Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-23
lS&MN 79NNR
JJonIA.fzlAzr:
copyright. 1919, by John Alexander Steuart.l
CHAPTER XVIII.

| When early in the afternoon the two
armies effected a juncture, the aspect OF
the allies was such as might we'll have
made Abou Kuram pause ere joining them
in battle against so formidable an opponent
rs Yumen Yusel The rest had given our
men back their spirits. The tolls Of the
desert were forgotten, and every heart beat
eagerly for the chance OF spoil and glory
| that was at hand. Amood Sims troops,
on the contrary, though they made great
] show Cf valor and enthusiasm at our APP
preach, were rs miserably draggled and
dCwncast as il they had just crer: out of
/ the mire after a trampling by the enemy,
and all their shouting and brandishing of
arms could not hide the deathly fear that
was upon them. To put trust in the intre-
pidity of such deplorable losels was like re-
| lying on the Yalor of a company of scare
| Crows
Amood Sim himself rode out to meet us,
calamity mounted ON Il richly caparisoned
/ charger and attended by suite in magnifi-
cent draperies and a blaze of variegated
colOrs. Nature had given him soldierly
| figure, and being very gorgeously and i'm
pusinCly dressed he would, in looks at least,
! have been the beau ideal of military
leader but for the irresolution of the rest
less eye and general air of dependency
that pomp appeared powerless to lift.
/ The meeting of the two princes, however,
was extremely cordial, both dismounting
and embracing in the presence of the as
! sembled host. But when the preliminary
| civilities were over and Abou Kuram
! showed disposition to come to business,
| AmOOd hcSitated. made excuses and then
! all at once became excited and hysterical.
Launching into a distracted tale of the SUI
pernatural, which any old wife in Scotland
/ would have been ashamed of he declared
he had had the clearest ocular proof that
the man on the black horse was none other
than satan himself.
LAS for Yumen Yusel," he cried, flour
ishing his sword, ''he is but child in war
Were he here now l would shear off his
cowardly head as a swift reaper taketh the
ripe barley. But can man prevail against
the devil:' And he cast doleful look at
Abou kuram as if to say, Its really use
less, you know, risking our lives"
"PerchanCe he is not satan himself, but
a little devil, replied AbOu Kuram, who,
while not without his touch OF supersti-
ton, held AmoOd's fancieS in contempt
Il long TO set eyes on him; if he be satan,
that may know his looks; if he be aught
else, that l make his body sheath for this
sword"
Ismy brother mad." asked Amood, with
deep concern.
Yea, mad with thirst for battle" an
swered Abou Kuram. will my brother
give orders TO have his men made readyg"
But AmOOd had still a multitude of pre-
texts for delay. For one thing Abou ku-
ram and his gallant army must be Toasted
ere fighting could be so much as thought
of. The march hither had been long and
ariuous and i'll befall him if it should ever
be said he had forgotten how to be hospit-
able TO his friends.
AbOu kuram, however, was too familiar
with guile TO be inveigled. With manner
that was the pink of courtlineSS, yet had
in it more than suggestion of imperious-
mess ana au>terity, he declined festivities,
saying that feasting would be sweeter after
victory, and that he would joyously eat the
carcG~SeS Of 100 sheep when Eumen Yusel
and his satanic lieutenant were crushed.
He WAS aided and abetted in his policy of
aggression by Ismael Numar, Amood's sec
oud in command, a brave and capable Off
Ger had he been free from the trammels of
u pusiilaninOus superior. Amood yielded
4 reluctant consent, the kettledrums and
Cyulbals broke out in noisy rivalry, and
the troops marched out TO biv6uac On the
plain.
The chosen spot reached, Amood Sim de-
sired TO have vcrmilion tent with luxur-
iOus state appointments set up, insisting so
strongly on what was due to his exalted
rank that AbOu kuram was forced to point
out in undiplOmatic language how exceed
ingly awkward luxurious yermilion tents
might prove in case of a surprise or n night
attack. So, murmuring bitterly about the
unprincely diScomfOrts of 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 1a.- l,y tIair hor
beasts, guawiug at mutton bones like
colony OF dogs, while Abou kuram, vigi-
liant, active and more than a trifle angry,
moved about giving rapid instructions and
speaking words of stern encouragement.
Slowly the silent night wore on. The
big bright stars twinkled fitfully, the moon
sailed majestically out into the empyrean
spaces for little and then went her i'm
perial way, leaving a darkness that was
full Of vague dread and aweSome suspi-
cions. The men, casting their mutton
bones from them, sat up with a 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 blaCkneSS when a 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
batcd breath that there was to be no mo-
Hesitation from the enemy, suddenly the
outpuSts broke into wild yells and there
WIS the spluttering fire of promiscuous
shooting. In halfa second more a ring of
flame engirdled us. BY its light we saw
swarm Of rushing demons with leveled
speaIs 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 pitcLy blackness installing 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 shivering fear.
Abou kurau. laid an iron hand on Amoo6's
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 as we came and
thou and thy possessions can go to eternal
destruction"
1T is well; it is well!' laughed Amood
Sim Historically. Il did but jest. By
this right hand, the man who fieth foot
shall have death for his portion. Proclaim
it abroad, Ismael Numar. If there be any
man afraid to fight, bring him here that
may cleaye the dog in twoI 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 tlocks that have ever fed on them.
See thou to it, Ismael Numar, that every
coward shall be put ingloriously to death"
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
intnllirrnrca that ha lnu harnnd n srrallina