Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-22

bnt ia mYtais was noise that told me
death was ridirg hard at my huck
The spume flakes few up from my horses
mouth. wetting my face. md could feel
tho Increasing heaveo his TANKS Now and
then. too, had glimpse Of nd eye and
anostril like "a pit full Of blood Il was
sheer cruelty to soad him on But what
were considerations OF cruelty to one with
three flends stretching within three yards
for his lifcf was cruel as cruel could be.
plying the long sharp spurs a. fast and as
bard rs heel could drive them, in spite OF
tho gronnings and shaliings Of my victim.
so great was the strain Of terror that II
may well be imagined no fresh alarm could
affect me- Yet when vicious cry went
up, "a Il appeared, at my very ear, betoken-
ing as fancied the triumph Of the Bedou
ins, l shut my eyes with a creeping, shud-
derlng horror that made me give a little
scream. ! rode Ia darkness forwhAt seemed
mn endless time, momentarily expecting
the thrust Of cold steel In the small Of the
Lack. As Il did not come venturod to open
my eyes but nothing could have induced
me 70 look behind.
IL was now high noon aud the sun an in.
cudescent globe overhead. There may
have been clouds IN the sky, but assurcdly
there was neither shadow nor breath OF
moving air on the earth. ! stewed I'm my
soaked clothes as II dlssolving over a slow
nro and gasped and wheezcd like Ru asth.
matte shut up Ia an oven, for the CULVER
ing. simmeting heat not only broilcd tho
body, bat was as a singing acid In the ey<z
and nostrls and us burning fumes iD/the
lungs,
All at once there came n sharp puff of
wind, not sweet shd refreshing, but charged
with more poisons than ever chemist
dreamed o. Looking upward saw n great
glare in the sky, ns 1t were the reflection IT
some vast conaagration, and even az
looked the glare swiftly dcepcned, till it
appeared the heavens themselves were on
IRE. Then the fiery rrdnoss was suddenly
overcast. and dull, coppery hue took its
place, this yielding In turn, and very quick
ly, to a deep purple, and that again 10 an
ominous black. All the while the wind
came In spurts OF even greater force and
longer duration | was wondering what
all this might mean, when there burst upon
my ear great, prolonged roar, ns OF
mighty flood dashed to fury, ind turning 90
the right hand quarter / saw portentous
black cloud rushing toward mo with in.
conceivable velocity. The look showed me,
too, that / was riding alone. The Bedouins
had abandoned the chase and We're now
tearing Oh in another direction altogether.
had not taken In the situation when
was enveluped in darkness and gaspinR NJ
n bottle OF volatile salts had been pressed
to my nose. At the same time tho wind
nearly tore me from my seat, and though
could see nothing felt that my horse had
turned tail to the blast and was drifting
Ike II ship In gale or cattle in a driving
highland snowstorm. Rugged his neck
aud my mantle flew over my head. Well
Tor me 10 did, for this was the dreaded
SIMEON before which all Arabia falls down
and covers It's face as close ~ cloth will
roll. lay unable 70 breathe and In OK
qIlsite torture, my horse scuddling before
tho tempest lie stumbled often and
would have lain down but that kept the
spurs to kim. Had he had his will, in less
than half minute we should both have
been buried beneath u wreath Of sand TO
lie there until the winds came again TO un-
earth our bleaching skeletons
The storm passed on like solid wall
and no II by magic the atmosphere cleared
though could stlll SEQ the black line Of
| the whirlwlnd far ahead l looked eagerly
about Tor company, but found myself com
| plotely alone. No Bedouins In pursuit, no
! Bedouina In sight, nor indeed any living
| thing, The SIMEON had given ine my life,
| but II left me dosolHte
Dismounting and looping the bride over
| my arm, | walked "A little bit, shaking
| loads OF sand from the folds Of my dress
| Ny right leg, however, was 30 s0ru and
attn that was soon compelled tosit down,
| though ID was u long time before had any
| heart for surgery, When nc length got
/ sufficient command OF my nerves 10 ex-
| anime the wound found myself with an
| ugly cash In the right thigh, from the
depths OF which blood still oozod, The
clotted outer edges were fast hardening
aud stitionlnR 30 that the pain grew cruelty
| intense.
Perhaps IL was because attention was
directed 70 my hurt that II became all at
once 40 sensitive, but the smallest move
mcnt now caused pang that cut the
breath like stab Besides, I was In q
raging fever OF thirst. A water skin dan
gled from my saddle bow, and reached for
II In hope OF relief, IL was already crack
Ink and shriveling In the furnocelike heat
but there was a chance that some OF the
precious contents might still remain. Now
that the idea OF II came to me my whole
being called out vehamently for u mouth
ful OF water rs the sole hopo OF life. Moth
ing else could Save me.
Eagerly pushing the denied sides Of til,
skin apart, looked in. The dazzled eye:
aaw only vacant blaokness, Merclfu
heaven. II could not be that tho skin was
empty. peered deeper and deeper My
vision must DO ut fault, for II did not se'
water certainly smelled IT, Thrusting Ii
my hand brought out n handful Of mud
the refuse OF some well tramplcd into foul
mesa by strugginR, prrishing men nnt
beasts. The skin dropped from my nerve
less fingers, aud the oo1y sediment can't
dribblug out Before knew what wa
about was Hucking II for dear life, but Il
stank 30 poisonously that had to spit II
out Immediately, Yet moisture of any sou
was too precious 20 DO wasted, 80 l emptiei
the triokling nitro upon my baking wound
rubbing II IN with my finger RA nmeare
rubs his tar into the divided fleece OF /
sheep.
cannot say that the application in tn
least 0ssuaged the pain. And tho disap
pointment OF finding the skin empty CAV,
an added poignanoy TO the throhbing OF m!
inhamed throat and lips. Obi for singh
drop, Just one drop OF clear, cool water &
ease that fiery torture. Worlds upon world
would have given for 40 much liquid a
lies ON the petal OF daisy at dawn, an,
worlds upon worlds could not have pur
chased II there
bandaged the wound-that Is TO say,
bound II roughly with n rsg torn from m,
, long Arab shirt. But what mattercd 1
whether IL was attended 20 or noti VIII