Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-01-15

and the ugly. ill-conditioned steeds oil
the camel corps moved forward with
ungainly step. Tho wells of Aboo
klea are within sight and Sir Herber,
Stewart who marched nine days ago
with l. 500 picked men across the desert
TO reach the Nile and thence to press on
to Khartoum. feels that his mission
will be successful and that Gordon
will be speedily relieved.
So does Capt Jack Emerson OF
the Egyptian army, attached for the
present to the camelry, as he sails
along on one OF the ships OF the desert
He looks forward to the rocky defle
by which the route lies, and sees fut-
tering above ledge an Arab banner
For an instant he looks at II through
his field glass and then rides in haste
back along the ranks. A word in Sir
Herbert's ear. The troops are halted
and zareba is in process OF formation
when with beating OF war drums and
discordant yells that remain I'M
answered-for the throats of the men
are too parched and thirsty to hurrah
"a great body OF Arabs starts from
the underwood around the entrance to
the deilc and headed by many stan
dard bearers, rushes in upon the Brit
ish square.
With the utmost GOODNESS (for he has
been through many such scenes) Capt
MACPHERSON, after the first rush picks
up the rifle OF dead soldier. unclasps
his cartridge belt and plugs away
steadily at the nightshirt brigade. rs
the soldiers have nicknamed the Arabs
from their long white robes.
OF all the oncoming hundreds he
sees only two men--one the standard
bearer and beside him young fellow.
wonderfully light OF skin for an Arab.
and with n cap on his head instead Of
the usual tangled headdress OF creased
hair worn by the dervishes.
Kneeling as the Arabs come within
fifty yards OF the square he takes dc.
liberate aim. A flash. and at the same
instant the standard bearer falls prone
to the earth. The fair faced Arab
seizes the banner and rushes 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. metby volley
at such range stagger, and through
the smoke are seen to fall back few
PAGES. Instantly MACPHERSON PUSHES
out from the square and before his
comrades or the enemy have time 10
Interfere he is again in the midst of
N 4 comrades +rar, l,lipr ,,1 mol. -.
bearing in his arms the young Arab.
who still grasps the banner he plucked
from the dead leaders hand.
The Arabs, nightly thinned in tina,
last brush. fall away. The fight is
over and the men crowded round Nc.
Pherson, who is bathing the wounded
Arabs thigh where his bullet entered.
ask what it all means.
Roberts, who is under the impress
sion that the banner was the prize /
coveted by Mcpherson and that his |
care for the Arab is an after-thought
remarks that the game was hardly !
worth the candle But Mcpherson.
looking up for moment says point
ng to the wounded Arab:
My brother"
Instantly the men, most OF whom
have heard the story of the colonel's
bereavement crowd around the
3tretcher. Sure enough the resem-
olance cannot be disputed.
See" says Mcpherson becoming
ess constrained as the intense strain
'f the last few minutes is relaxed. Il
IAN trace on the back OF his right
land the outlines Of an anchor. I re-
member when he put 1t on he was a
Tery small cub. His hand looked as
I it was poisoned and he came to mo
md got nae to scrape most OF the ink
'ut again. That's why the mark is so
amt Roberts, send man out there
o bring in the big fellow shot. That
vas Aboo and / think you will find
Juliet in his head"
The last words are spoken family
nd MACPHERSON falls back into the
rms OF soldier. Where he stood
here is pool OF blood and on exami-
ation it is found that he too, has
een wounded in the thigh
They were an odd-looxing pair. the
rothers, as they walked together in
he garden OF the army hospital at
afro. 1t was fortunate that Jack 4
new Arabic, for his long-lo brother
ad to learn English over again. hav-
NJ heard never word of his mother
ongue from the night when Aboo
fter gagging him, tumbled him into
he boat lying astern of the dahabeeh I,
ntil his brothers bullet broughehim .
ack to civilization. OF his wander ,
1gs he could tell little except that
Is captor aad he had been wayiarers
'r years in the Soudan and along the {
esert highways until the insurrection S
roke out when he was pressed into
10 Mahdfs service Aboo being n
olunteer. After a while. he told his
rother, he became rather fond of
ghting. .
'lmphmw said the colonel as his S
der son translated these remarks.