The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-01-31

is no lake. is a device of Satan.
What you behold is the mirage, spread
by devils for mems destruction"
"Let me goI' shrieked Mustapha,
writhing and struggling.
But even as he strove, the soft water
outlines shifted and trembled the
lake rose In air, melted; and sailed off
into curling mists the trees, the whole
fair picture, dissolved. and the well-re-
membered sands and black rocks took
it's place. With cry of horror, Must
apah slid through his fathers arms to the
earth, hid his face. and cried like q
child.
Next morning, only one date was left
in the bag. Ahmed put it in his sons
hand with mournfu1 look.
then we viii die. Allah il Allah i"
A long silence followed; there seemed
nothing more to say. Suddenly,
from afar off, came to their ears the
tinkle of bell.
Mustapha raised his head.
"Is it the mirage again, my father p
he asked. For it seems to me that
hear the bell from the neck of Solimin,
our camel"
Eagerly they listened. Again the
bell tinkled. and, looking through the
bushes, they saw, floating toward them,
as it seemed, the form of a gigantic
camel. Soundless and still, it moved
rapidly along. Behind, but much fur
ther away, other forms could be seen,
still dim and indistinct, yelled by the
mist of driving sand.
Suddenly Mustapha gave a start.
"My father" he cried, in an excited
whisper, sit Solimin I do mot mis-
take What other camel ever resembled
Solimin? Do you not see his lofty
hump,-his arched neck? Does not
the bell tinkle as with the voice of
homer"
Then, half raising himself, he gave,
with all the power of his voice, the we'll
known call.
Solimin-for it was indeed he-paused
as the sound caught Il IS ears, and snuffed
the wind. Again came the call; he
wheeled, plunged, threw his rider, DASH
ed forward, oroke through the bushes,
and in a second was on his knees before
his old master.
Cup, up, my father i! there Is no time
to lose !" cried Mustapha, grown stronger
in moment. Cup, up for the rob-
bers are close upon us !''
In fact, wild cries and clouds of dust
showed that the foe had taken the alarm
and were hurying on. But already
Ahmed and Mustapha were mounted,
and Solimin, like ship at full sail, was
speeding away with them. And where
was the camel could overtake him, even
when he was loaded double? Fast and
swift his long, swinging trot bore them
onward, and before two hours were gone,
all traces of the pursuers had disappear
ed behind them, and they were free to
turn their course toward the brown
tents where rest, and food, and welcome
had waited so long for their coming,
and where, after little time, their
hardships and sufferings seemed to them
only like bad dream.
As for Solimin, he hardly could be
more tenderly treated or beloved than
before this adventure but if the fresh
est water, the prickliest furze,-if
bowls of sour milk.-if triple neck
lace of shells, If brushing and groom
ing,-if soft pats from childish fingers,
and sweet names murmured in his ears
by girlish voices can make a camel
happy, then is Solimin the happiest of
heries. Solimin no longer, however.
His name is changed to "The Blessed"
in memory of the day when, like state
ly ship, he came over the desert sea,
and bore his starving masters to home,
and life, and liberty. Coolidge
in 81. Nicholas.