The sun., 1883-11-04
whether HI. captor. had boon ordered to mas

Whether his captors had been ordered to mas
sacre tho Christians. Or whether they wore
wrought 10 homicidsi fury By their failure to
secure the money. which had been carried on
by one OF the treacherous cameleers. will al
ways remain uncertain. for the official investi-
cation did not succeed in clearing up the
question OF purpose But the mannOr In which
the prisoners were put TO death Is now we'll
known. Stripped nearly naked. they were
driven. In front o! the Bedouins, over some
rough ground for about mile to the ravine OF
Wady Sudr. 1t appears from tho official report
that this occurred during tho scorching heat OF
an August day. and. as none OF the prisoners
had any covering on their heads. 1t seems
likely that by the time they. arrived at the place
selected for their murder they were almost un-
conscious. On reaching the wady they were
placed in row facing tho gully. and closo to
tho edge. In order that upon being shot their
bodies might be precipitated into the chasm
Prof.. Palmer was killed FIRST and the Others
who then made dash forward. were shot as
they tried to scramble down the cliff Subse-
quently several Bedouns descended to tho bot
tom Of tho gully. and not only despatched those
who still breathed. but thrust their swords
through each member Of the party.
Mr.. Besant tells US that soon after the MUIR
der a report was current among the Arabs at
Cairo that tho Sheik Abdullah. by which
name. as We have mentioned. Palmor was
known. had, before he was shot down. solemnly
cursed his murderers. We are reminded by
the biographer that eursng In the hands Of an
Oriental who understands how to curse Is
most powerful weapon Of defonce To this as
his last resource. Palmer was driven, for II he
could not deter the nssassns by cursing he
could do no moro for his friends and for him
SELF To appreciate an Oriental curse we must
go back to the Old Testament. Such an imprc-
cation Is u solemn and an awful thing. II falls
upon man and weighs him down and crushcs
him; 1t brings with it n fearful foreboding Of
Judgment; 1t lies like lead upon n guilty heart !;
1t helps to bring the crmo to light and the
criminals to justice. One Of the mon who COM
passed Palmer's death was SO tortured by re-
morse that be became dstraught. and pres
emily lay down and died. and Mr.. Besant does
not doubt that the denunciations Of woe ruin.
dcsolatiOn. and death-Sheik Abduah's last
words on earth-which smote the ears Of those
Wild desert men and wore echoed back from
the rocks around them. shook and chilled them
all like the icy and relentless blast OF DOOM
Nor was 1t long before vengeance fell upon
Palmer's murderers; they have all perishcd.
This biography is a touching memorial OF ad-
mration and affection such as it Is given to
few men to inspire. 1t is ilttingly concluded:
Eight months later we stood in the crypt.
where England buries her heroes. to pay the
last honors to the three who fell in the Wady
Sudr. While the words OF our magnificent ser.
vice for the dead resounded among the shadows
OF that ghostly place. while the voices OF the
choristers echoed among the tombs. there were
some present who wept and some who thanked
Heaven Tor English hearts as true and loyal
now as in the bravo days OF old and some who
Thought OF Palmer's strange destiny. and how a