The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-11-11

tHNb uS YOU ouJ ~ ~ NV eNuAsAu, ySu ASe
me have bottle or two for my next jour-
ney."
"By all MEANS" was tho ready re-
sponsc.
Null took tho glass and said he would
drink it outside before starting on the
intended journey, leaving the apartment
as he spoke.
The spirit of inquiry was now excited
in him for a purpose he had in view.
"Say 0 FRIEND" said he to the aged
man who stood at the door of the bazaar,
''what effect will the drinking of this
wine produce on me9'
.sItiwill make thee merry, and it will
make thee sad. Thy tongue will be on
thy sleeve, and the thing thou shouldst
not say will be spoken before thou art
aware that the word is uttered"
This was sufficient for Null; he simply
smeared his face and drenched his
clothes with part of the liquor, and
spilled what remained on the ground.
When the hour came for loading the
camel, Null found the two English Off
GERS ready with their paper. 1t was
written in cipher and was to be carried
in the fold of his turban. Few words
passed between them. True to their
promise as gentlemen" they handed
Null two bottles of champagne, while
he returned them the empty glass with
profound thanks, again wiping his lips.
The camel kncelcd, and the driver
mounted its back while both officers
stood by.
"Now Null make haste, and mind"-
said Major Brett putting his finger to
his mouth to enjoin secrecy and wari-
ness.
Judge of the CONSERVATION of the two
diplomats, when Null, scarcely had the
camel started, gave utt erancc to an un-
earthly yell and waved his turban in
which the dispatch was concealed, high
in the air. Both Brett an d Villiers
looked at each other for moment in
speechless horror and then shouted
after Null to stop. TWAS too late, ''the
ship of the desert" was going at pace
that defed either of them, even il
mounted on race horses, to come abreast
of him.
"Thc fellow is as drunk as a fiddle"
said Viliers, mournfully.
"Unquestionably, you sec, he wasn't
used to liquor. What's to be donei
Everything is spoiled if he loosesthe dis.
patch, or babs out where it's hidden"
Null stopped when he got about half
a mile on his journey, and lcisurely dis.
mounted from his camel. The officers,
preceiving this, hurried along till they
reached him. They found the camel
driver seated, legs crosswise, on the sand,
endeavoring to open one of the bottles
but the complex mechanism of the wir
and capsule was too much for him.
"You drunken scoundrcl," beloved
Vilicrs, nearly out of puff, as he applied
riding whip, which he carried, to the
poor fellows shoulders. "What do yol
mean? Show me the paper I gave you.
Null with a vacant stare, took off hi
turban, but the dispatch was no wher
to be found in it.
II have it in my heart" exclaimed
Brett, "to murder you on the spot. Civ
me back that bottle"
81 thought" stammered Null, "yo
told me it would do me good"
lie then fumbled about his breast an
pulled out the dispatch, which he ha
r transferred from his turban as he wa
squatted on the grouud, while screene
by the camel.
t "Can we trust him to proceed on tn
- journey?"
G "Certainly not; he'll hand the papc
I over to the first scout he meets, and tel
| where it came from. And now, unfor
, tunately, every hour is of importance
What mess to be in!'
s Null did not understand the conve
G sation as it was carried on in English
o but, untutored as he was, he read tt
distrust of him in the countenance
n both officers. Getting astride the came
: and looking with his wonted intelligenc
j. at the Englshmen, he said, addressin
i Major Brett.
: s"Efendi, am ready and able to d
s. your bidding ! tas.cd not the unhal
lowed cup. to partake of which would
d the case of your humble slave have bee
), greater evil to him than the loss I
that paper to you. You knew no. wha
o you were doing when you placed IL
C temptation in my way of giving me fir:
the glassful and next these two bottle.
$ Your message would not have been safe
It for the Koran says that "a drunkt
h mouth is as babbling brook Tai
e them back, for Besmillah! shall new
ir again, as the wise Abu Ben Had
]. warned me, touch or handle. Taste
g. never will.
awe are a nice pair of diploma
truly" said Villiers, reddening at tt
j. rebuke, and handing back the docume
, to the camel driver, "to bring drink I'M
;s business"
in "Aye, whether in or out of it." So
;, the Major, laying about him on the ty
"a bottles with the butt end of his whi
"A land when we get back we ought
.. smash every bottle we have. Pm tot
- abstainer as Chinese Gordon was,
= hfe."
IN Villicrs placed his hand inside t
al Majors to signify that he was one wi
him in the resolution.
C. 'sAllah be praisedw exclaimed Nj