The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-07-17


until it meets the dim horson where the sun
still fingers in the red haze that binds the
desert and the sky together.
Here and there worn and blackened rock
rises above the plain, gazing with mute tri-
umph on the sterile waste around it, where
countless ages before rolled another sea
whose waves, now turned to endless pillows
of burning sand, even yet in some fierce
wind storm dash against its scanned and
wasted sides with deathless enmity, striving
to wear away or bury it out of sight.
Above, in the copper-colored sky, the sun
rolls suddenly upwards. knocking the silent
conflict below as it burns and blackens both
rock and sand with its scorching rays.
In the distance few dark specks hang
motionless above the DESERT as if watching
something beneath them. As the sun rises
higher and its glaresgrows more intense, a
few bright-colored lizards crawl from be-
ueath the rocks, and seeking the hotsest
place in the sand, curl themselves up for
their MONDAY sleep-the only living things
in the dead, parched solitude, whose silence
seems almost audible.
But the black spots in the distance draw
nearer. and by noon grow to be buzzards.
slowly wheeling round and round above
something below which seems to be also ad-
vancing, although yet hidden by the sand
pillows which rise and fall between. The
lizards moved lazily in their sleep, working
deeper and deeper into the burning sand
which trickled in tiny cascades from the
nearest ledge of crumbling rock, never rest
ing in its silent, conquering march from
this old-time dried up sea towards Egypt
and the East.
Oyer the nearest hillock at last appeared
the objects which the buzzards had SO stead
lily watched since sunrise. A single
camel, followed by three shadows which
once were men, tottering on in single file
with bent heads and wavering footsteps.
On the back of the camel were fastened a
few articles of baggage which swayed to and
fro as the wretched animal toiled through
the sand down the hillock. The ropes
which bound them to its back needed tight
ening, for a'gun slipped off and fell beside
the first of The three figures behind it.
The man Slowly turned CHASTITY face,
through whose blackened skin the bones
seemed protruding, hesitating for a mo-
ment, and then, dropping his head, stag
gered on without an effort to save the weap-
on. The two behind him followed automat-
Icaily, without sign of life except the
moving OF their withered limbs as they
dragged them on.
Now the camel gave greater lurch. vain
Nv strove to recover itself, and then with a
low, hoarse moan, sank upon its side and
lay with shriveled tongue hanging from its
mouth, while the short, quick gasps
for breath ceased almost at once.
1t has borne its last burden
across the desert. The leader stopped
as it awakening from a dream. gazed for a
moment at the fallen beast before him, and
then-with last look at the copper-colored
sky above, from which the sun each mo-
ment beat down more fiercely upon their
heads, and at the silent waste of shining
sand from which the heated air rose in way
ing clouds-turned toward his COMPANIONS.
who had also halted and were staring at the
camel with dnll, Indifferent eyes. He strove
to speak, but his swollen tongue refused to
shape the words; so he drew knife and
kneeling beside the camel, cut into its side
toward the water reservoir in its stomach
winch hlied at the beginning of the journey
had enabled it to travel for DAYS without
drink. The others SCATTERED round him, and
watched with a little interest in their dull
CLASSY eyes. few drops of blood flowed
sluggishly, but the reservoir was empty: the
camel had struggled as long as any re-
manned.
The man rose to his feet and gazed for
moment at his companions with strange
CLEAN in his eyes; then flung himself, like
wild beast, upon the neck of the camel, and
commenced to drink the little blood left in it's
veins. The others followed, almost falling
over each other in their weakness as the
strove for share in the bloody feast For
several minutes nothing was heard but the
mapping OF the wings of the buzzards that
circled lower and lower above the PROSTATE
group.
Then one after another they arose and
looked into each others faces, with ewes that
had in them the glare of tigers ewes as he
bends above his prey. Tney had tasted
blood. ''0N
Silently they divided the provisions in the
pack which the camel had carried. Food
they had had, but no water since the morn
ing OF two days before, and to eat the dry
bread and dates unmoistened had been i'm
possible.
They staggered on again, leaving the camel
behind them for the buzzards, part of whom
swooped down.upon it; but.some few on over
thelr heads, as if preferring to wait few
ncurs longer for their prey. The leader no.
tlced their singular perseverance, and with a
shudder quickened his steps a little as he
dragged his swollen feet through the slim
perry, yielding sand.
For several hours they staggered on until
long ledge of crumbling rock was reached.
before which they halted. 1t was little
higherEhan the&plain Immediately around
them, and over which the three gazed back
wards,
The snn hung almost above. their heads
and cast no shadow as they stood looking
across the vast death-haunted desolation be-
hInd them, where one by one their comrades
had fallen without a word from the caravan.
or had sunk down in huddled heaps, dead
and dying beneath the faded moon or the
flaming sun as it rushed on day after dav.
until these three were all that was left of a
mighty company that had veutured into this
land OF living death.
''Shall we go On?' the first man asked in
hoarse, faint whisper that sounded strange
and far off in the silence
The one nearest him looked upward at the
lsige OF rock which ordinarily he could have
scaled in a moment, but which now seemed
an impossible barrier. and listlessly shaking
his head, dropped his pack by his side, While
the other staggered and fell face downwards.
his claw-like hands bulying themselves in
the sand. The two still standing looked for
moment at the PROSTATE figure and then nj
each other; but each turned away horror
struck at what he saw in the others ewes.
The taller man, who had led the little par
~ to the last halting place, tottered away
few steps, and sank against the ledge. his
face turned from his companion. who stoon
ing, turned up the face of the man who had
fallen. He was dead! His eyes wide open
ill CHASTITY stare.
After moments hesitation he com
menced to drag the body towards project
ing rock, casting crafty glances at the other.
who did not notice him, but sat staring
with dull, unheeding eyes across the desert
before him. The living and the dead dis
appeared behind the rock, while the buz-
yards, who had sighted and were standing
round them in a hideous circle, followed
with hoarse croaks, in seeming protest
against losing their rightful prey.
Left alone, the leader sat waiting,sin dull
apathy, for the death he knew would surely
come. His gaupt body was propped up
against the ledge behind him, at whose base
his bones were to bleach and moulder
through the never ending years until, per
maps, tue sea once more rolled over its an
cient bed-when Time was old and Earth
was feeble.
lis lnnbs were haf-buried in The drifting
sand, which seemed to creep and cling about
him. be closed his eyes at last to shut out
the glare before him, and the buzzards. Sit
ting round, staring with red, evil ewes at
what be knew would, before sunset. be their
prey.
Thinking him dead, one, holder than the
rest, hoped on the tattered rags which COW
cred his breast and struck his face, but flew
away as the man opened his eyes with a
start and graSped. fra gment of rock nv his