, 1889-06-29

edged swords which these Arabs use
with such terrible effect. He had doubt
less found them in the trench.
We called on him to surrender, but he
w even turned until as we were close
upon him he suddenly whirled round in
desperation and confronted us menac-
ingly. We drew our sabers and dashed
upon him.
Just here, extending full across the
trench, was a rugged depression, caused,
probably, by an exploding shell.
This we failed to see; and, while
Fraser's horse leaped it calamity, my
animal stumbled and fell, and down /
went, partly beneath him.
1 tried to rise, but my ankle was badly
%sprained, and with a cry of pain 1 dropped
down behind the horse. Then 1 forgot
everything in what 1 saw going on before
me. The Arab had retreated against the
wall and was fercely keeping Fraser at
bay. Their swords clashed until the
sparks flew, and Fraser's heavy strokes
were intercepted by the Arabs leathern
shield.
They fought on in silence, and in the
moonlight l saw the Arabs terrible face,
the eyes sparkling with hatred, and the
white teeth clenched in deadly deter
mination. Clash after clash rang on the
night air.
Suddenly Fraser spurred on his horse
and dealt a fearful blow at the Arabs
exposed head, but quick as a flash the
great sword few up and the short saber
striking full and forcibly against the aw-
full edge, broke off close beside the hilt,
and lay shining on the sand at their feet.
What followed 1 a never forget. 1t
will haunt me to my dying day.
Fraser threw up his right hand, with
the broken hilt, and with the left reached
for his revolver, and then, as 1 looked on,
stupid with horror, the Arab raised his
great sword aloft with both hands, and
with all the force of his desperate strength
he hurled it forward like a catapult.
The cleaning blade flashed the moon
light from its edge and crushed with an
awful sound through poor Fraser's head,
cleaving its way through the skull and
between the shoulders and on down
through the back, until its point fairly
touched the rear of the saddle.
Split in twain from head to waist, the
poor fellow dropped to the ground with
out a cry, and his plunging steed trampled
over the body and then galloped in mad
fright down the trench.
Wholly engrossed in this awful scene,
1 forgot my own peril and only realized
it fully when the Arab, bracing himself
against the wall of the trench, began to
drag his sword out of Fraser's body.
With a shudder 1 reached for my pis-
tol, and grew faint for an instant when
1 remembered hat it lay under the horse
in the holster. / was wholly at the
Arabs mercy. The wretch was still
Juggling at the sword and seemed unable
to loosen it. If only l had my pistol
how nicely 1 could bring him down.
All at once l saw something glitter in
one of Fraser's outstretched hands, and
the sight of it gave me a thrill of hope.
1t was his revolver, which he had sue
ceeded in grasping just before the blow
fell.
If / could reach it before the Arab
could extricate his sword l was saved.
II not-Fraser's fate would be mine. /
gritted my teeth, seized my saber firmly
and rose erect. The Arab saw me, and
with a savage i~mprecation to Allah he
threw himself on, the sword with a ter
rible effort. Still it chung to Fraser's
body, and then as / leaped toward him,
forgetful of my sprained ankle, and
hourished my saber fiercely, he grabbed
up his shield and fell back a few yards,
keeping on the defensive. l uttered a
loud shout to intimidate him and then
bent over poor Fraser.
1 grasped the revolver, but the lead
mans hand was closed on it with a grip
Il iron. / gave a strong pull and hen
another, and just as the stiffened fingers
loosend their clasp my injured ankle as
serted itself and l fell heavily to one side.
The wary Arab was watching his chance,
and before / could even turn he leaped
on me like a tiger and we rolled over on
the sand, splashing through a pool of
Fraser's crimson life blood.
The Arab had clutched at my throat
but missed it, and clasping each others
shoulders wei loundered about the trench,
now n uppermost and nov the other.
With clenched teeth and struggling for
breath we fought on bitterly, knowing
that one or the other must die. 1 could
feel the Arabs no breath upon my neck
and his huge brass earrings tapped
against my cheeks. / still held the pis-
toll tightly in my left hand. If I could
only get a chance to use it. Very fool
ishly 1 relaxed my grasp a brief second,
and in that lightning like interval the
Arab seized the advantage and fastened
both his brawny hands firmly on my
throat.
In vain struggled and strove to turn
the bony fingers were pressing my wind
pipe and the hideous face was glaring
into mine with a knocking smile.
was choking, suffocating-all sense
was leaving me.
Must l die thus? 1t was horrible.
With a fearful effort, the strength that
madness alone can give, / twisted the
Arab sideways. My left arm was free.
My hand still clutched the pistol. !
raised it with a jerk. l put the muzzle
to his ear. With the last atom of strength
l pulled the trigger, and as the stunning
report echoed through the trench with
thunderous reverberations everything
grew black and dim.
Attracted by the pistol shot they found
us there half an hour later still locked in
n cIosa emhrace- NV uniform WAS snat-