The Progress., 1893-08-26
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Sir samuel Pa ser gives IN account
# + thrilling incident which illus
tratcs the folly of taking unnecessary
risks. He was statiouc on the
banks Of an Abgssinian river His
tents were litrhcd upon ;hc verge of
a cliff some thirty feet in height,
down the side of which ran rugged
path to the water. The rainy season
was SO IA past that the river was
rather low. though at the foot of the
c.itf it vas broad. Lower down tic
shelving sorks narrowed the passage
until Just beyond there were some
powerful iapids Near their head
was Il ford whore women were ac-
customod to cross. carrying their
burdens oi fagots from the opposit e.
shore.
"One da;," says Sir Samuel. Il
was employed outside the tent. when
| Observed Il throng of women. each
laden with bundle of wood. cross
ing the ford in single file from the
opposite bank.
Among them were two young
girls of about ID years, and | re
marked that these. instead Of march
ing in a line with the women. were
wading hand in hand in dangerous
proximity to the head of the rapids.
"A few seconds later | noticed that
they We're inclining their bodies up
stream. and were evidently strug-
Cling with the current Hardly had
| pointed out the danger to the men
around me, when the girls clung to
each other. and, striving against
their fate, they tottered down the
stream toward tine rapids, which
rushed with such violence that the
waves were about two feet high.
with praiseworthy speed the Arabs
started to their feet and dashed down
the deep descent toward the river:
but, before they had reached half
way, the girls uttered shrek, lost
their footing and in another instant
threw their arms wildly above their
heads and were hurried away in the
foam of the rapids.
'One disappeared Immediately.
The other was visible, as her long.
black hair foated on the surf; she
also sank. Presently. about twenty
yards below the spot. a pair of naked
arms protruded high above the sur
face, with ivory bracelets upon the
wrists, and twice the hands clapped
together as though imploring heip;
again she disappeared.
''The water was by this time full
of men who had rushed to the rescue;
but they had foolishly jumped in at
the spot where they had first seen
the girls, who were, of course, by
this time carried far away by the
torrent.
''Once more, farther down the
river, the hands and bracelets ap.
peared; again they wildly clapped
together, and in the clear water we
could plainly see the dark hair be-
meath.
Still she sank again, but almost
she rose head and
shoulders above the surface and
thrice again she clapped her hands
for aid.
This was her last effort; she dis
BY this time several men
had wisely run along the bank below
the tail of the rapids, and having
formed line across a very narrow
portion of the stream. one of them
suddenly clutched an object beneath
the water. and in another moment
he held the body of the girl in his
arms.
''Of course, she was dead? Or a
fit subject for the Royal humane So
ciety? SO | supposed, but to our in
tense astonishment. she no sooner
was brought to shore than she gave
herself a shake, threw back her long
hair, wrung out and arranged her
dripping rahat and walked leisurely
back to the ford. which she crossed
With the assistance of the Arab who
iaved her."