They dispersed in various directions.
It was not until late in the evening,
when the Mongars had withdrawn a
little to indulge in their customary
orgy of crooning songs, that they were
absolutely alone. Quest looked out of
the tent in which they had been sitting
and came back again.
"Well?"
Laura lifted her skirt and showed
an unusual projection underneath.
,JT onnro on/1 / Iw* 1 r? ^ /I
i<v/nv/i cv anu 1 iiavu ^uiiiuu lip uui
petticoats," she announced. "We've
got plenty of food and a bottle of
water."
Quest threw open the white Arab
cloak which ho had been wearing. He
had three rifles strapped around him.
"The professor's got the ammunition,"
he said, "and we've five horses
tethered a hundred paces along the
track we came by, just behind the
second tree turning to the left. I
want you all to go there now at once
and take the rifles. There isn't a soul
in the camp and you can carry them
wrapped in this cloak. I'll join you
in ten minutes."
"What about Craig?" the profeasor
inquired.
"T am seeing to him/' Quest replied.
I I jinnrii hoaitntart
"I?n't It rather a risk?" she whispered
tearfully.
(Quest's face was suddenly stern.
"Craitf is going back with us." he
said. "Ill be careful, L?enor&. Don't
worry." j
He strolled o\it of the tent and came
back agaiii.
' "The coaat s clear," he announced.
I
1 j.
the Mongars.
"Off you go. . . . One moment," ho
added, "there are some papers in this
iittle box of mine which one of you
might take care of."
He bent hastily over the little wallet,
which never left him. Suddenly a little
exclamation broke from his lips.
"What is it?" I
Quest never said a word. From one
of the spaces of the wallet he drew out
a small black box, removed the lid and
held out the card. They read it together:
Fools, all of youl The cunning of
the ages defeats your puny efforts at
every turn.?The Hands.
Even the professor's lips blanched
a little as he read. Quest, however,
seemed suddenly furious. He tore the
card and the box to pieces, flung them
into a corner of the tent and drew a
revolver from his pocket.
"This time," he exclaimed, "we are
going to make an end of The Hands!
Out you go now, girls. You can leave
me to finish things up." I
One by one they stole along the path.
Quest came out and watched them disappear.
Then he gripped his revolver
firmly in his hand and turned towards
Craig's tent. Then, from the thick
growth by the side of the clearing, he
saw a dark shape steal out and vanish i
in the direction of Craig's tent. He !
came to a standstill, puzzled. There
had been rumors of lions all day, but
the professor had been incredulous.
Then the still, heavy air was suddenly
rent by a wild scream of horror. Across
the narrow opening the creature had
reappeared, carrying something in its
mouth, something which gave vent all
the time to the most awful yells.
Quest fired his revolver on chance and
broke into a run. Already the Mongars,
disturbed in their evening amusement,
were breaking into the undergrowth
in chase. Quest came to a
standstill. It was from Craig's tent
that the beast had issued! When he
reached the meeting place, he found
the professor standing at the corner
with the rest.
"From the commotion,'' he announced,
"I believe that, after all, a
lion has visited the camp. The cries
which we have heard were distinctly
the cries of a native." j
Quest shook his head.
'A lion's been here all right," he
said, "and he has finished our little
job for us. That was Craig. 1 saw
him come out oi Craig's tent."
The professor was dubious.
"You see that tree that looks like
a dwarfed aloe?"
"What about it?"
"Craig was lying there ten minutes
ago. He sprang up when he heard
the yells from the encampment, but
I believe he is there now."
"Got the horses all right?" Quest
inquired.
"Everything is waiting," the professor
replied.
"I'll have one more try, then,'
Quest declared.
He made hie way slowly through the
undergrowth to the spot which the
professor had indicated. Close to the
trunk of a. tree Craig was standing.
Feerda was on her knees before him.
She was speaking in broken English.
"Dear master, you shall listen to
your slave. These people are your
enemies. It. would be all over in a few
minutes. You have but to say the
word. My father is eager for it. Xo
one would ever know."
Craig patted her head. His tone
was filled with the deepest despondency.
"It is impossible, Feerda," he said.
"You do not understand. I cannot tell
you everything. Sometimes I almost
think that the best thing I could do
would be to return with them to the
countries you know nothing of."
"That's what you are going to do,
anyway," Quest declared, suddenly
making his reappearance. "Hands
up!" ?
He covered Craig with his revolver,
but his arm was scarcely extended before
Feerda sprang at him like a little
wildcat. Hetgripped her with his left
firm and held her away with difficulty.
"Craig," he continued, ' you're coming
with us. You know the way to
Port Said and we want you?you know
why. Untie that sash from your waist.
Quickly !f'
Craig obeyed.
"Tie It to the tree/* Quest ordered.
"Leave room enough."
Craig did as he was told. Then he H
turned and held the loose ends up. H
Quest lowered his revolver for a mo- I
xnent as he pushed Feerda towards It. H
Craigf, with a wonderful spring, reach- H
cd his eido and kicked the revolver^ H
away. Pefore Quest could even stoop H
to recover it he saw the glitter of the H
other's knife pressed against his chest. H
"Listen," Craig declared. "I've mad# H
up my mind. I won't go back to Amerlea.
I've had enough of being hunted H
all over the world. This time I think H
' I'll rid myself of one of you, at any H
rate* H
I "Will you?"
I The interruption was so unexpected H
that Craig lost his nerve. Through an H
opening in the trees, only a few feet H
away, Lenora had suddenly appeared. H
She, too, held a revolver, her hand H
was as steady as a rock. j H
| "Drop your knife," she ordered I
, Craig.
He obeyed without hesitation.
"Now, tie the sash around the girl."" I
He obeyed mechanically. Quest took
Craig by the collar and led him toA I
the spot where the others were wait- H
lng. They hoisted him on to a horse. I
Already behind them they could see I
the. flare of the torches from the re- I
turning Mongars. I
I "You know the way to Port Said," Q
' Quest whispered. "See that yon lead H
us tliOro. There will be trouble, rnind^.
if you don't."
Craig made no reply. He rode off
I front of the little troop, covered, all
the time by Quest's revolver. Very
soon they were out of the jungle and
in the open desert Quest looked be- % H
; hind him uneasily. H
"To iudgc by the row those fellows H
are making," he remarked!. "1 should
think that they've found Feerda al1
ready.*' I
"In that case,'* the professor said I
gravely, "let me recommend you to
push on as fast as possible. We have * I
had one escape from those fellows, I
but nothing in the world can save us
now that you have laid hands upon
Feerda. The chiel would never forgive
mat." 9
They galloped steadily on. Tho I
moon rose higher and higher until it 9
became as light, as day. S
Quest fell a little behind the pro- , 9
feasor's side, although ho never left off 9
watching Craig. 9
"Look behind you, professor," he I
whispered. 9
In the far distance were a number 9
of little black specks, growing every
moment larger. Even at that moment I
they heard the low, long call of the I
Mongars. 9
"They are gaining on us," Quest I
muttered. I
They raced on for another mile or I
more. A bullet whistled over their I
heads. Quest tightened his reins. I
"No good," he sighed. "We'd better I
stay and fight it out, professor. Stick. I
close to me, Eenora." I
They drew up and hastily dismount- I
ed. The Mongars closed in around
them. A cloud had drifted in front' I
of the moon, and in the darkness It- I
was almost impossible to sec their^ I
flM 1 * " *
n.icicauuuis. i iit*y rieara mo cniera
voice.
"Shoot first that dog of a Craig!"
There was c. 3hriek. Suddenly
Feerda. breaking loose from the othv
ors. raced across the little division.
She flung herself from her horse.
"Tell my father that you were nob
faithless," she pleaded. "They shall*
not kill youf"
She clung to Cralg'c neck. The bulr
lets weep beginning to whistle around
r ^ ^ ^
I if; ^ hS H I
y-wB/fy.' ' / *
i * j| P
1 1 H ; / |
?ni Be Careful, Lenora."
them now. AU of a sudden she threw
| up her arms. Craig, In a fury, turned
r round and fired into the darkness*^
Then suddenly, as though on the bidding
of some unspoken word, there
was a <rtieer silence. Everyone was
distinctly conscious of an alien sound
?the soft thud of many horses' feet
I galloping from the right; then a share.
' English voice of command. |
"llad<l your nre? men. Close In to
V
I