Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-11-08
De- E!.,ti.'s Fortune.
RY GnLnY.

lShment for thee; 90 thou across th
great desert and seek thee wife an
thy fortune. / have said. Co."
Del Eleptic mounted the ass and wa
off with a merry heart, for he wa
young and had tasted not of the bite
fruits and art-sickening sorrows 0
this world. lie entered the Great Sa
hara Desert and sang the whole da,
through as he traversed its burnin.
leagues; but just as the sun went dowi
mighty sand storm arose, and Will,
he attempted to shelter himself from
tie burning sands by lying on his fae'
upon the ground his ass made oil will
all that he had to eat and he was def
upon the trackless plain without help
He wandered about in the darkness foi
a while and at last laid down upol
the sand, weary, hungry and alone
He tried to sleep, but thoughts of dealt
by hunger and thirst flooded his braii
and he cohld but toss and toss upon hi
bed OF sand
Presently his hand struck agains
something hard beside him. This some
thing hard was diamond as large a!
walnut, and it sparkled through the
NoihhC9o VI tuV III ~ do hC Htiu " Dc
fore his eyes. The precious stone wa:
of great value and as he beheld it, grea
hnmanly tears rolled down his cheeks
and his tongue uttered sore lamenta
tions.
''Oh, beautiful of all beautiesl Oh
richest of all riches. why contest thou
in the way of one an hungeredp Can
thy glittering tongue speak to me in
my solitude? Can thy worth bring me
TO eat and to drink? Can the beautiful
sparkle of thine eye discern the path
that will lead me out of this sorrowful
desOlatiOn to where the trees clap their
green hands upou the laughing hills and
the river sings to the sleeping valley?
y, evergreen land of my fathers! come
lay thy cooling hands upon my parehed
brow; bring with thee Just one tiny
flower that it may perish on my grave
in this land of silence where all things
die-where am dying" The young
man threw himself upon the sand and
beat his breast while groan after groan
rolled out upon the midnigft air from
his sofrowing soul,
Suddenly he ceased his wailing and
lay quite still in wonder and amaze,
for the precious stone in his hand be-
gan to expand and grow heavy, so
heavy that he had to Withdraw his hand
to save its being crushed, and he sat
bolt upright upon the ground stupefied
with terror at the sight he beheld, for
the small stone, growing apace, had
become a beautiful animal imbued with
supernatural faculties. 1t resembled a
horse--only 1T had wings-and was
snow white. From every white hair
upon its graceful body depended lit
tie jet of fire that lit the desert for rods
When the Transformation bad be-
come complete and this gem begot
wonder Of the desert stood forth in all
its dazzling golden habiliment of panch
and riding PANEL. voice from some
where said; "Ho! fallen hero. All
things are ready. Mount the Arabia
Gloli."
Del Eleptic arose to his feet in great
disquiet and trepidation. To mount
the fiery Arabia Glori as hidden bv the
Voice was to tempt MI the terrors of
the Unknown; to remain in his present
predicament was to give his flesh aud
bones to the flying sands Of the desert
through hunger and death. Death!
All, Del Eleptic was not so certain but
that he was already dead. This thing
before him might be a common carrier
from over the chill waters of Styx.
No; he could not mount this Glori.
His limbs shook beneath him and once
more he sank down upon the sand.
Slowly the winged horse began to move
away from him across the plain; the
light of his shining coat went too, and
darkness began to fall once more about
our unfortunate hero. Then a sudden
fear seized Defs heart: he was being
left alone-all alone; and he called out
To the retreating light to stay, in mercy
to come back. Still the winged beauty
moved on. He tore his hair and beat
his breast, and in sudden fit of des-
peration he arose to his feet and with
all his remaining strength pursued and
caught the celestial steed by its flowing
name and yaulted into the PANEL upon
its back.
Scarcely had Del Eleptic gained his
seat when the wings of his novel con-
veyance were put in motion and with
series of pannade gyrations they left the
earth and mounted the air toward the
dark storm clouds. Swiftly through the
mir they went, so swift that the sands of
the desert flying before the storm cut
Del stair face and pierced his hands and
seemed to enter into his shvering
heart; but as they neared the clouds the
sands were left behind. Up and up.
Del gased first at the dark rolling
mists toward which he was flying that
would momentarily illume with a red
glare of lightning and be followed by
n deafening crash of thunder that made
the air seethe and vibrate about his ears
horribly; then down at the world roll
ing dark and cold through eternal
space.
They did not enter the clouds. but
seemed to keep far above the earth as
an eagle bound for distant noun
tain.
Soon the storm and clouds and the
great Desert of Sahara were left far be-
hind, and now the stars glmmered
above and the earth began to grow
light below, SO light that Del EIeptic
could take note of the direction in which
they were travelling and of the places
over which they were passing. The
waters of the Mediterranean sea rolled
deep and blue beneath him. to the
right like tiny threads wound the river
Nile and SueZ canal and before him
lay stored Arabia and Persia-land of
flowers and fair women; while before
him on either hand like little black
mirrors upon slightly undulating
background, slumbered the Black and
Caspian seas and Persian Gulf Pres
emily the snowy plains of Russia and
Siberia lay beneath him in semblance
of huge tablecloth and the ice noun
tains of the Polar sea shot into view.
Now under Del Eleptic lay the 10th
circle and his eye here and there caught
sight of wrecked ships from every
nation-burnt offerings to the god Of
Ice. He was fast approaching that
mystical frozen silence. the North
Pole! and when he passed 20 and 45,
beyond the s0th latitude he knew that
his eye first of all others would view
aud sense past all peradyenture what
therein lay, and Joy wrapt his bosom.
Suddenly the air grew warmer. He
looked aud the ice was fast disappear
ing with an open sea beyond. III
looked again, and 10! beautiful it'll,
country lay beneath him. Arabia Glor
shifted the air and lowered toward IN,
earth rs if about to alight.
As they neared the earth a strang,
sight met Ders rustic eye. Their
We're but two colors visable every
where he looked fiery gold and green