Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-08
CHAPTER xvilL


made Ahou kurain pause ere Joining them
u hattie against 50 Formidable an opponent
"a l'umen fusel The rest had given our
men back their spirits The tolls OF the
sescrt we're forgotten. and every heart beat
EAGERLY for the chance of spoil and glory
hat was NJ hand Amood sinns troops,
IN the contrary, though they made great
ihow Of yalor and enthusiasm at our up
proaeh, were as misefably dragged and
howneast as If they had iust crept out Of
the mire after q trampling by the enemy,
md all their shouting and brandishiug Of
arms could not hide the deathly fear that
was upon them, To put trust IN the lntre-
pidity Of such deplorlblt lnsels was ike re-
lying on the ynlor Of a company Of scare
crows
Amood Sim himself rode ont TO meet us,
nailantly mounted on richly caparisoned
charger and attended BY a suite Ia magniH-
cent drapcrios aud a blaze OF varcgatcd
colors Nature had given him a s0ldierly
figure, aud icing very gorgeously and i'm.
pOsiuply dressed be would, In looks at least,
have been The beau ideal Of a military
leader but for the irrl,olution Of the rest
less eye and general mir Of dependency
that pomp appeared pGnerless to Mt.
The meeting OF the two princes however,
was extremely cordial both disuountiug
aud embracing Ia the presence Of the as.
semhled host. But when the preliminary
civilitics were over and Abou Kuram
moved deposition 10 como 20 business,
Amoud hesitatcd made excuses and then
All Mt once became excited AID hystcrical.
Launching into a distracted tale Of the SUI
pcruntuml, which any old wife ia Scotland
would have been ashamed Of, BIO declared
he had had the clearcst ocular proof that
al. ~. j
than satan himself
AS Tor Yumen Yusel." ho cried, -four
Ishing his sword, "he is hut q child ia wari
We're he here now would shear OF bis
cowardly head ns n swift reaper takcth the
ripe barley But can man prevail against
the devllW And no cast dolefui look at
Abou Kuram as II to ANY, "lt's really use
less, you know. riskiug our lives"
"Perchancs ha Is not satan himself, but
little devil, replied Abou Kuum, who,
while not without iiiR touch Of aupersti.
ton, held Amoud'A tAucies IN contempt
81 long to yet eyes on him; n he be satan,
that may know his looks; II he DO aught
else, that ! make hia body sheath for this
sword.
"lsmy brother madn asked Amood, with
deep concern
Yea, mad with a thirst for battle" an.
vwered Abou kuram "Wlll my brother
give orders 20 have bis men made reudyp
But Amood had still multitude Of pre-
texts Tor delay For one thing Aboi ku-
ram and his gallant army must be- Toasted
ere lighting could be ~ much US thought
Of. The march hithor had been long aud
arduous, and IN belall him u 1t should ever
be said he had forgotten how to DO hospit
able 70 his friends
A iort Ertrtrt Ietrart.s ,,-. 80, F.,,,gtf..
With guile 10 be invugled With manner
that was the piuk Of oourtliuess, yet had
ia II more than suggestion Of impcHous-
ness aud atlsterity he declined festivities.
Iaying that frasting would be swuetcr after
Victory, aud thar he would ioyuusly cat the
inrcasses VI 100 sheep when Yuncn Yusol
sad his satanic lieutenant were crushed
He was aided aud abottcd h. his policy Of
aggression by lsmae Nnmnr Amood's sec
,nd Ia command, q brave and capable OIL
Ger bad he been FRYE from the trlmmcls Of
pusillanimuus superior Anood Yielded
reluctant consent the kcttleirums aud
cymbals broke ont Va noisy rivalry, and
The troops marched out u bivouau on the
plain
The chosen spot reached, Amood Sim de-
tired TO have a yermlliuu tent with luynr.
Gus state appointments Set up, insisting 80
strongly OH what was due TO his exalted
faus that Abou kuram was forced 10 point
mt In uudiplomatc LANGUAGE how exceed
iugly awkward luxurious yermiiun teutl
might prove Ia case uf O surprise or night
stack 50, murnuring bitterly about tho
uupruoely diseumforu Of campaign,
AnOod moodily ate his supper said his
prayers nud lay down beside the sniothercd
liIeS To study the starry sky and await
what further evils fate might bring. The
soldiers lay AIMED by their hurnesscd
beasts, gnawing at mutton bones like
colony Of dogs, while Abou kuram, vigi-
liant, active aud more than tribe angry,
moved about giving rapid Instructions and
speaking words OF stern announcements
Slowly the silent night wore on. The
dig bright stars t,yiukled ntfully, the moon
sailed majcstically ont into tho cmpyrean
spaces for little aud then went Der I'm.
perial way, leaving a darkness that was
fill OF vague dread and hwcsome suspi.
ciona The men, casting their mutton
boues from them, sat up with qulvering
tension OF nerve and muscle and looked 20
their weapons Mentally they were count
Ing the minutes til the light should ap-
pear for this WAS the terrorislng interval
Of blackneas when surprise ould be most
disastrous.
AL fANAn NAANNk kptntillntN comes with
the roar VI thunder, sometimes with the
stealth and hush Of death. When the
troops were beginning 10 remark with
bated breath that therc was 20 ba no mo
lestation from the enemy, suddenly the
outposts broke into wild yells, and there
was the spluttenng fro OF pronilscuous
shooting. In half second more a ring Of
fame engirdlcd us BY It's light We saw a
swarm Of rushing demons with leveled
epeais charging In among Us, and the
Screams Of pain told how cfiectunlly they
were doing their work. We leaped upon
our beasts. We charged hither mud thither
in the pitehy blaekness miAiaking friend
for Zoe, and then thne fell u silence as sud.
Sen as had been the tumult. for the enemy,
slipping from our fingers, seemed 90 have
disappeared into the earth
Abou kuram and Amood Sim held an
impr0vised council ofsar
Let ns take 70 the mountains" piped
the latter IN talsetto Of shlvering fear.
Abon kurau laid an iron hand on Amood's
trembling arm.
"'rhe cause IL thine, not miuc,n he said
with quick bat fearful emphasis. ''Do
what seemeth TO thee good Only " thou
give not instnnt orders that every coward
who seeks to ny be cut down. aud my
men with me will return MS we came aud
thou and thy possessions can 70 10 eternal
destruction
1T ~ well; it Is wellg laughed Amood
III 4. al D