The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-10-10

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and at every step the brute growlcd rs if i'm
patient 10 commence his meal.
"Now. | shall not attempt to describe The
sensations | experienced while in the very
laws of death, but, strange as it may appear
10 YOU, captain did not feel II thrill OF ter
ror The shock had received, together
; with the loss of blood and severe pain of my
wounds, had produced stupor similar L
that which seems To be felt by IA mouse after
the first shake of n cat. 1t caused sort of q
}, drcamncSs, in which there was no sense Of
pain nor feeling OF terror, though vas quite
conscious of all that was happening. death
appeared to me Inevitable, and | remained
mOtioncss, resigned to my fate,
Then the thought struck me that had q
pair of reviewers in my belt. a ray of hopC
partially dispclled the languid stupor that en-
chained my brain. My blood flowed through
my veins less sluggishly, and, grasping one
of my weapons, pointed the muzzlc in the
brutc's ear and fred the six charges,
az felt the tiger shake violently, his teeth
/ ground together as he bounded forward and
paving the sand in a dying effort, he fell
over dead. HIS jaw relaxed, and / staggered
to my feet free, and thank God comparatively
unframed.
"Thc teeth and claws of the animal had
powcd deep burrows in my body and torn the
skin in shrcds but the wounds were not OF
a serious nature.
II !olt weak from The loss of blood, but was
enabled to bind up my Wounds, and stop the
| flow
/ "lhcn for the first time glanced about me,
wondering what had become of my friends,
and if they had given me up for lost.
The moon had disappeared behind the
black dense cloud that now covered the en-.
tire horizon SO intense was the darkness
that it was impossible to distinguish objects
but few feet distant. A hollow murmur in
the lightmoying putts Of air reyerbratcd
through the heavens like the distant mutcr
of thunder
without further warning the hurricane
burst with fearful violence, hurting showers
of sand into my face, forcing me to lie beside
the body of the tiger, while my head was
thrust beneath one Of his paws in order to
breathe some what frcer.
The burning sand forced Itself through
my clothing, inhamcd my wounds, and in.
Creasing tcntold the agony already expert,
CnCcd.
II hardly venturcd to breathe the hot, fiery
blast which was offered rs the only means TO
protract my wrctchod existence.
"Frcqucntly | was forced to rise and shake
the sand from my body, for the fear Of being
buried alive, and slowly the time passed
while the simOOm ragged.
1T is possible may have 5woonCd beneath
the great amount Of suffering | had endured,
for, when again fully realized what was
passing around me, the zimmerman darkness
had disappeared, a few rays of light were
striving TO pierce the yellow atmosphere filled
with clouds of dust and burning sand.
shielding my eyes from the minute parti-
Clca that almost drove me frantic, | csSaycd
to form some idea as - my whereabouts and
position. | had escaped from the jaws of
the tiger had survived the fury of slmoom
and now to die in the desert from starvation
and hunger was fate almost too hard for
one WHO bad endured the amount of suffering
that had been sent upon me.
Moving pillars of sand occasionally swept
by me, aud several times l was forced TO SHIFT
my position. The simoom had expended its
force, but had left numbcrless currents Of air
moving alott which caugh, up vast masses
of sand, hurting it in whiTiing columns
across the immense plain
"Gradually as the PARTICLES settled, and the
became clearer, was enabled to
survey the surface of the desert, which had
undergone rapid and remarkable change.
where once whole acres had been level
rs a billiard table, huge hills and deep val
leys appeared while burrows and gullics had
been created like magic by the fierce breath
of the simOOm.
my nostris were bleeding from the rough
rasping of the sand which mad been forced
into them, and raging thirst consumed me.
The internal regions could intlCt no greater
torture than | was forced to endure.
II felt that / could prolong life if | could
but reach the oasis, and visions Of the clear
waters Of the spring spurred me on.
.,,,l,A .al oil al l,N- ri Al at
sand that varied in height, and, rallying my
strength, | toiled slowly up the soft yielding
sides of high mound.
The dawn of the morning was already APP
parent as | gained the summit; the atmos
phere was rapidly rcsuming its wontcd as
pcct, and, looming up through the remaining
tive welcome branches Of the palms
on the oasis met my eager gaze. | now iclt
comparatively safe, and, dragging myself
along over the distance that inlervened, | Ii
nally reached the sCCDc of our hunting adj
venture.
81 drank Cupops draughts of the water
Sathcd in its clear depths, rcarranged the
b0ndagcs on my wounds, and felt Ike anoth
Cr man, with renewed strength and courage.
\ low, timid whining startled me, and you
can imagine my delight when | discovered
one of the horses NJ Our expedition had by
some means been left behind, ard was quietly
browsing on the rich heritage which was
thiekly covered by thin layers Of sand.
Il had but little dificslty IN catching the
animal, and, climbing INTO the saddle, turn
my face toward Rufisquc. could discover
no signs of my friends, and fclt convinced
that they had Succeeded in making their cs
cape, which conviction eventually proved
trac. | was in no condition 10 spend much
Time in searching after there, and, urging my
horse forward babe long adieu TO the deS
cT' and lis dcisiacnS
My little horse made good progress, flying
over the great plain with IN easy motion, and
in good time rode into the town. | found
nay friends gathered NJ the hotel, relating the
details of my supposed death to a sympathz-
ing circle 81, aequaintances, and YOU can i'm
aglnc their astonishmYnt and delight at my
unexpected appearance | was greeted rs
one risen from the dead, and my story was
listened To with wonder. while nv escape