Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-01-15
AN EGYPTIAN INCIDENT.

positions lie the crew, q motley col
lection Of Arabs Nubians and Osman-
lis. There is nothing stirring. The
mark OF the desert is on all
around Even tho sun. now nearly on
level with tho Nubian mountains
away on the horizon, looks tired and
dusty. The intense quiet bothers the
colonel; so he yawns and growls once
more. He Is a widower, with two
children the elder a lad OF Is, who
has already made something OF repu-
tation as a student OF Egyptian re-
mains, having boon enamored OF the
land since tho evil day when the
Colonel first proposed to winter on the
Nile. The second Is gentle lad of
ten years well liked by everybody.
He gives his.vote for Egypt every win
ter. because Jack asks 1t as a favor.
They are ashore now after relics. and
have promised to report when the
dahabeah ties up for the night at AS
souan before warping her way
through the cataract
The coloners eyes follow move
ment in the tangled group OF figures
ON the deck. Two men rise. shouting
at each ether she while. The colonel
and the dragoman who had just poked
his head out OF his room on the deck,
LOOK on lazily. Suddenly one OF the
disputants makes y rush at the other
the CLEAN of steel is seen and the crew
close around the mon. A quick stroke
shout anger changed to agony, and
Nubian lies ON the deck with the
dagger OF Aboo. a powerful Arab, in
his breast
All this so quietly that tho colonel
Is still growing that there is nothing
stirring to bs seen in Egypt when he
reaches the group and STOPPING over
the wounded man. draws the dagger
out 1t has left an ugly wound, but
not dangerous and AS the wounded
man is taken in charge by his CON-
rades the colonel turns to the drago-
man fer an explanation.
With many profuse apologies the
dragoman tells how the two men were
sleeping side by side when the Nubian
inadvertently put his foot against the
Arabs face. That was all, and the
dragoman smiled and bowed
The colonel, an old disciplinarian,
looked black as night In effective
English hs ordered the dragoman.
after he discovered that the matter
vas not recSoned important enough
Cor Egyptian law to recognize, to
anchor the dahabeah and send boat
ashore with the oulprit and his bag
gage. Te the dragoman's question as
to hew Aboo was to get oack to Cairo
the celsnst thundered that no might
walk Tho dragomaa bowed and
smilsd-it was q habit he had learned
from . French friend in Cairo-and
translated tho coloners remarks to
Aboo adding to them such little pleas
antrics as he thought OF. He could
walk. His skoey-this with a smile
and = bow. directed to Aboo's bare
feeG-his shoes might wear out but.
So Aboo having obtained his dagger
and an old ring-his only article Of
baggsge-goes ashore mute ring re-
venge which the dragoman interprets
to the colonel with a smile and bow.
Tho dahabsah glides on and in an
hour is moorsd at Assouam. The
wandering relic hunters return and all
aboard retirs for is not the cataract
to be traversed at shutdown to- morrowP
Before sunrise Col MACPHERSON was
awakened by the shout OF the young
gentleman's body servant who cried
excitedly. Wake master! We can't
find Master Bob. Here is bit OF pa
per that lay on his bod. p"
While the colonel rubbed his eyes
and looked at the scrap OF Arabic the
man produced. commotion occurred
outside and the dragoman rushed in
with Aboo's dagger In his hand. II
had been taken from the breast OF the
Nubian stabbed 10 the heart during
the night The boat that had been
towed nstern OF the dahabeah after
Abos's trip ashore was gone. There
was ne doubt explained tho drago-
man, with his customary smile that
the Arab had lain ashore until the
lights west out swan aboard knitted
his enemy, and left again in the boat
At this the colonel, still holding the
paper In his hand. turns pale and
trsnbllngly gives in to Jack who
knows Arabic Dragoman and crew
crowd around while he slowly reads
'Abos Night have killed the English
dog to-kight but to steal tho pride Of
his tent was better revenge"
They searched for the fugitlves with
shrinking hearts after a time but
never trace OF the boy,
dead or living, did they find.
Almost mad with grief. but not until
the hot weather threatened his lifc,
Col HePherson returned to Cairo and
laid the terrible affair personally be-
foro the Khedive But 1t was all in
vain. Year after year he haunted the
Nile, promising backsheesh 10 an un-
limited extent for the restoration oil
his boy, but the Arabs shook their
hsads--Aboo had disappeared without
leaving any trace. To the father who
searched for his lost boy there was nc
lack of interest now In Egypt
forward by the right march,"
Clear and loud comes the command