Suakim, Arabia, on the Red Sea, is one day&apos;s camel ride from the Berber Oasis, and two hours after leaving the straggling Arab town, with its strange mixture of African inhabitants, a rocky wall or pass confronts the tourist. Look...

Won in the Desert

Suakim, Arabia, on the Red Sea, is one day's camel ride from the Berber Oasis, and two hours after leaving the straggling Arab town, with its strange mixture of African inhabitants, a rocky wall or pass confronts the tourist. Looking seaward, a fair land, green fields and well kept, primitive farms greet the eye. But let the traveler cross the rocky range of hills and he will find himself on a well-defined caravan trail in an otherwise pathless desert. If his convoy is numerically strong he need have no fear of the marauding bands of Berber who infest the region. They are daring and crafty and unquestionably brave, and if the desert travel is light they do not hesitate to enter the town of Suakim to ply their trade of extortion. Our present picture story deals with a case of this nature. H. Packington, a wealthy pork packer of Chicago, arrives at Suakim on a tour around the world, accompanied by his wife and daughter, who are agreeably surprised to meet at the hotel an old friend from the States, a Captain Henry Norris, of the U.S.S. Panther. His vessel is lying at anchor awaiting orders from the Government. Norris has with him one of his aides, a dashing young lieutenant, by the name of Jack Danton. Introductions are in order and it is a case of love at first sight with Jack and Packington's pretty daughter, Mabel. The party repair to the café to enjoy luncheon and a conversation about mutual friends back home. A few evenings later Jack and Mabel are enjoying a moonlight stroll in the beautiful gardens of the hotel and we see that they are under surveillance. Sheik Ahmet, who styles himself "King of the Desert," has learned from his spies about the hotel that the American is very rich and he has formulated a plan to secure a goodly share of his wealth. We see the unsuspecting couple bid each other goodnight on the vine-covered balcony overlooking the gardens that they have just left. Jack runs briskly down the steps and out into the street. As the girl turns to enter the hotel her head is suddenly covered with a huge shawl, a rough hands placed over her mouth stifles an involuntary scream, and though she struggles bravely, her efforts are useless. A half-dozen brawny arms encircle her and she is lifted over the low balcony onto the back of a camel, and her captors steal silently into the darkness. The next day we see the brave girl alert and defiant in the hands of Ahmet's band crossing the desert waste, bound for the oasis of Berber, where they intend to camp. We leave the caravan in the desert and take a glimpse of the oasis before they arrive. As the scene changes a tawny lioness stands as if guarding the spring; her head raised listening, the sound of human voices reaches her ears. With a startled roar she leaps straight at us and is gone. Next we see the caravan arrive and the Sheik's party pitch their tents, post guards and prepare to await developments. The Sheik writes to Packington demanding a ransom and a messenger mounts his horse and starts back to Suakim with the letter. We follow this messenger and see him deliver the demand, "Mr. Packington: Send ten thousand dollars to the Berber Oasis. No treachery. The trail is watched. Sheik Ahmet, King of the Desert." The astonished father turns to question the Arab messenger, but he has disappeared. Jack Danton enters half-crazed with grief and anxiety, and together the two go in search of Norris. The captain, after reading the demand, acts with American promptness, and determines to take a squad of sailors fully armed and equipped and rescue his countrywoman. With young Danton at their head we witness their departure. We see them on the trail, see them find the captive, and with her make a dash for freedom. A running fight between the Arabs and sailors occurs. At last they reach the rocky pass that divides the desert plains from the fertile valley of Suakim. The sailors, led by Danton, who has Mabel under his personal care, dismount and turn their horses loose and all make a dash for the footbridge at the head of the ravine. After all are across, the sailors work desperately to push the frail structure off the rocks. As it topples over, three hearty American cheers warn their pursuers that their prey has escaped. A relief party from the ship arrives and the now exhausted girl is soon restored to her mother's arms. Two weeks later Jack's ship is ordered to sea and we see the sweethearts parting in the little garden where their romance began. That evening Mabel forms a resolution, "Papa, I want to marry Jack. You need a young partner at the stockyards. Let's wire him to resign and yon offer him the job." The grateful father consents. Our final scene occurs aboard the Panther. Jack is alone in his cabin, very dejected and unhappy at being separated from Mabel. A knock comes at the door. "A wireless for you, sir." Via Wireless: "Jack Danton, U.S.S. Panther. "Hurrah! Pop says yes. Resign and meet me in Chicago. Mabel." And so we leave the elated lover to happy thoughts of the future to be spent by the side of the girl his bravery won in the desert.

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Won in the Desert

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