a
vision of the Prophet, of the Prophet in whose name he had committed
such ghastly atrocities.

Deigning no glance to Soar nor to Hilton, he paced into the room,
passing me and ignoring Carneta, where Earl Dexter awaited him.
I shall never forget the scene as Hassan entered, to stand looking
with blazing eyes at The Stetson Man, who sat beside the fire
with the slipper of Mohammed in his hand!

"Hassan," said Dexter quietly, "Mr. Cavanagh has had to promise
you safe conduct, or as sure as God made me, I'd put a bullet
in you!"

The Sheikh of the Hashishin glared fixedly at him.

"Companion of the evil one," he said, "it is not written that I
shall die by your hand--or by the hand of any here. But it has
been revealed to me that to-night the gates of Paradise may be
closed in my face."

"I shouldn't be at all surprised," drawled Dexter. "But it's up
to you. You've got to swear by Mohammed--"

"Salla-'llahu 'aleyhi wasellem!"

"That you won't lay a hand upon any living soul, or allow any of
your followers to do so, who has touched the slipper or had
anything to do with it, but that you will go in peace."

"You are doomed to die!"

"You don't agree, then?"

"Those who have offended must suffer the penalty!"

"Right!" said Dexter--and prepared to toss the slipper into the
heart of the fire!

"Stop! Infidel! Stop!"

There was real agony in Hassan's voice. To my inexpressible
surprise he dropped upon his knee, extending his lean brown hands
toward the slipper.

Dexter hesitated. "You agree, then?"

Hassan raised his eyes to the ceiling.

"I agree," he said. "Dark are the ways. It is the will of
God..."

Dimly the booming of the thunder came echoing back to us from the
hills. Above its roll sounded a barbaric chanting to which the
drums of angry heaven formed a fitting accompaniment.

I heard Soar shooting the bolts again upon the going of our
strange visitor.

Faint and more faint grew the chanting, until it merged into the
remote muttering of the storm--and was lost. The quest of the
sacred slipper was ended.

End of Project Gutenberg's The Quest of the Sacred Slipper, by Sax Rohmer

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