The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-04-16

gnawed by wild beasts Saw you ever
such a slaughter as that WASP Truly /
think the man on the black horse is none
other than satan himself"
For moment | wavered whether or not
i should enlighten him. Then / said very
quietly, "The man on the black horse is as
much satan as thou art, my good Tabal.
Listen and will tell thee tale" and told
him of my search for Donald Gordon and
the meeting in the battle. He listened with
wide eyes and gaping mouth, thinking, l
suspect, that suffering had turned my brain.
Thou art telling me one of the tales of
the magicians," he said, with something of
awe in his voice and manner. This pass
eth all belief"
"'Tis as true as the Koran, Tabal," / an
swered. Look you here, before thou art
many weeks older thou shalt be as a brother
to this dread warrior on the black horse"
May Heaven forbid" exclaimed Tabal
fervently. Il would not forego my chances
of paradise for ali the favors satan can be-
stow
His horror was so comical that / burst
out laughing. Ordinarily | might have
answered with my life for such an insult,
such an outrage on his most sacred feel
ings. But happily TAbal was i'm mood TO
forgive much because he loved much
II will put cool water on thy hurt" he
said as tenderly as If he were treating an
ailing and fractions child, "and on thy
head, too, for the sun hath made it hot.
Then when thou art refreshed we will talk
of our adventures since the flight and the
simeon parted us"
He had his way, and indeed il was ex-
ceedingly refreshing to be bathed, for was
still more than trile feverish. But more
soothing and invigorating than the water
were the brotherly gentleness and compass
sion of Tabal, who seemed TO make himself
responsible for my safety and comfort
When we came to recount our expert
ences since parting ! learned that he had
passed the night like myself, alone. Like
me, he had thought himself doomed, had
been saved by the rain and was looking for
human succor when spied him. Wewent
through our perils again as old soldiers re-
fight their battles and embraced at the
conclusion in pure exuberance of Joy at be-
ing together once more.
Not the least happy circumstance of our
meeting was that | got back my little
Fatima and the precious blue bag with
Duncan's pipes. To Tabal the bag was an
object of such intense curiosity that had
w BiOhhNt 'ht DtDfS anu klNt ultu Il lilt.
1t scarcely ravished him, and it frightened
the horses, so the pipes were put away
that might take formal possession of my
mare. Before parting with her, however,
Tabal must needs make as fine a speech to
her as ever gallant of the old school made
20 his mistress, dwelling with rapturous
phrase on her beauty, her fleetness, her
docility, her intelligence and her dauntless
xfNt rif In TINA pf l1a fp oil of x.vEs n
heartily said Amen"
Fortunately Tabal had some dates-they
were really what were left Of my own-and
when the ceremonious address 20 Fatima
was over we squatted on the sand and ate
a few. We dared not venture TO eat many.
for the store was small, and II was ex-
tremely doubtful when IL could be replen-
ished To make up for the shortness Of IA.
tions, we had double pull at the water
skins, and the cooling draft was sweeter
than the choicest vintage Of France
IL was again very hot Indeed after the
rain the heat seemed intenser than ever
The pungent streams were trickling into
our eyes and mouths and coursing down
our backs and arms and legs as If we were
patent self noisteners that worked the
better the greater the draft. Self mois-
teners we were with O. vengeance, but the
moisture could not possibly last long.
looked ut the thin, brown visage Of Tabal,
feeling that he must soon be converted 20
pemmiean. and /. too. was SWIFTLY under
going the same process of desccation. A
little while aud there would not be a drop
of liquid In our bodies.
The rate at which we were dissolving TO
hard fiber made it desirable 10 get out II
the glare OF the sand as quickly as might
be. Tabal agreed with me that our best
hope lay In the hills 90 the west, and we
accordingly made In their direction. II
nothing better, their rocks and chasms
would At least afford us shelter from the
pitiless sun.
CHAPTER XXiI