St. Landry democrat., 1892-12-24

almost closed my eyes lest he should
be able to see that | was awake breatheC
deep and loud, inviting him to be at east
and take his time, and narrowly watched
the dim shadow stealthily moving toward
me.
lie stood beside me, paused for mo-
mcnt, muttcring a native prayer, then
sloWl Y bent over me. That was the last
ceremony [ knew the end was near,
but fought myself in vain for some sug-
gcstion of selfdcfense.
He sank upon ore knee, and his broad
shoulders came between me and the mar
row line of moonlight. | heard him
breathe with that hard, cultural rasp
which with the half-civilized is always
indicative Of desperate earnestness. |
even felt his breath against my face as he
bent lower over it, piercing the shadows
with eyes that glistencd even in the dark
ness, to assure himself that there was no
mistake.
Life may be short enough at some
times, but a moment like that seems like
eternity. There was light enough il the
tent to see the simmer of the polished
blade he held, and | fixed my eyes upon
it and watched it as never watched any
thing before or since.
Slowly it went up, up up, into the
darkness. 1t could not go very high, for
he was kneeling. 1t would fall like
lightning when it turned, and he was
planning carefully to accomplish his work
without rousing a soul in the sleeping
caravan.
The blade seemed to glow with pale,
electric light as it rose over me. There
were faithful servants sleeping not fifteen
feet away. Even at that moment, heard
one Of them muttering in his dreams;
| but cry for help would only cause that
blade to fall the ticker.
Inch by inch | saw the blue sheen ris-
| ing, and in imagination saw, too, the
sullen set of that savage jaw with its
lobelcss ear, and the frightened muscles
of the arm that held the knife.
lie was moving slowly, for he proposed
to be accurate and let that one blow do
it all; another instant and it would be
too late. | saw the blade give a little
shiver in the air as though he were chang
ing his grip. | knew that every faculty
he possessed was centred in that arm and
upon my throat, and quick as thought
drew up my feet caught him in the alb
domen and gave one kick. for life or
death, at the same instant throwing my
head away from him.
With a savage yell the knife came
down. | found it afterward, buried to
the hilt in my sleeping mat, just below
my pillow. His aim was excellent. only
that did not chance to be there when it
fell. At that moment, however, | was
much more interested in the result of my
life-saving experiment; for before the
yell had died away bright light flashed
in my face. For an instant it daz2led
me. The next saw the blue black sky,
the flashing stars and the clear, white
moon, and realized that with the strength
o! last extremity had thrown the huge
kaifir off with such violence that he had
taken the tent and all with him.
Sprang to my feet to take advantage
of what had gained The tent lay in
pile few few feet away. Several sleepy
Arabs were thrusting their heads out of
their blankets; a camel opened his drowsy
eyes and looked over his shoulder. Won
derin@ what had occurred to disturb his
sleep, but the kat3ir was nowhere to be
seen.
lie could not possibly haze gone far,
bat there was not sign Of him anywhere.
It would not do to try to sleep again
while he was in the neighborhood, but
while rovolved the curious situation in
nly mind, wondering who he was, where
| had seen him, and what possible motive
he could have for killing me. | directed
an Arab who had gained his feet help
me stTalghtcn out my tent.
We took up the loose ropes that were
dragged from the sand and began to
pull.
Was it caught upon something? |
stopped to investigate and started back
The unconscious body of the giant Kattir
WAS still rolled IN the tent cloth.
lie was too powerful a man to allow us !
to run any risks, and before | Investigate |
ed to see how badly he was hurt we
bound him hand and foot.
He revived during the operation, but
with the logged resignation to the mex
orablc which is always so well developed |
in the barbarian, he realized that he was
trapped and offered no resistance.
When he was we'll secured sat down
on the ground beside him and tried to
talk, but he was sullen Indeed, | was
not sure that he understood what said.
for | spoke in Arabic, knowing very
little of any South-African language.
A sunrise, however, when | placed
cup of coffee to his lips he looked up
sulenly, and in excellent Arabic asked
is it poisoncdI'
| laughed, drank little and he drank
the rest.
You had better kill me, " he muttered.
at is all you will ever get from me-"
I'm not sure that | care to take the
trouble, | replied. It'll know why YOU
tried to kill me. Your do Lot know me,
do your
A savage fire CLEANED in his eyes for
4 moment. as he answered:
"You are Add cl Ardavan. Oh, yes,
know you"
''Iou evidently know my name" re-
,licd, "but what do you know that
should tempt you to kill me? Why.
here are not Kaffirs enough in all Africa
o in ure hair on the head of Add ell Ar
lavan. If you know ME you must have
lnown that, too.'
Such a sentence does not bristle with
onccit when spoken in Arabic as it does
when put into English. It is an Oriental
ustom to blow ones own horn in that
ashton, and there was a look of real
lonest admiration in the Africans ewes
S he replied:
Il heard it long ago, but I did not
'elicve. Now | know that it is true"
| had . mind to cut the ropes and set
i'm free for that compliment: but curios- I
ty prevailed and l said again:
Listen to me. If you will simply tell {
le why YOU wanted to Kill me will set {