The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-07-11
TIE SOUDANESE SPY.
~ wIILIAu ". onAYD5y.

"Li.tcu, Brcc, whats that.' and Ger
ri,tou rai.ri his hand viih gesture Of
silence and looked at me intently. Thcn
we both dropped oar cigars and rushed
ont TO the door oi the Embassy.
4 gun-shot, plain and uuinistaLablc,
had echoed through the night air, and
we certainly had heard faint cry.
Bu, iu ,h" drcary street all was quie',
and the solitary electric lamp reflected no
shadows save our own oa the pavement
of the British Embassy, while lhc palace
across the way, wish i;, COAL f"cadcS and
massive carved gates, showed no signs ol
life.
Then q gun went of. drum began TO
rattle loudly. arm cia,hcl, hurrying foot
steps echoed on the stones, ard shouts
were given and answered. | listened in
sp2cchlcsS as,oni,hmcnt, and then rushed
back for my cap and sword. Il was best
10 bc prepared, though what possible
ground for alarm existed could not see.
Sual,in was protected by a lire of SON
tries that extended a mile beyond the
town. No signui had come from the out
skirts, We; here Was this turmoil in the
very midst o. the European quarter.
A. hurried barl, to the door the great
palace gate, swung open and a squad of
Egyptian soldier, tronpgd oat, their
swarthy faces shining under thcircrimson
caps. Close behind them. escorted by
several officers, came a tall, d,gni'ied,
looking man. He was barchcadci and
held an unshcathcd sword in his hand.
recognized him ut first sight ~ Ach-
med Rdg, the Egyptian Governor Of Sua-
kin. he glanced up and down the
street and then hurried across to the EN-
bassy.n
"You arc British oiiiccr.' he said,
brcathlcss with excitement.
Captain Dugdale, Of the Ninth Dra-
goons, ut your command, Your Excel
lency," said, briefly.
"Thank you. | am in need of your
services. An Arab prisoner, captured
spy of the Mahdi, has made his escape.
My stupid soldiers are to blame. The
fellow has been gone some time now, aud
it is important he be rctakcn, FOR he has
stolen valuable plans Of the town and
rorifcatiors fear my soldiers can do
little, but if your dragons will scour the
plain
your EHccllcncy,' I interrupted,
"what you desire shall be done AZ once. '
mounted my horse, waved has'y
salute, and gallop,d or down the narrow
street, leaving Aohmcd iins and GARRISON
hobnobbing together on the steps of the
Embassy, for Cani,ton wus the British
Ambassador at Sdal,in. The hot blood
was cour,iug madly through my veins, for
had only been al SuaE,m It week, ard
the iaintost touch @. excitement was in
tonscly welcome.
| remembered, too, having seen this
escaped Arab only - few days previous,
when be- was being led captive throug.
the streets OF the towu--a great black
giant, with muscular, brgwny limbs and
his blaci, locks dangling in curls down his
shoulders.
l spurrcd rapidly through the town
crossed the peninsula TO the mainland
where the troops were qUartcrcd side by
side with the native population, ana soo'
the bugle call to arms was floating out ol
the night air and the iinging of spur,
and the tnmpling of hoOts were heard or
all sides. 4 few brief, concise order
and we gallopcd ont onto the desert ant
scattered oyr- the sandy plain. Chance
were in our favor for the moon was com
ing up slowly, and the cncmy's outposts
where alone the Arab could find safety
were Mt ,hu, time thyec miles beyond tn,
town.
Not a stone or bush or n mound o
sand escaped scrutiny. hhc men wcr
widely scattered, ,cliuginC far 70 the norti
and to tho south and drawing steadil.
nearer to the cncmy's lines,
| gallopcd straight across the plain
closely attended hy solitary trooper,
brave fellow named Tom Fraser. KEEP
as far rs possible in the direction iudgct
the fugitive bad taken and | hoped t.
have the pleasure of capturing him my
self. for the tumpling Of my horse wa
muilled by the driftel sand aud would
not betray my approach until | should b
close upon him,
A mile and half from the town lay
belt of deserted intruuchments frou
which the enemy had been driven mont
or so previous. AS we approached thes
we slackencd our speed and began to loo
for suitable crossing place. The Brit
ish shells had leyelcd them in places, an
one of these points we soon found,
break in The trench with II gentle sion
on either side. We rode slowly dow
into the hollow, and rs our horses wer
commencing to ascend again Fraser sud
denly tugged ticr1ely at my arm.
"Look, Captain, look.' be whisTerc
excitedly, and as followed the range {
his outstretched hand sew sigh: tn,