The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-26

burning sun beat down on q shimmerin1.
brazen sea whose metallic sheen made me
Eiddy and nearly blind. The breeze died
away and the brig lay idle. In all the vast
silence there was not a sound save the
humping of my own heart, nor q visible
object save that aggravating black speck.
BY and by / went below with some vague
Idea of luncheon, Immediately rushing back
on deck more eager than ever Hardly had
i swung myself into my place than / leaped
down again, calling out, as il the immense
vacancy were peopled, tAat beyond doubt
the thing moved and was growing bigger.
Then after awhile / saw something like
the hutter of a flag. and understood the
black speck was boat with man in it.
And he saw the brig.
"Ye-hoor' l cried, with a leap of Joy
"Deliverance at lastp And ran about
the deck like one possessed, shouting, "De-
liverance, deliverancep' and could have
wept for gladness.
But all at once cold chill struck me to
the marrow and put an end to this exhibi-
tion. What il this were some OF the crew
returningl For one brief moment my mind
was blank with fright, but the next had
taken my resolution. Swift as ever man
prepared for an enemy got two pistols and
musket, loading them and laying them
on the deck ready for use. Then went to
Mr.. Watson's strongbox, smashing the lid
with an iron bar and taking thence the
longest sword could find. That being Of
good weight and sufficiently keen. / Sc
lected Turkish dagger, and a sailors long
knife, and two more revolvers, with some
ammunition. Then arranged my srmory
and waited for the boat. It was now close
enough TO enable me TO discern that there
was but one man In IL, n discovery that
gave me confidence. With such an arsenal
and the natural advantage Of my position
the deuce was in IL II couldn't give good
account of myself.
The man was rowing hard. and the boat
came quickly over the sleeping water.
When he was within hailing distance,
stepped 20 the bulwarks and leaned over
In the same moment, resting on his oars, he
turned 20 look az me. My first care was to
find out whesher or not be was one of the
crew, but very brief examination sufiiced
to show that he was not. He began TO pull
again, and l, thinking my warlike prepara-
tions slightly overdone, hastily put my
weapons ont Of sight, reserving just brace
of pistols and dagger to meet emergen-
cies
Ny visitor did not come close alongside,
but held off little distance, as IL doubling
the reception he should receive. He was
an Arab and showed signs of distress.
Row upr' 1 called in English. never ex-
pecting him to understand that language.
"Allah is mercifulp' he responded joyfully
in the same tongue, and with two or three
vigorous strokes he was alongside. Then
for minute or so we silently took stock Of
each other. | was not enamored OF his
looks, and perhaps be was just as little In
love with mine.
"You seem rather in O bad way" I TO
marked, speaking first.
Allah is n mighty scoureer," he said.
with a shrug Of his tswny shoulders.
$50 he is replied. How do you come
TO be alone and IN such plightp
At this he worked himself into a sudden
rage. gesticulating wildly and talking Of
villains and robbery and outrage. His
story was that he bad been In command OF
a ship laden with a valuable cargo; that
the pirates had plundered him, killed his
crew, and that IL was only by the greatest
miracle he had escaped with his life. On my
inquiring how he happened to know Eng
lish. he replied fawningly that he had
learned my beautiful tongue I'm Egypt and
in Africa.
AN Arab slave dealer" I concluded st