The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-08-22

to SEQ thee wfrr6 As;ns,legss. ii gss.s tllgesh- 6 e
grasp" "
he saw that the stranger expected .
reply, and hastily answered:
ut is indeed . lovely day. When
dost thou depart for the northwsrd?"
I'm few days at the farthest," said
tho slave merchant; 81 should have de.
parted ere this were it not that expect
TO bear with me one II the beautiful
daughters Of the gulf. Such cause may
we'll delay my steps for q space"
Ha6z trembled with rage. He turned
away suddenly and thus concealed his
face from the merchant.
'!he sun is well up" said the young
Persian. II must he abroad with the
divers, il I wish to take my share Of
the sports Of the day. Farewell"
Farewell. Peace he with you'll"
said the slave merchant, with an air of
mingled pride and dignity.
Hafiz strobe quickly to his boat. He
observed not the friendly greeting Of
those who were there awaiting him. He
threw himself into the boat and mo-
toned the others to take their oars,
PROUD Turk!" he muttered to him
self, as amid the Dip the oars his eyes
wandered to the strangers receding
form. Seek thou not to pluck the
lily OF Persia from my bosom; for in
the hour that thou SO doest. q dagger's
point will pierce thy breast"
With long and steady strokes the
boat swept onward to the divers ground.
Then Hafiz rose, and stripping off his
course garments prepared to seek the
watery depths. His brow was knit,
his lips were firmly compressed, his
look was as if, far down in the green
sea caves, he were about to engage in a
contest which would be terminated
only by victory or death. One swift
headlong plunge, and tho waters closed
above his form. The undulating waves
sank down to sleep, the circling ripples
died away in distance, and the boat
men held their breath with anxious
solicitude, ere the sea parted again
and the exhausted Hafiz was drawn
within the boat.
At first his closed eyes and deadly
paleness gave the greatest alarm to hil
companions. But he soon revived to
show o distress of mind hardly less
painful to look upon.
II find it mott" he exclaimed, with q
frenzied air. "The Genii of the sea
have hidden it from my grasp. Blu,
woe be to Marabek il fail in m,
search!"
Then Hafiz rose once more in the
boat, and despite the entreaties and
warnings of his companions, prepared
for fresh effort. His cheek was GOV.
cred with o violent flush. his limbs were
endued with unwontcd vigor, his whole
frame swpllcd with the unnatural
strength of fever delirium.
"Once more!" he cried, and then the
waters closed above him anew.
Long time the boatmen waited, but
no Haaz came to view. A sickenina
sensation entered their breasts. They
looked at each other with pallid counte-
nances, and then again at the un-
troubled waters of the sea.
"He is dead" said tho elder Of the
two brothers. "No diver ever returned
alive from such a stay. His body i.
held within the thick, deep waters OF
gulped within the jaws of the great sea.
wolves who watch the treasures of the
Genii.
Mournful were their thoughts as taking
up their oars they turned towards the
land the PROV of their boat. But the
oar-blades had scarcely passed through
the water when slight sound attracted
their attention. They gazed around
they beheld the body Of Hafz risen up
on the surface of the waters Quick as
thought they sped towards the already
sinking form and dragged it lifeless in
to their boat. The tears of the two
boatmen fell freely as they regarded
the corpse of their unhappy friend.
'Alas, said they, "wlly should henot
listen to our cautions? Hafiz! Thou
vert the pride of all our hearts; the
bravest of the brave, generous and true.
Who shall find thy like again?"
Thus lamenting. they raised
the mourners cry, and rowed to-
wards the shore. The divers paused
from their pursuit. The boats were
filed and followed the melancholy chant
for in this hazardous employment the
loss of one strikes to the heart OF
all his fellows-and Hafiz was we'll be-
loved by his hardy companions. Thus
they sped towards the shore; while the
wall of death reaching the hamlet
brought forth the villagers, anxious to
learn the name of him who had thus
been taken from their midst. Perhaps
more than one might have been tho
victim of fearful destiny; and many
were the trembling hearts which await.
ed the arrival of tho boats. At last
they came. Tho body of Hafiz was
lifted forth and stretched upon the
sand. The crowd gathered round, and
murmur of grief came forth from the
lips Of oil. The slave merchant himself
gazed with a certain kind of sympathy
upon the manly form of the hapless
youth.
"What limbs! What strengthp he
cried. "Were lie living now, and in
Cairo market, q princes purse, were
hardly the measure of his price!"
"Touch him not, thou dark -souled
mani" cried tho voice of Tamala, who
with dishevelled hair rushed through
the opening crowd, and threw herself
upon the body Of her lover.
"Wake! Hafiz. O wake" she cried,
in heartrending accents. "Wake! and
behold thy Tamala, who never more
will depart from thy side. Naught
shall separate us, if thou wilt only
heed my call and arouse thee from this
fearful sleep"
Tamala leaned her head upon the
bosom of the lifeless Hafiz, and clasped
her hands about his mack Tho nrnrud