Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-01

for century.
"Give him thy water skin, Koor ALL"
said Abou Kuram, "lest no faint. II were
IN 70 die In the desert" he added, smiling
The water was dingy and beginning 10
smell badly, but just then q stagnant pool
would have been sweet, and took n huge
gulp Taking another, held it in my
mouth for a minute, then squirted It out,
sending IL, as n by pure accident, over the
sprightly Ahmed.
by my faith, like not to be spat on by
an infidel, he cried. grasping his spear as
II 10 have ut me.
The laugh was now on my side, though
perceived the danger OF indulging In IL.
"iTwas but an accident % / said apollo
getically. yet It Is good and will cool
thee"
tried to propltiate him by handing him
his fathers water skin 70 drink, but he dis
dainfully declined.
NAY. | am not a babe like thee,n be
said. "Thou shouldat have brought thy
mother with thee" and he tossed his head
as Il ho were safe from the weakness OF
thirst IN desert lmid.
Three mortal hours Of painting toll and
dripping sweat had yet to pass ere Abon
Kuram ordered halt, and then IL was but
10 iismuunt, swallow mouthful OF dry
dates aud foul lukcwarm water and scram-
BILE into the saddle again. Through the
broiling afternoon We slowed and gasped
aud pushed on, fainling, never drawing rein
ill sundown, when we stopped for pray
ers and the evening meal had scarcely
eaten when ! was asleep on the sand, and
my eyes APPEARED 70 have just closed when
those abominable drums were beating the
order TO mount and march again. Words
cannot tell how sore and tired | was or
how longed to lie down and be az peace
The feeling was Rs II some one had pound
ell mo limp nnd nature was slowly stlifen-
ing mp ugnin with the joints all out of
place and every muscle aud ligament
stretched beyond endurance But as tho
Arabs said nothing Of fatigue would have
cut my tongue out rather than complain.
Five days we painted on through scorch
lug sands under u humlng sky, and 1--WE
nights the bright Arabian moon lighted us
on our tynclleRi, hurryug march, by the
third day man and bcnst were showing do
cided signs vi exhaustion. Camels fell and
were LEFT TO die. sometimes with their bur
dens ON them, The horses Jagged with low
heads aud protruding tongues, and men
dropped suddenly from their snddlcs with
strange sterterDus noises aud lay Us sense
lCss as logs. Two went mving mad, one Of
them succeeding in killing another and
himself ere his comrades could oyarpower
him. Hollow graves, which the jRckas
and hyenas could reopen with n scratch OF
the paw, were scooped out for the dead and
their eamels given TO othora.
The young soldiers shool, and looked
anxious, for sudden death and unceremo-
niouH burlal are disconocrting 60 juvenile
nerves Thu old ones oliuched their teeth,
growing that war and the desert were not
for children, and Abou Kuram, self pos
se1sod, but a trife grimmer than az start
ing, spoke roughly about the delays So
the cayalcade toiled YEARLY on, yearnihg
90 fervently FOR rest that II forgot glory,
yet stolidly enduring the harshness Of fate
but indeed an Arab Is wildcat In vital.
itY, and more than O wildcat In the oapaC
ity 20 hear pain uncomplAluingly We
presscd silently ahead, counting the beads
Of sweat rs they rolled down and wonder
Ing how many Of us tho desert would swal-
low ere we got a chance Of taking it out OF
the enemy
Az last wo left tho sands Tor alkaline
lands scantily clothed with hard. sour
grass and saploss dimlnutiyo shrubs, and
gradually ascending TO range OF noun.
tnius that crossed cur line OF advance north
and south. IL was somewhere within those
rnmparts that VIC expected TO find Amood
Sim and his discomiited army. Being now
close upon the scene Of the lato battle, we
had 10 exercise double vigilance, for Yumen
iusel would naturally be on tho lookout
TO prevent aid from reaching the man
whom ho wished to destroy utterly Near.
ly all the cooking was done by day, no that
there might DO no fires nj night to Indicate
our presence and position, ind when we lay
down to rest the number Of sontinels was
Increased. But va reached tho foothills
without molestation and far from sorry
that we were likely 20 be able TO pick our
selves together before fighting.
"A II would be- at once extremely danger
Gus, extremely difficult and tedious to take
the whole body OF troops TO tho rendezvous
appointed by Amood Sim, Abou Kurum
decided 10 send lSoor All forward with an
escort 60 ascertain whether IL you'd not DO
possible TO elect n Junction OF the two
armies outside the mountains. IL waa near
sunset Nhea we arrived ut our hating
place, and as soon as the moon rose Koor
All and his little b,,nd aet forth, rabal still
leading,
According to the guide we might expect
them back ut tho latest by noon next day.
Noon came however, without bringing
them. Tho afternoon wore slowly on, dark
ness fell, prnyem were said and supper was
eaten, and still no Koor Ali Abou Kuran,
was getting impatient After u forced
march across tho desert, IL was oxnsper-
ating 70 be kept waiting at this stage Tho
camp lay down 20 sleep, moon and stars
kept their vigil, morning broke and still
no tidings OF the absent ones. Abou
Kufam strutted sullcnly about tho camp.
recalling his stock Of Arabian oathA Noon
came again, and again sunset, supper aud
prayers, yet there was no dgn OF koor All
and his escort
! am afraid Abou kuram went through
his dovotiunH with prcoccupied, inatten-
tive mind that evening AZ any ratio the
first thing ho did after turning his face from
Mecca was TO pour flood OF obiurantlons
on Amood sim, on Konr All, on Tabal and
NIL concerned with them. Bnt that ala not
bring them, and once more tho camp lay
down 70 rest The commander, however,
did not lio down. Long after his men were
snoring at the sky ] watched his dark and
solitary nsnte moving 10 and fro In angry,
uneasy expectancy.
There nhnll be reckoning for thls.p !
heard him inu,ter once. "Woe hetido the
man who causeth this delay
He was SIN walking about when 4 Ten
asleep,
was enjoying q happy dream, when ali
at Ouca la The blneE da,.k' No., -. .... 1