Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-24

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formed circle as IL to see fair play to tn,
champions, were Koor Ali and the man OF
the black horse in a hand to hand fight.
do not know how long they had been at i
before CHANGED to see them, but the con
test did not last long after my coming up
| Koor Ali was q good soldier and an exper-
| swordsman, but his fate was upon him.
The man on the black horse first tipped
off an ostrich plume from the others tur
ban, then some ribbons, then he shore
piece off each side as if showing the easy
and dainty precision with which he handled
his weapon. Two or three swift passes fol
lowed, then rising quickly in his stirrups
| with lightninglike stroke he Glove his
antagonist from crown to breastbone sC
that half fell either way. AS will be seer
later on, this stroke was never learned IL
Arabia. From the raised sword hand Of
the divided man dropped the sword, but
the arm itself remained rigid in the air, as
if with a final threat of vengeance, and
| there rose from the split throat a shrek
which haunts me to this day. Then, the
horse wheeling under a sudden convulsive
pull of the bride hand, the body tumbled
from the saddle to be mangled by thou.
sand hoofs.
Waving hu blood red saber above his
head, the victor leaped his horse straight
into the heart Of a group of our men, and
the hacking and hewing went on with dou-
BILE vigor amid peals of triumph from the
enemy.
Abou Kuram must have seen what had
happened, for Just then he tore up, his face
black with passion, and riding over all that
INSTRUCTED his way made direct at the
champion of Yumen Yusel. That diabolic
swordsman catching sight of Abou wheeled,
both horses reared together, and the blades
of the riders met with vicious clash. Both
sides sent up terrific shout, for the cru
cial moment had come.
In the fierce tumult, the mad swirl and
crush of the roaring vortex, could see the
fighters only in partial glimpses. But it
was plain that here were two men who did
each other honor, plain from the quick,
sharp swish and ring of their swords and
from the madness Of the onlookers. Win
who might, there would be tale to tell
that would cause breathless awe and inter
est in the black tents for many day to
come
Both armies swayed up in resistless bill
lows to watch the encounter, for on Arab
an battlefelds the rank and file at times
suspend operations to watch their betters
give.and take blows. 1t was hard to i'm
agine, however, that they were mere spec
tators, for in the jam of man and beast
lance and butt end were used with all the
freedom of battle and curse and scream
still mingled AS for me, my condition
was little short Of distraction. Carried
about like u leaf on boiling waters. should
probably have been done to death many
times over but for the amazing ingenuity
and agility Of my mare in lodging in the
crisis of press.
judged of the progress of the fight by
the varying behavior Of the partisans who
were nearest the center. Once or twice
had terrible glimpse Of two furious men
reaching for each other with flashing
weapons on horses that seemed to rear and
grapple like lions. But l could not tell
how the advantage lay.
was soon to know. Suddenly Yumen
4usels men sent up deep roar that sent
the blood dizzily to my head and made me
dash into the thickest of the crush regard
less Of peril. was just in time to see the
end.
The man on the black horse had evident
ly estimated tho skill and strength of his
antagonist and had begun his old game.
Down came Abou Kuram's bobbing os-
trich plume; then, SO quickly that the
shearing instrument was darling sun
beam, the crest of his turban followed. Then,
both horses rearing upon each other, there
was a wild leap to either side as the spurs
went wickedly home, and ere the black
charger had we'll touched ground he
swung rapidly round rs on pivot. The
next second Abou Kuram, too, was about,
but as he turned his sword arm dropped by
his side almost clean cut from the Shout
der, and the sword itself went rafting
among his horses boots. The lightning
could not have hit quicker than did the
flon aol- 10
dismay and amaZement He made a pass
as if to run the wounded man through the
body, but changing his mind he struck
spurs to his steed and leaped in among our
men, moving a way for himself like a reap
er in field of barley.
The scene that followed is not to be de-
scribed. Bursting like an overcharged
dam, our men rushed headlong to all points
Of the compass, cursing, screeching, tramp
ling and stabbing each other in the fury of
their flight, and the lances of the conquer
ors were hard behind wreaking a pentup
vengeance.
In momentary block of the sweeping
torrent, which carried me with it as piece
Of broken driftwood, Yumen Yusel's cham
pion slashed his way across my front, SO
that saw his face full for the first time.
My heart was humping against my ribs
with fear and excitement, but when !
looked on him it stopped. and gazed with
open mouth.
Where had l seen that face, so familiar,
SO handsome even in its terror In a dream
of the night, in a waking visionP Like
flash came the answer. That was the face
which Isabel had shown me in picture in
The Elms. AS the knowledge came to me
he dashed in another direction, and l, find
ing my tongue, screamed after him, don
aid Gordon, Donald Gordon" fanced he
turned ut the cry, but the rushing tide car
ried NE off, and my shouts were drowned
in the Gproar of the yelling, shrieking mob.
The next minute / was riding for my life
in the middle Of band of fugitives with
half a hundred cruel lances hard at our
back.
OH D'TEP Wv