The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1891-10-30


Gordon will be speedily relieved.
So does Captain Jack MACPHERSON Of the
Egyptian army, attached for the present
to the camelry, as he sails along on one of
the ships of the desert.
This Is an unseaworthy ship, and as It
losses more than usual he calculates,
ugh, you brute, IL there is an Arab at the
wells will trade camels." With this he
looks forward to the rocky defile by which
the route lies and sees futtering above q
ledge an Arab banner. For an instant he
looks at it through his field glass and then
rides in haste back long the ranks. A
word in Sir Herbert's ear. The troops are
halted and a zareba Is in process of forma-
ton when with beating of war drums and
discordant yells that remain unanswered
for the Threats Of the men are too parched
and thirsty to hurrah-a great body of
Arabs start from the underwood around
the entrance to the defile and, headed by
many standard bearers, rushes in upon the
British square.
OF the fight for life in that square, and
the determination with which the Arabs
fought to break the ranks, there is no need
to tell. How Burnaby went down, fight
ing gloriously, and many another brave
man beside him, history records.
With the utmost GOODNESS, for he had
been through many such scenes, Captain
MACPHERSON, after the first rush, picks up
the rifle of dead soldier, unclasps his
cartridge belt, and plugs away steadily at
the nightshirt brigade, as the soldiers have
nlcknamed the Arabs from their long
white robes.
But, seel what change is this in his face
as the foe forms in compact mass for an
M har 11ch nd Al.
makes to the men around him:
Don't shoot within dozen yards each
side of that bannerr' he says in such tone
of voice that the soldiers look up in sur
prise and see white, set face.
Let them come right up before YOU
fire" he adds, "and wait till I give you the
word. You'll agree to that, won't you.
RobertsP It's matter of life and death"
This to the officer in command of the COM
pany. =
Matter Of death to us all, think. II
you don't speak in time," growled Rob-
erts, frown1ng at the advancing dervishes,
but have our way"
MACPHERSON makes no answer; the pal
lor OF his face increases; now it is ashy
gray as the Arabs rush in on the square.
VI all the oncoming hundreds he sees only
two men-one the standard bearer, and be-
side him young fellow, wonderfully light
of skin for an Arab, and with cap on his
head instead of the usual tangled head
dress of creased hair worn by the der
wishes.
Kneeling as the Arabs come within fifty
yards of the square he takes deliberate
aim. A flash, and at the same instant the
standard bearer falls prone to the earth.
the fair faced Arab seizes the banner and
PUSHES to the front. Another shot and he,
too, falls. In voice that rings above the
din OF the battle Macpherson gives the
order to fire, and the Arabs, met by a
volley at such range. stagger and through
the smoke are seen to fall back few
PAGES. Instantly MACPHERSON rushes out
from the square, and before his comrades
or the enemy have time to interfere he is
again in the midst of his comrades, trem-
Ding and pale, but bearing in his arm the
young Arab, who still grasps the banner
The plucked from the dead leaders, hand.
The Arabs, nightly thinned in that last
brush, fall away. The fight is over and
the men crowding around Macpherson
who is bathing the wounded Arabs thigh
where his bullet entered, ask what it all
means.
Roberts, who is under the impression
that the banner was the prize coveted by
MACPHERSON and that his care for the Arab
is an afterthought, remarks that the game
was hardly worth the candle, but Mac
Pherson, looking up for a moment, says.
pointing to the wounded Arab:
"My brother"
Instantly the men, most of whom nave
heard the story of the coloners bereave-
ment, crowd around the stretcher. Sure
enough, the resemblance cannot be dis
puted.
"See," says Macpherson, becoming less
constrained as the intense strain of the
last few minutes is relaxed, 81 can trace
on the back of his right hand the outlines
of an anchor. remember when he put it
on he was very small cub. His hand
looked as if it was poisoned, and he came
to me and got me to scrape most of the
ink out again. That's why the mark is so
faint. Roberts, send man out there to
bring in the big fellow shot. That was
Aboo, and l think you will find bullet
in his head"
The last words are spoken family, and
Macpherson falls back into the arms of
soldier. Where he stood there is pool of
blood, and on examination it is found that
he, too, has been wounded in the thigh.
AhCy "CiC Oh Oeio &OOhluS pair, tuC DTOOA-
ers, as they walked together in the garden
Of the army hospital at Cairo. 1t was for
tunate that Jack knew Arabic, for his long
lost brother had to learn English over
again, having heard never word of his
mother tongue from the night when Aboo,
after gagging him, tumbled him into the
boat lying astern of the dehabeeh until his
brothers. bullet brought him back to civili-
sation. Of his wanderings he could tell
little except that his captor and he had
been wayfarers for years in the Soudan
and along the desert highways until the
nsurrection broke out, when he was
pressed into the mahdi's service. Aboo be-
ng volunteer. After awhile, he told his
brother, he became rather fond of fighting.
"Imphmp said the colonel, as his elder
ION translated these remarks, there is
ome of the Macpherson in him yet, then"
he nodded paternally toward Bob, and
hen turning to Jack said tenderly: "God
bless you, my boy, for bringing back my
Benjamin even with a bulletr'-Toronto
Globe.