Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 137: what you’re looking at

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

THE RULER OF ZEM-ZEM. now—crescendo on the second Zem, my boys!” “Don’t be a fool, Jim!’ Cardell urged him hastily, “ Do you want to spend another night without food or drink?” ‘““Not with a perfectly good Zem- Zem right in front of me.” “You'll have a perfectly good knife blade between your shoulders in a min- ute, my son,” Cardell admonished him grimly. Then, turning to the gibbering na- tives he asked: * What is it you fear?” “Fiffendi, this city is indeed very evil!’ quavered Omar, his dark face eray with fear. “It is ruled by jinn and shaitans, and the people who dwell within its walls are mightier than any others in the land. Always there have been kings and warriors who sought to take Zem-Zem—for there are great riches there—but none have succeeded ! Truly it is the abode of devils!’ “Tt is true—by Allah, it is true!’ chorused the Arabs. “Tt is also true, my friends,” re- sponded Cardell, “ that unless you stop behaving like she-camels, I will shoot you here and now, before the Zem- Zem devils have a look-in!”’ He drew his revolver and Durning and Montgomery ostentatiously fol- lowed suit. ‘The natives drew back, muttering among themselves, while Cardell beckoned the old guide to him. “We start for Zem-Zem in an hour’s time,” he said. “I will kill the first man to disobey orders. You know that I am a man of my word.” “Wallahi! I know it!’ groaned Omar with memories of past en- counters. ‘ Alas, that I should lead my own tribe to death.” “Vou've been doing that pretty steadily this trip,” commented the other brutally. ‘‘ Personally, I prefer a knife or a bullet at Zem-Zem to the jackals and vultures out here in the desert. It’s only a choice of evils at the best.” “What is written, is written! On your own head be it, effendi!’’ was 567 Omar’s mournful acquiescence as he limped back to the trembling retinue. I]. THE next few miles were a purga- tory of effort. In a torpor of pain and weariness, men and camels dragged themselves over the curling ridges, the latter stumbling and moaning, and making occasional short rushes toward dark patches in the sand, hoping to find grass among the heaps of stone. Gherd after sandy gherd they left behind as the red splendor of the sun- set faded to mauve and Jemon, and fi- nally merged into the cold gray of the sand itself. The dunes changed abruptly to mounds and hillocks covered with decayed scrub, and the camels almost trampled the men on foot into the sand as they dashed past them suddenly to- ward a big patch of feathery green bushes. But they did not eat, and when the Arabs noticed the crumbling ruins of a well close by, they shrugged their ach- ing shoulders and scornfully kicked the loose sand underfoot. “ Salt!’ reported Omar. “It is the well of Tiz, where many travelers have died, effendi!’ He waved a dirty, emaciated hand toward a couple of skeletons near them, and indicated dis- mal little heaps farther off, which no one cared to investigate. ‘* Already I see the fires of Eblis— hell—within the walls of the city,” murmured one cowering native. The squat outline of Zem-Zem was fast merging into the desert darkness, but now they saw faint gleams of yel- low in the night, where the watch fires on the city walls began to challenge the evening star. The natives huddled together with terrified whispers, while the camels stood swaying their long necks wearily, and Cardell suddenly determined to bring things to a crisis. Paying no attention to the curses and wailings that rose around him, he set (E00) NOOLKS ANNG (E@)