In the volcano's mouth; or, A boy against an armySheridan, Frank
General
In the volcano's mouth; or, A boy against an army
Sheridan, Frank
Adventure stories; Dime novels
The Imaum made some pertinent remarks, which were worthy of the great
prophet himself.
To Ibrahim, after praising his courage, he said:
“You have taken to yourself a wife. The Koran permits you to take
three others; but take my advice--cleave to the one. It is better, and
a new dispensation will so order. Treat Girzilla, not as others of
our race have been treated, but let her be your equal; for it is now
written that if you be faithful to her on earth the gates of Paradise
will open for you both, and she shall be your bride through all
eternity.”
After spending the customary seven days in prayer and religious
observances, Ibrahim obtained permission to take his dusky bride on a
trip up the Nile in company with Max.
The cataracts were passed, and Cairo reached.
Girzilla pleaded so earnestly to continue the journey that her loving
husband accompanied her to Suez, where they bade farewell to Madcap Max
as the Peninsular and Oriental steamer steamed out of the port.
Max had not noticed that it was the very vessel he had made the journey
on three years before.
He made himself known to the captain, and the tedium of the journey was
broken by the story of adventure told by the madcap.
When Max reached New York he found himself the head of the firm, and
the cares of business life caused him to relinquish the thought of
“coining dollars” on the lecture platform; but he made a solemn promise
to the author that some day he would tell him the story of his life.
* * * * *
Two years passed, and the author asked the well-known and highly
respected merchant to tell the story.
“To-morrow come to us, be our guest for a week, and you shall know all.”
“But----”
“My wife will welcome you as an old friend.”
Max had married a fairer woman than Girzilla, but many a time he
declared that no more true one ever lived than the Arab maiden.
When the author reached the Gordon uptown mansion on the following day
he was surprised to find so many evidences of the Orient everywhere;
but when, an hour later, Max took the author by the hand and led him
into a large parlor, he was still more surprised, for there stood,
waiting to receive him, Ibrahim and Girzilla.
Sherif el Habib was dead. His nephew had sold the shawl manufactory,
and found himself extremely wealthy.
He at once determined to make the “grand tour” of the world, and so
infatuated was he with the remembrance of Max, that nothing would
satisfy him but to commence the journey proper from New York.
That was how this story came to be written.
Max narrated it, but Ibrahim and Girzilla insisted on a more lavish
praise of the madcap than he would acknowledge he deserved.
Never was there a happier couple than the Persian and his lovely bride,
who does not look so dark and dusky in the modern American clothing as
she did on the deserts of Africa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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