Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 9: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

’ 7 The Seventeen Thieves of El-Kalil — see -“Wire’s down.” \ “Oh, good! That means Jerusalem can’t interfere and tell us not to do things. But—” glancing at Grim and me “—are you still in charge, “Crep’?”’ “I’ve no orders to take over,” Grim as- sured him. ‘De Crespigny may pass the buck when he sees fit.”’ “Pretty decent of you.” “Suppose | you fellows put me wise, though,” Grim suggested. ‘We'll call it unofficial, but in case of need it might be wholesome for me to know the facts.” “Tt’s all very simple,” said de Crespigny. “Aaron Cohen came here with a scheme for exporting Arabs to your country to make -room for Jews. He offers to buy out their holdings for cash, to arrange their passage to the States, get passports for them and all that, and provide them with good land to settle on at the other end on easy terms. _ Perfectly fair and above-board if they wanted to do it, but they don’t. “On top of that, the Jews in this place are - Orthodox and hate the*Zionists worse than they do pork. They made the mistake of telling the Arabs that Cohen was no good, whereas he’s quite a decent fellow really, if it weren’t for his infernal cheek. No need to tell you what the Moslems of this place -arelike. They stole Cohen’s watch for a joke - and he said what he thought of them. They admit the truth of all he said—you know how engagingly frank they are about them- selves—but take exception to criticism by any kind of Jew. “Now they say that the Orthodox Jews put Cohen up to it and only went back on him afterwards because they were afraid. They say it’s really the Orthodox Jews of this place who are planning to get their holdings; and as most of them owe money to the Jews they propose to make short work of the lot of them. They’ve cut the wire to prevent our phoning for Sikhs and machine guns and the pame is probably scheduled to begin tonight.” Before de Crespigny had finished speaking two men came into the room and one of them, obviously a middle-aged Scotsman, sat down without waiting to be invited. The other, an Arab long past middle age, re- mained standing. Grim made a sign to me that I interpreted as a call to behave in keeping with the Arab costumes we were wearing and I hid my face as much as I reasonably could in the folds of the kufiyz. . a “Allah ysadbak bilkhair!”* the Sid Arab began as soon as he could get a word in. “Ahlan wasah’lan!”t said de Crespigny. “What is it, Yussuf?” “You young men go! Go to your mothers! — Go home and marry wives!’’ ‘Why this sudden interest in our future, — Yussuf?” _ “Tt is not sudden. I am an old man, and have seen many young men die. I have yet to see the good that came of killing them. Go home.” ‘ “Men die when their time comes,” said de Crespigny. ‘Moreover, they don’t marry wives in my land until the woman is willing. I’ve got no money and the girls won’t look | at me.” “Tt is not good to answer with jests when an old man speaks in earnest. I, who must — see death soon in the natural course of things, advise you as a father speaking to ‘this sons. Go home. sons than to die young.” “You old raven! What are you cr oaking about?” The Arab stroked his gray beard and thought a minute before he answered. Then: R rene “T have seen the blood flow in the runnels of the streets of El-Kalil like red storm- water. vengeance on the city for certain matters. I have seen the seven districts of the city at war with one another and the executions All those are as nothing in | afterwards. comparison to what comes! It is written that not one Jew shall remain alive in El- Kalil!” “Any date to that prophecy?” asked de | Crespigny quite calmly. “They are whetting the swords now!” “They'll have us to reckon with before they begin on the Jews.” aes “Truly, my son. Therefore go, before the sacrifice begins! What can you few do against so many? Can you send for help? I think not. Iam told the wire is cut. Could a horseman or man on foot get through to Jerusalem alive? Not he! They would let you escape, but not your messénger; and if you stay, you die!” “Su be fools to let me,” de Crespigny answered. It is better to beget I was here when the Turks took pposing I chose to run away, they’d — eM a isa tanh 8 ot bth / aan | ’ VAs hy vy Y, ts! % ’ : Se tare MA a -_ a . a4 Ae, ; ~ . pe hse? sb, : uy Sea es i et Oe - “There’d be lorry-loads of Sikhs here two or = three hours after I reached Jerusalem.” *Lit.: God give you a happy morning! tA thousand times welcome! Comicbooks.¢