The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-01-19

rect my steps.
ing and painting with fear and fatigue,
stumbled, often causing my guide to curse
savagely and threaten to pitch me head
foremost down the cliff. could not help
thinking that II he were blindfolded he
might go just as clumsily, though had to
keep the opinion guardedly behind my
teeth.
Presently there was another brief halt,
ana could hear the Arabs in whispered
CONSULTATION. Then l knew that part of
the company went one way and part an
other, sticking to my gun barrel as II It
were my sole hope Of salvation. Another
breathless Chamber followed, doubly trying
to me In my blinded condition, and in q
little while 1 understood from the free
play Of the air that at last we had reached
tho top.
had hardly time to wonder what was
coming next when one of my guards spoke.
I'VE wish to be rid Of thee" he said
bluntly. Listen well to my words. for
they concern thy very life. While we
were yet far down the gulf some said, Cut
him in two and cast him to the fishes.
Others-and well for thee they prevailed
answered No, rather let him live IL SO be he
go not to come back. II he return, then
shall his blood be upon his own head
Now we are mercifuL We will lead thee to
place Of safety some distance hence and
there leave thee. Only il for the space Of
one hour thou triest to free thine eyes
from their covering, then as surely as thou
dost it thou shalt die ere thou hast time to
look twice"
Without waiting for word from me he
gave the order, and we went on again The
ground was broken and uneven, but after
4. Ia l. 4 Ia IA 81
queens highway.
We may have marched for an hour when
we stopped. was made to sit upon q
STONE. Then they united my hands, ad-
monishing me to remember tho penalty for
dispbedience in respect to the bandage on
my eyes, and having given me my pipes,
which In a surprising spirit of generosity
had been taken care Of, they left me.
j sat there for awhile with perfect 10y
atty, acutely mindful of the injunctions
and admonitions / had received | kept
my hand tight on the green bag. In the
stress Of terror just gone through had for
gotten 1t, but now that it was returned its
touch bad foK moment something of the
solafe of an old friends presence.
Partly to amuse myself. partly to COM
put4 the flight of time, began to count the
seconds, but It proved a weary process and
was given up. only however to be heaIin
,--....s's..N s-e,aIn Rrnrvnr m vet aoafn re-
sumed, to be finally abandoned in despair
In the usual reckoning an hour Is but 90
short minutes-that hour was an eternity.
With stoical resolution, though anything
but stoical indifference, tried to sit stock
still, imagining the while hundred lev.
eled spears at my side ready to be plunged
into me at my first movement. The ordeal
kept every nerve aquiver, every sense in q
fiutter OF dread.
The disciples of Zeus have a pretty doc
trine about arming "the obdurate beast
with stubborn patience, as with triple
steel.n hope they are able to do 1t In cru
cial emergencies. To me, seek 1t as /
might, the stubborn patience would not
come. In vain l pricked the will, in vain
recalled lofty maxims about the duty OF
bearing pain heroically. It is glorious to
shine as a hero, but at times exceedingly
difficult. l cannot be Of the godlike race,
for the harder l stroye for fortitude the
faster my power of endurance ebbed.
started and fdgeted, listened, held my
breath, shivered, shrank together and per-
spired; the air was full of ominous sounds,
and horrible slimy things seemed to be
crawling over me. At last the agony of
blind suspense became insufferable. Come
With trembling hands and a caution
that was amazing In such burning impa-
thence, | raised the bandage and glanced
from under its edge, first on one side, then
on the other. Seeing no watcher, tore the
cloth Off and got to my feet, looking round
with more care and deliberation. Not q
soul was about. ! was alone
There was just light enough to enable me
to discern | was In the middle of wild
desolation of gorges and piled up cliffs,
rising in the dim distance to what appeared
10 be range Of mountains. Moae for yari-
ety's sake than from any definite object /
took up my pipes and began to walk for
ward from the sea. But some falls and
frequent trippings with sudden glimpses
Of a yawning world of blackness at my
very feet made 1t plain that to proceed in
such chaos of crags and clefts was to risk
my neck at every step. Weary, faint and
in no heart TO face unknown dangers, sat
down again, my back against big stone,
to reflect on the new turn affairs had taken.
Hunger foil upon me with the flerceness
Of beast of prey. Most people | suppose
have felt sharp craving in their stomach,
but mine was an acute pain that soon be-
came maddening anguish. You are to
remember that l had eaten nothing that
day, that | was active and had the edged
appetite that comes with full recovery
from sickness when nature is squirting to
make up for lost time. Yet all could do
was to tighten my waist belt and think
yearningly of the hard tack Of the Bird OF
Paradise and dream ineffable dreams OF the
sumptuonsness of home. Let me tell you
that they who dine on such fare are not
hlsly to die of repletion. The sting of the
swprd or the bullet is keen, but give it to
md before the inappeasable pang of starva-
tion.