The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-10-20


thara Lot Us as: him the way"
| Iadvanced few steps, but what beheif
made the hair on my head fairly bristle witt
horror Yes, in tho center OF She granite
table a human form was crouching IN thu
shadow. A gnunt and hideous old man thrc'
times the size Of any living man. In his i'm
mense crooked fingers 10 clutcSed whole
quarter OF sheep, raw AMI be.ting, which
| bs was devouring. The blood ran in streams
alon. his bony arms and dripped upon hi'
knees. A frightful smile distorted his fs'e
II was evident that A saw this gigantic
phantom ~ well ~ myself, for no had turned
as pale rs a sheet, his hand clutched convul
svely the carbine, which until this moment
had been slung to his belt | had not strength
to address this grsly specter, though Ali DID
not give mo tino to do ~. saw him raise
his carbne to his shoulder, and the report
rang through the air, repeated hundred
times 10y tho echo in the ravine But thu
spscter did not stir; he seemed only to devouT
his repast more greedily than before
Fire again, Ali Fire for our lives" a
second bullet whistled through the air.
snatched tho carbine from his hand | took
airn-oncs- twico-thrice-an and each time as
if fascinated | advanced several PAGES, as
saw that my bullets met no resistance, but
went through empty air. Finally, beside
myself with terror, flung my carbine 10
the earth, drew my saher, and springing on
the first shelf Of the table rock where the old
man was still seated devourlng his hideous
repast- whcn-ohl my friends-oh, Heavenl
| shall never forget tho horror of that mo-
mont-tho old man slowly turned his head,
his beard stained with blood, and fixed on
me his cavornous deep set eyes, whose orbits
CLEANED like cOaIs of fire."
Here De- Thon, who seemed 10 live over
again this frightful episode of his life, leaned
forward on tho stone pillar He went
through the whole scene. His hands were
clenched the veins in his neck swollen TO
bursting, while tho pale moonlight Of the
tropics seemed to magnify his figure and
gestures. In tho silence of tho desert his
voice, half stihed with emotion, made us
shudder. The terrible vision seemed actually
to pass before our eyes.
Then, my friends" he continued, "a
namelesS terror froze my blood. | could not
meet this Internal gaze, and | started down
the slope at full speed. Springing over
masse. of stone, woundng myself against
Jagged points of rock, while my faithful and
terrified companion followed me, invoking
Allah in breathless, incoherent phrases How
long this flight CONTINUED before we came TO
our senses cannot tell. Only the faint light
of tho rapidly sinking sun showed us the in
extricable labyrinth through which we we're
wandering. A burning thirst consumed Inc,
which | could only try to quench with few
handfuls of melting snow, mixed with earth
When | recovered myself little, con-
cludod that had been the victim Of an hal
mcnation Induced ty fatigue and by the
hunger and thirst which had tortured me for
10 many hours, and tho horror Of feeling
that We had lost our way. But then, why
should my faithful Ali have had the Same
fear, and why should it have manifested
itself by exactly the same visionsi / made
up my mind that whatever happened, or
whatever visions might cross my path, that
l would not betray my perception Of them
by word or sign.
Our route now seeno1 every moment to
become moro dreary, gloomy and monoto-
nous; VIZ were utterly worn out; We went
along like automatons, stumbling through the
last grges which separated US from the
plain below, and from safety. Suddenly we
found ourselves in the bJtSom of q small ex-
tinct crater, and | saw advancing toward US
a troop Of horsemen. They we're riding at
full gallop, wheeling abruptly to avoid the
points of rock, and sweeping In a circle
round and round tho edge Of the crater
Their horses white with foam, bounded over
tho heaps of basalt; thousands of fiery
sparks flew from their hoofs and each
cavalier carried long, slender lance,
which was aimed Mt me- This must be an
hallucination, since Ali sees nothing, said
to myself, when suddenly at ono of the in
Vulnerable charges Of my enemies, Ali drew
his saber and flung himself in front of me to
cover my body from the lance. Doubt was
no longer possible. Tho faithful follow had
been watching these horsemen, but, like
myself, he had determined to say nothing
but his devotion had overpowercd his will.
Save yourself, my masterl Death to the
Kourdes Seize your poniard or wo are lost. :"
A blood red mist passed before my eyes
bounded forward and struck wildly with my
dagger. | tried to defend myself, but felt a
sharp, cold steel pierce my side, and us dark
ness came on | found myself stretched, ex-
hausted and bleeding, on the plain, with a
deep wound III my side. Who dealt this
woundi Could have done it myself in my
efforts at self-defonse-or was il the ven
gcance of tho Agri-Dahl l shall never know.
But one thing is certain-while this scar
throbs in my flesh, swear by tho Heaven
that looks down on Us tonight, that never,
never more will attempt to set foot on the
accursod mountain. George kohn in Detroit
Free Press.