Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-09-21

S- "a s"taStF NOuiu pass nn
observed. and he who had made tn,
error would raise cry which wa:
his death-sentence.
Again two lost. and again two
were shot. Aud now only two re.
mained-Maruf and Sefer. They
found themselves, as they had been
before. in front of the camp fire.
! They were the best players. They
began the game witn a good deal 81
caution, resting their forcheads on
/ the palms Of their hands. Thought.
fully calculating every move. with
out hesitating but without hurry
ing.
For long while neither of the
two succeeded in obtaining an ad-
vantage; for each gain there was an
equal sacrifice.
The spectators nod to each other
when either one makes a brilliant
move. Little BY little, the number
OF pawns on the chess board dimin-
ishes; the main figures lie scattered
to the right and to the left: the SIT
uation becomes palmer; a few more
moves, and Sefer will lose his castle!
/ Maruf has one more castle than
his adversary, and this means a
good deal at the present stage Of
the game. The crowd believes that
the game is in his hands.
All of sudden, great drops of
sweat cover the forehead of Maruf
"a fear overtakes him. he trembles
through all his body. He has no
ticed that, if his adversary sacrifices
his queen instead of the castle, he
can checkmate him with the bishop.
Would Sefer see that move: On
that depends life and death.
Sefer looks at the chess-board for
long while; his looks betray that
he tas seen the move that will save
him. But he does not touch the
men, and he seems to hesitate.
'Maruf,' he asks all of a sudden,
how many children have Won at
home?'
-Four is the answer that comes
from trembling lips.
you have a good wife:'
'An excellent wife, answers Mar
uf with a sigh.
Sefer passes hand over his face,
and begins to murmur as though he
were praying.
Then he asks for water; he wash
es his eyes, his hands,-first the
left hand, then the right hand.
Unseen two guardian angels watch
ever by those who pray.
Yesterday night you gave me the
game so that | might Sleep he
says.
Maruf does not answer, but bows
his head in assent.
you have always been a good
friend of mine, Maruf.
Maruf lets his head drop on his
breast entirely overcome. Sefer
then slowly lifts his hand to the
chess board and makes a move. not
with the queen, but with the castle.
'Checkmatedv you hear murmur-
ed on all sides. Maruf has won.
and Sefer lost. Sefer raises quietly.
offers his hand for the last time to
his friend Maruf, who seemed nailed
to his place, and signals to the sold
lers to be ready. Two seconds later
a shot announces that the tourna.
ment is over.
But Maruf does not stir. With
intent eyes he looks at the board,
and with trembling hand he puts
the pawns in their places, but like
one who does not know which are
the places assigned to them. The
other men are confused with the
pawns, the white with the black.
Get up exclaimed Ahmanzade.
Ride your horse, you are to live.
The man, however, does not move,
and continues with his vacant stare
to arrange the chess-board, making
strange moves with the figures.
What an absurdity!' he exclaims,
laughing recklessly. 'Oue has
turban, and the other a horses
headv
Pick him up orders Mehemed.
And two soldiers lift him. Maruf,
however, continued to laugh with
lunatic'slsugh. Heaven, earth and
men were now alike unknown to
him.
During the last move he had be-
come mad.
Confound the man who invented