Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-29

grown solid and 10 DO weighing upon the
world like canopy OF molten lead. Breath.
ing had been difficulty beforc-it was
positive pain now, My horse grew FESTIVE,
snorting, paving the ground and smiling at
the far darkness, now fast spreading and
deepening
An at once out OF the deathly stiffness
came little blast Of wind that tossed the
-.And spitefully ia my face and passed On
with a weird unonnny wall. Another and
another followed with low, hopeless moan
rs Of inournble sorrow, then silence agaiu
80 deep that 70 my beating senses 1t was
audible II was as n great, invisible
hoat were treadinR the loose earth and III
Ing the air. au endsss procession passing
on into the inane. And let me tell you
that the awesome sound Of unshod silence
Is n thing TO make the hair rise on the head
and tho ileAh creep on tho bones. spoke
to my horse for the sake Of company, and
my words were ghostly Eibber was star
tied nj the sound OF my own voice.
The darkness was soon an lnky blHckness
The gullen heavens were descending, aud
lmpenetrable clouds were mnrshnling 10
furbiddlng ramphrts along tho skylinc OF
the south. Then lambert fire began "a
flicker about the outer odsss Of the dense
massea, aud presently there was barne /,
my ears the long roll Of inCipeut thunder
A few minutes later big drops Of rain be
gan 10 pattor on the sand, sending up vol
umea Of dusty Etcnm.
got to my feet with 10y unspcaknble
Praise be 10 heaven, my cry Tor help hat
been heard and answered. was saved
saved from tho yulturcs and the heaping
sands Man Is an Insignificant atom In the
scale Of the universe, yet easily believes
himself the object Of u special providence.
Here wcru the streams OF water Ina the DIES.
ortt,ut for me and for me alone, wcpi
with awe and gratitude
The rain came thicker aud faster, nrsts
shower and then doluge The sun wa,
ecllpscd, and the dome overhead seemed to
be- cracking aud reudug ns Rt tho blast u
tho last trump. And indeed 10 mo 1t was
little loss than resurrection Acre woi
water, and water was life The thunder
ronred ever nearer aud louder TN worlds ui
wrecked matter seemed 20 be crashing ovei
my head. Ny oars were stunned by ia,
exploding bolts. aud ou my face felt che
hot bmuck ~ The forkeu lightning that
made the N.ldtruesl ns a sea OF fire Bui
through b. all the benohceut raiu came
down IN Nhoeta, drenching me not merul.
to the skin but TO tho very MARROW, via
uptuuel face and open mouth slsksd my
baking throat, and "a | drank, with ten
times che wocdinc,8 OF the ievored drunk
npl, / could sec my horse with his nozylo
tunnel To the pouring skies, "a II he, too,
were having y saving draft
Far Into the might tho storm doomed and
poured. While II lasted | lay stretched
inll length ON the soaking sands, slowly
turning over and over 10 that the blessed
food might cntcr no every pore. IL was
impossible 60 have too much 81 that hcav-
ems GIT, and would not mis- u dropuf &c.
Nor, while reveliug IN the shower bath, did
forget 10 fll my water skin against future
needle
Now and again had glimpaya Of crouch
Ing formH, with cycs that mntehed tho
lightning, ready To pounco upon me, hut
E0mehow they never cRmg 70 The spring
In the ait too, were whecllng things that
would aW3up down Ind then dart oil with
u cry Of disappointment at finding the
expected corpse living man.
Z In tho early morning the storm died
away and the stars came out Ia a crystal
/ line, dcwy azure thtt VIVA as the cool blue
bosom Of a SUMMER lake. Not daring 10
sleep lay md looked upa them, mediate
inRat tho maryels they must have seen Iva
the course OF the countless ages But
though nay thoughts werp serious enough
laad with good roiwonl they had not the
gloom ot the night before,
had leisure TO ponder many things be-
sides the stare such as the strange fate
that bad led nae hithor che perlR and bard.
ships that were past, those that might stlll
no To- come, tile iate OF my late companions
and my own present condition, But AZ you
may Imagine the subject that was upper
most 30 my mind was the mirnculous meet
iug with Donald Gordon, for / WIS con
WINGED that The man on the black hors,
was mono other than he
What ln the name OF all the wonders had
brought him to this strange quarter OF tn,
globe, and how came be 20 ho fighting FOL
Nunvn YgoclS rhelo were qaostlons
could nc. answer perhaps / did not try
ycry heni To answer thom, for was 90
cupicl With thn cardinal fact that beyont
all doubt Donald was 10 Arabia. tibet hA,
seen linn face Ca face, had eyon spoken I,
him md go f, huudrd glance Ia reply. nu
Tor the sudden uliahGps o. war | woul'
have declared myaelf 40 him, and be woul'
have become my lrlcnd and protector, Ii
the most unexpected way my mission cam
near a happy accomplishment, Sst cxas
pcratug to think, bad fidlcd IA utterly u
" We had boon ~ Wide apart as the poles
AAAN VIVA tthfANfAH 80 hhAA w. ~ ~ ~ NAAAi
attic success w,ia anothg cruel stroke Q
that malicious fortune that pursued Inc 5
. rclcutlossly but With q spark OF the FIR
that l had thonsht dead told myself thn
would not be conquered
Donald Gordon was IN Arabia and
, would md him nay, more, would carr
him triumphantly bnek TO Scotland an
his friends A. this bold, high proieC
; stirred me | had vision Of two sun en-
4 Drowned men IA strange, outlaidlsh gar
! erriylnR IN the cleaning At The Elms, an
! Of Isabel, after q moments mistrust, rusl
4 ing to greet aud embrace them The dele
! tahle imagination inspired mo with sue
\ heart aud energy that ! must have oxpAn,
a ed inches on tliu strength oft
The morning broke swcctly over q
waste with q goey ilush, and a sapphire r
!, dance, and a balm that was NJ Il preciol
a cordial TO mind and body, Tue sand spa
y kioo and CLEANED like the sea, aud the Ill
\ tant mountains stood out a dennlte bit
a black Inns ayaiust the pellucld westei
- horizon.
D Revived toR frtsh intercat Ia life, beg
TO consider tho means " escape from III
IL wilderness, and 30, having drcaaad n
. wound with wet rags. l climbed. not wit
j out difficulty, into che sAddiG The questii
"a was which way 70 turn. Eastward, mort