Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-05-09

out in undiplomatic language how exceed
ingly awkward luxurious vermilion tents
might prove in case of a surprise or night
attack. So, murmuring bitterly about the
unprincely discomforts Of a campaign,
Amood moodily ate his supper, said his
prayers and lay down beside the smothered
fires to study the starry sky and await
what further evils fate might bring. The
soldiers lay armed by their harnessed
beasts, gnawing at mutton bones like a
colony of dogs, while Abou Kuram, vigi-
Iant, active and more than trifie angry,
moved about giving rapid instructions and
Speaking words Of stern encouragement.
Slowly the silent night wore on. The
big bright stars twink.cd fitfully, the moon
sailed majeStically out into the empyrean
spaces for a little and then went her i'm
perial way, leaving darkness that was
full of vague dread and awesome suspi.
cions. The men, casting their mutton
bones from them, sat up with quivering
tension of nerve and muscle and looked to
their weapons Mentally they were count
ing the minutes till the light should ap-
pear, for this was the terrorizing interval
of b!ackness when surprise would be most
disastrous
An Arab attack sometimes comes with
the roar of thunder; sometimes with the
stealth and hush of death. When the
troops were beginning to remark with
bated breath that there was to be no mo-
lestation from the enemy, suddenly the
outposts broke into wild yells, and there
was the spluttering fire Of promiscuous
shooting. In half second more ring OF
fame engirdled us. By its light we saw a
swarm of rushing demons with leveled
spears charging in among US, and the
screams of pain told how cffectually they
were doing their work. We leaped upon
our beasts; we charged hither and thither
in the pitchy blackness mistaking friend
for foe; and then there fell silence as sud-
den as had been the tumult, for the enemy,
Slipping from our fingers, seemed to have
disappeared into the earth.
Abou Kuram and Amood Sim held an
improvised council of war.
LET us take to the mountains" piped
the latter in falsetto of shirering fear.
Abou Kuram laid an iron hand OH Amoods
trembling arm.
"The cause is thine, not mine," he said
with quick but fearful emphasis. do
what secmeth to thee good. Only if thou
give not instant orders that every coward
who seeks to fly be cut down, and my
men with me will return rs we came and
thou and thy possessions can go to eternal
destruction"
"Ic is well: it is well!' laughed Amood
Sim Historically. ~ did but jest. BY
this right hand, the man who fiieth foot
shall have death for his portion. Proclaim
it abroad. Isn ael Numar If there be any
man afraid to fight, bins him here that
may cleave tn 'og in two! decree that
all who are afraid shall die the most miser.
able death mind of man can devise.
would not go to the mountains without
revenge for the pasture lands of Med and
all the focks that have ever fed on them.
See thou to it, Ismael Numar, that every
coward shall be put ingloriously to death. u
'My lords will shall be obeyed," answer
ed Ismael Numar, with alacrity.
As the enemy did not return scouts were
sent out to discover his whereabouts. They
came back in the early morning with the
intelligence that he lay beyond a swelling
in the plain, about league and half to
the north, and the army was Immediately
put in motion to give him battle.
Keeping his counsels to himself, Abou
Kuram quietly laid his plans about the dis
position of the troops, and by swift and
adroit maneuver he contrived to get his
own contingent in the rear. The arrange
ment, as may be guessed, was little to the
taste of Amood Sim.
Finding himself Unexpectedly where the
fighting promised to be hottest, he came tc
Abou Kuram with fine air of gracious
ness and a profusion of honeyed words tt
beg his "great brother" to accept the pos,
of honor in the van. But the great broth
cr's modesty would not suffer him to a.
sumo glory that properly belonged to an
other BY all the right of war, all the pre-
rogatives of fame and achievement, the dis
tinction of leading to victory should fal! tt
the lion hearted Amood Sim, whose deed;
of valor were theme Of inspiration to poet
and warrior throughout the length anl
breadth of the land. 1t was a lesson il
guile that would have benefited any cour
tier in Europe to note how those two eE
pert dissemblers wheedled and palavereu
and how mean and worthless each made
! himself in comparison with the other.
I Abou Kuram protested he was but ms the
dust under the hoof of Amood Sims
charger, and Amood Sim swore solemn
oath he was not fit to bind the spur upor
Abou Kuram's heel. Abou said that Amood
was a second Sikander el Rumi, and Amooc
that Abou was in strength and courage rs
was Gabriel himself. So the soft bandlsh
ments and subtle self depreciations went
on as fervently as if each man were con
vinced he spoke gospel truth. But in the
end Abou kuram was not to be moved ou1
of his humility, so Amood Sim, after
useless expenditure of breath and time
J had to make the best Of his unwelcomt
honors. Having rcgained possession o.
himself by this time he accepted the be
hests of fate without ruflle in his sleeE
hypocrisy, though l thought there wa!
something of wry twist in his feignlnG
mouth as he turned to ride to the post o
danger. No sooner was he gone than tht
manner and look of Abou Kuram changed
His eyes glowed, his brows lowered, and hi
lips were compressed to an ominous thin
ness.
"Our brother lieth with a rare persuasion
today" he remarked dryly to Koor Ali, a
they watched the retreating figure, adding
with n sudden truculency: "By my blad
point, will drive him into it. tell the
ne shall fight, or if he fly he shall find
worse foe in front than behind. Shoult
the eagle prove a barn fowl, by faith, insteat
of saving we will help to pluck it," II
paused, looking overth assembled army
Doth it not seem to thee there is victor,
in the looks of these armed men" b
asked.
And such indeed was the martial ant
imposing array that it might well hav
made poltroon into hero, for the spiri
of battle was once more animating tn
plumed and hammered host that covered
the plain like sea, it's colors aflame AM
its arms flashing like thickets of steel il
the early SUM- The allies had fled to tn
mountains like sheep before The wolves
They had been found broken, detected, ut
terly demoralized, because they were with
out leader, and it was with difficulty the
had been brought back. But now, side b
side with an army that was fresh and swor
to conquer, they were renewed in hear
and savage for revenge and plunder. ;
they danced about on caracoling horses
straddIinr ca,ncls, tossing spears an