The Quest of the Sacred Slipper

danger attaches to any contact with this relic. It is the f

itary by the window, looked across at the gray-hair

slipper of the Prophet is contained in the locked safe at his house in Dulwich. He was clearly of opinion that you, Mr. Cavanagh, would incur risk-great risk-from y

have marked the progress of the stolen

t a fanatic known as Hassan of Aleppo seeks to

t is

ny one but a Believer-and for his instructions that its removal to the Antiquarian Museum a

ol fr

en mutilated or murdered. I want to apprehend the authors of those outrages, but I fai

se mysterious people; that if possible a Moslem be employed for the purpose; and that Mr. Cavanagh, here, shall always hold the key or keys to the case in the museum

. "Meanwhile, I take it, the

It should

t," Bristol assured him. "I only hope

business worthy of the Middle Ages. That Professor Deeping should have stolen one of the holy slippers of Mohammed was no affair of mine, and that an awful being known as Hassan of Aleppo should have pursued it did not properly enter into my concerns; yet now, with a group of Eastern fanatics at large in England, I was become, in a

the hum which told of busy Fleet Street so near to me. The weather, as is its uncomfortable habit in England, had suddenly grown tropi

d embodied the result of his researches into the history of the Hashishin, the religious murderers of whose existence he had been so skeptical. To the Chief of the Order, the terrible Sheikh Hassan

to the door, and opened it. An aged Oriental stood without. He was tall and straight, had a snow-white beard and clear-

asked, speaking i

am

rvices of a Moslem w

ld apply at the offices of Messrs

an bowed,

osition being a peculiar one, I wished to spe

enough, but there was an air of mystery a

I said, "but the work

d his th

explain to you the conditions under which I

e was merely some kind of small contractor, and in an

epenting of my brusquerie

in the study, and reseated myself at the table. The old man, who from the first had kept his eyes low

d never seen a smile of such sweetness-"your papers know all! Now I understand why a Moslem is required, and I understand what is required of him. But remembering t

f view was

hould wish to see the slipper back in Mecca, o

as a thorn in the fl

oice was grave

, "and the methods adopted by those who seek to reco

"Mr. Cavanagh, in your own faith you have had t

k ages must be stamped out. However just a cause may be, secret murder is not permissible, as you, a ma

Mr. Cavanagh! The Prophet taught that we should smite the

s; I tr

survival of the dark ages. I will furnish porters to remo

ng to

d be compromising with my conscience, and in the second

e from one highly placed-one to

o approach me; and, let me add, I was sorely tempted to accede to his proposal, for nothing would be gained by any one if the slipper remained for ever at the

ross at the old man. He had drawn himself up to his great height, and for the first time fully raising the lids, had fixed upon me the piercing gaze of a pair of

"I can come to no terms with

e fixedly, bu

Peace be on you!") closing the

s eyes, and saluted me

I had noticed the flashing of a ring which he wore upon his left hand, and he was gone scarce ten seconds ere my h

e I

with the "Ring of the Prophet." It bears a green s

was confirmed. I knew

whispered. "It wa