The Great Hiding Place by Denzit C Read online

  Argosy, January 26, 1918

  WAS reclining in a deck-chair on the

  was to receive twenty thousand pounds if

  first-class deck of the P. and O. liner successful.

  I Orezarba studying a little roughly My instructions from Bainbridge were sketched map. It had been put into my hand

  to keep the real purport of my trip to myself if when I stepped aboard the boat in the London I expected to make good. He had tried for the docks, as the only possible clue to the past six months through the papers to find whereabouts of David Castle, who had fallen Castle, he had told me. You see, the man

  heir to an immense fortune. I turned the map disappeared from England fifteen years ago

  over.

  while under suspicion of some crime.

  “This is a risky undertaking,” was Circumstantial evidence was against him and written on the back; “but one that will well he was unwisely advised to run. It was a

  repay you if you bring David Castle home to welched affair. There was some talk that he England.”

  had gone to save some one else. He was only I had been in worse places—so I nineteen and an undergraduate at Oxford thought—and had come out with scarcely a

  University at the time.

  scratch. But in my wanderings about the world The authorities had traced him to Aden

  on investigations for the law arm of and from there he was supposed to have gone Bainbridge and Bainbridge, of Lincoln’s Inn, northeast into the desert to Riyat. The British London, I had never before been in the government had sent a man in after him, but peninsular of Arabia—my destination on this the fellow never returned, so the matter was trip.

  dropped. The Arab tribes in that locality had I was glad that Bainbridge had given

  been making trouble then. The death of a man me this commission, as my financial affairs named Lakeman and his confession had lifted were getting dangerously into low water. I had the cloud from David Castle. Lakeman in his been allowed ample money for expenses, and

  penitence has left his entire fortune to Castle,

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  2

  with instructions that half of it be spent, if We had arrived at Aden of Araby, the

  necessary, to find him.

  point at which I was to begin my journey into Bending from my deck-chair I reached

  the desert.

  for the white helmet at my feet, picked it up I walked forth from the boat after

  and tilted it at the back of my head, rising at breakfast with a letter of introduction to the the same time, and wiping the perspiration

  British consul.

  from my brow. I sauntered over to the ship’s Aden is a port of call, the last on the

  side, but even there the heat and glare of the way further East. The town looked hard and

  breathless afternoon poured under the canvas forbidding with its dull, gray, mud-and-stone awning.

  houses intermingled with basalt rocks and

  Leaning over the ship’s rail my eyes

  greenstone. There was not much sign of

  wandered to the treeless, sandy shore of the vegetation, and beyond the city the desert

  east side of the Gulf of Suez. Since morning glared beneath a blistering sun.

  there had been no change of scene The eternal I passed a number of Europeans

  drab-colored water reaching to the dull coast gathered on the jetty. The rippling murmur of line, which likewise reached to the cloudless laughter reached me. I looked at the group

  horizon against a chain of desolate mountains from whence the laughter came, and the

  from which the sun had suddenly burst hot

  sparkling eyes of a girl in white met my gaze.

  and brazen, this was what met my eyes.

  For a moment they held me in their spell.

  Now the ship turned slightly to Then I passed on, and, strange to say. I was starboard as it entered the blue waters of the not so sorry I had come to Aden after all. I Red Sea, and the shore took on the rich golden wondered who she was.

  hue of the Arabian desert. The slight change in I found the British consul’s residence,

  the ship’s course brought a faint breeze, still a large whitestone house west of the town. It warm, mingled with the unwelcome scent of

  appeared to be the only one with grounds

  camels, which betokened some Arab town surrounding it. On gaining admission I was hidden in a bend of the shore.

  shown into the consul’s study. After glancing The

  Orezarba had put on more speed

  at the letter of introduction and my other

  since she reached the deeper channel of the credentials he greeted me heartily and began a Red Sea and the sun began to set in a radiance string of questions about my voyage and my

  of coppery red. My life had never been very business in Aden.

  quiet or depressed, but I suddenly felt a kind He had a pleasant way with him and at

  of thrill of adventure that I had never once made me feel at home. Yet this story-experienced before. Was it the sudden cool

  could never have been told if I had confided in breeze that came just then from the desert as him, as I was tempted to do at that time. While the purple twilight descended? Or was it the we were talking a man entered the room

  soft murmurings of the sunset prayers of the unannounced. He was tall and powerfully

  Arabs in the steerage taken on at Suez? I shall built. He moved with a swing, his dark hair never know. Perhaps a sunset on the Red Sea curled slightly, his skin had a sallow tinge—

  affects every one that way.

  the invariable Oriental stamp, His steel-gray The next morning when I awoke the

  eyes had a piercing directness that seemed to screw had stopped its eternal throb. A look through me as he came into the study.

  deathlike stillness held the vessel, and the

  “I thought you were alone,” he said

  harsh aspirate tones of jabbering Arabs addressing the consul, who had turned at the reached me from somewhere outside the ship.

  sound of his footstep. “Excuse me, but I came

  The Great Hiding Place

  3

  for the book Miss Helen told me you had

  path a man and a woman were walking. They

  received from the boat’s mail.”

  turned, facing me. The man was His

  “Let me introduce you to Mr. Warton

  Excellency Doud Gaer Bey, and the woman

  Hunter,” the consul broke in, turning to me.

  was the girl with the sparkling eyes I had seen

  “This is His Excellency Doud Gaer Bey, an

  on the jetty! Just then the light ripple of her intimate associate of mine. Mr. Hunter.”

  laugh reached me, doubly confirming the fact.

  The man came forward with that easy

  She seemed to be attracted to the man

  swing and a smile on his face as he extended in some way. Her face showed a sort of

  his hand.

  admiration as she surveyed his great shoulders

  “By the way, Gaer.” went on the and head. Every now and then he gave her a consul in his friendly way. “Hunter wants to hungry look. I remember at the time puzzling go to Riyat. You will give him some tips, I’m over the way the fellow looked at her. That sure. And why not go with him? He couldn’t

  was the only word to describe it—hungry!

  have a better guide.”

  Then when he caught her eyes he would

  Again the man’s eyes looked through

  stiffen in the way he had done before me.

  me. I t
hought a kind of reserve had taken hold They turned down a path and disappeared

  of him, for his manner suddenly became cold from view.

  and formal, as he bowed muttering that he

  At lunch I met Helen Chamberlain, the

  would be glad to be of service. With that he daughter of the British consul. The faintest left the room in an abrupt way, saying that he tinge of pink suffused her cheeks at our

  would see me again.

  meeting, and her eyes sparkled as they had

  “Gaer is a queer kind of fellow, but he

  done on the jetty. Gaer was there. His eyes has a good heart,” said the consul after the followed the girl’s movements as they had

  man had disappeared. “He has been a great

  done in the rose garden, but shifted when she help to me since I came to Aden, five years looked his way. At the table hit face was set, ago. You see he speaks perfect English. He

  though he chatted and joked and ate with ease.

  owns hundreds of camels, and was given the

  “You had better not make the trip to

  title of Bey for his generosity to the Arabs Riyat for at least a month.” he remarked to me during the cholera epidemic some years ago

  at the close of the meal. “Wait until the

  when he provided food and medical aid. He

  simoom season in over, then I will be free to takes wandering spells and disappears into the go with you.” That afternoon the consul took desert for months on end.”

  me out in his car to see the town. His daughter He stopped talking, walked over to his

  and 6aer rode in the back seat. Every now and desk and took up some papers.

  then her rippling laugh came to me. It thrilled

  “Make yourself at home, Mr. Hunter.”

  me in a way that set me thinking.

  he remarked, turning toward the door. “I have It never occurred to me how important

  an engagement, but will be back shortly. By a woman is in a man’s life until that moment.

  the way, I want you to stay with me until you It was vaguely impressed upon my mind that I can get your plans arranged. We seldom have had still more to learn on the subject. I had a visitor in Aden.”

  never been much of a lady’s man. My travels I thanked him for his invitation, which

  had kept me from their society.

  I gladly accepted, and turned toward a

  But now I was more than interested.

  window.

  Something had gripped me, causing an

  I looked out into a garden of roses with

  irresistible desire to glance around once in a little winding paths between the beds. On one while, as though at some object on the

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  4

  roadside, but in reality to get a glimpse of the the garden.

  girl. There was a youthful freshness about her At last came the evening before our

  which contrasted with the gray, dirty town. It departure when Helen and Gaer sat and

  seemed as if she had brought the beauty and walked in the garden for over an hour. A sort the fragrance of the rose garden with her.

  of resentment took hold of me. I began to

  Once I met Gaer’s eyes, but he showed no

  dread the trip with Gaer. I feared I might

  resentment at my curiosity.

  quarrel with him about the girl. I felt that she That night she played and sang to us.

  was between us. Several times, on going to the The next day I walked in the rose garden with window overlooking the garden, I had seen

  her.

  them sitting on the seat where I had sat with Gaer went away for a few days, and

  her so often before his return.

  the consul being a busy man, his daughter and When they came in her face was

  I were left constantly alone together.

  radiant. She smiled at me in a new way. I

  Three weeks passed—of sunlight and

  wondered if Gaer had won. Then she turned

  roses and the music of her laugh. Everyday

  and said good night. Her father also retired she seemed sweeter and wiser and more and left Gaer and myself alone.

  perfect in my eyes, until, one day in the

  My eyes were still glued to the

  garden, the truth dawned on me. That which I doorway through which she had passed when

  had laughed at in other men had happened to Gaer’s voice broke the silence.

  me. I was in love with Helen Chamberlain.

  “Well,

  Hunter,

  this

  is our last evening

  The sudden revelation brought an on the edge of the world. To-morrow we shall anxiety about Gaer and his attentions toward disappear, and who knows if there will be a her, and the next morning I found myself

  return? I always go into the desert feeling that talking to her about the man. At first she

  way. One can never tell out there.”

  answered in monosyllables.

  The man’s words made me start and

  “Yes, he is wonderful,” she admitted at

  set me thinking. Did he mean there was a risk?

  last. “He has such courage. The Arabs say that Bainbridge had written that on the back of the he shoots lions alone beyond the mountains in little map in my pocket. But what sort of risk the north-eastern desert. It is said that once a did Gaer refer to?

  lion came to an Arab camp and stole a child, He went on talking again about the

  and that he went out with his gun alone and preparations he had made for our trip, which, brought the child back.”

  at the consul’s advice, I had placed entirely in I listened and watched for any sign of

  his hands. Not once had Gaer asked why I was special interest or pride at what she was going to Riyat. But the man was every inch a relating.

  gentleman and minded his own business. In

  Her father called to her and she left me

  some vague way I rather liked him, but I felt alone. The sunlight suddenly lost its beauty he was somewhat of an enigma. When he

  and the roses looked to be languishing. I felt returned after the three weeks’ absence from that there was nothing real in the world, but Aden he acted the first day like a boy fresh her presence and the words that I could not from boarding-school; then lapsed into his

  utter until I had come back from the desert serious, silent way.

  with David Castle.

  “I have never said anything before to

  Gaer returned. The days slipped by

  you about this trip, Hunter,” he said calmly “I toward the time set for our trip. Helen don’t know if you realize there is a risk.”

  Chamberlain and Gaer were often together in After a moment’s silence I said:

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  5

  “In what way do you mean?”

  moment before speaking—with that hungry

  “Well, I have known of two other look. I wondered if he had seen. Then the white men going to Riyat. One returned with gong sounded for breakfast and we passed into fever from which he did not recover; the other the house.

  never came back. The desert of El Ahkaf is no After the meal we all four went in the

  playground. It’s a veritable furnace, where car to the edge of the desert, where the camels men are tried like clay vessels in a potter’s and Arab servants were gathered for the

  oven. Some of them crack and shrivel, and

  journey. I had donned an Arab burnoose, and some come out hardened, but only those who

  Gaer was clad in Arab costume. He bent with have the temper and spirit of endurance.”

  reverential awe and kissed the girl’s hand

  “I have been around a good bit,” I

  when he said good-by, but his face showed no replied coldly. “I guess I can stand it. But I sign of distress or pain at the parting.


  thank you all the same for the warning. I have My heart gave a wrench when I took

  made up my mind to go, and I am not tied in her hand.

  any way. Besides, Miss Chamberlain tells me

  “You will be back sooner than you

  that I shall not fail with you! ”

  expect,” she said cheerfully.

  I watched him closely when I uttered

  I pulled myself together and laughed

  those last words, but the expression on his some inane reply. I remember how hollow and face never changed.

  empty my laugh sounded.

  The next morning Helen Chamberlain

  “Good luck to you, Hunter’.” broke in

  and I were the first down to breakfast. She the consul.

  greeted me with her youthful smile, and we

  I turned from them and mounted my

  went for a stroll in the garden. The sun had camel, and we started off into the desert. I just come up from behind the desert. The

  looked back several times to see them wave to smell of the sea reached us. I watched her

  us, but not once did Gaer turn his head. He gather some roses.

  rode in front of me. I called to him to look

  “I’m going to put one of them in the

  back that they were waving to us.

  pocket of your tunic.” she said. “It will die, of He replied in cold, hard tones:

  course, but I want you to bring it back so that I

  “I cannot do it, man!”

  can treasure it—it will have been so far in the He was feeling the separation more

  desert.”

  than I had thought.

  I thought her lip quivered a little, but

  For hours we rode in silence. The town

  her words were slow and steady.

  soon disappeared behind us, and now we were When she came near me with the rose

  launched on the ocean of sand.

  and her hands touched me, her hair all filled Days passed. At night the Arabs made