The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-02-06

| slipping craftily down among the rocks
| BY this time the hadjis, animated by tho
spirit of the wronged, were behaving in q
way that was exceedingly discomforting to
| those who meant presently to appeal to
| their humanity Baruk and Rance made
their appearance at the very worst mo-
ment But there was no time to grumble
or make com.:sent. We must take fortune
as we found it and make haste to redeem
our pledges.
So gave Tabal the word, and reversing
! our spears to indicate we We're not host lie
| we bounded from among the Bedouins,
calling out we were hadjis and praying for
| protection. AT the same time we drew at
tention by pointing and shouting to the
two clambering down the rocks
Thinking, as well indeed they might, that
this was but a ruse to get their ranks
broken the pilgrims hurrledly formed up
presenting front OF leveled spears and
gunbarrels and faces that said palmer than
any language we advanced at the peril of
our lives. And as they stood close together
to receive us there went upa diabolic shout
behind. We glanced buck in terror to see
dozen of our late comrades at our heels with
lance shafts hugged, after the manner of
men who have resolved to slay without
pity.
The moment that followed was such as a
man recalls i'll his sleep with horrd, cold
sweat and creeping Of the flesh and
groanings and writings. In front was a
cleaning hedge Of steel. forbidding, i'm
penetrable behind was more steel already
poised TO strike by men to whom revenge
was as blood to the lion. Half an instant
more, and we should be fuller of holes than
u tishermen's net
Save us. Save u.s." we screamed. 1--WE
are not enemies, but friends For the love
of the prophet, take US in"
There was not the tenth part of second
to decide. The pilgrims looked swiftly
from us TO our pursuers. The steel hedge
opened, we shot through, and 1t closed
quickly again as the Bcdouins wheeled
within yard of it, brandishing their lances
and screeching vegeance. They stood awhile
vociferating, then, vowing they would yet
give us to the vultures, slowly returned to
look after their booty.
Meantime Rance and Baruk were scram-
bling down with the breathless haste of fear
straight upon the center of the caravan, as
being the point remotest from the Bedou-
ins. We spoke earnestly for them, but in
deed they required no pleader, their own
distracted manner being ample evidence of
their need. As the descent was extremely
hazardous, | hurried forward to assist
Rance, and as ran some shots were fired
from above. Poor Rance gave u little
scream, and losing her hold came toppling
into my arms. l put her gently on the
ground, thinking she must have been hit,
but II cursory examination showed she suf-
fered from nothing worse than fright
Baruk, however, did not escape so easily.
Some of the flying slugs found billet in
his left arm, and the good man being I'M
i a1 IL, OIL ii
rang with his wailngs. But there was
little opportunity to console him, for the
children of the desert having levied their
tax and been baked in their revenge had
disappeared like water in sand, aud the
caravan was ordered to proceed. So the
great snake stretched out its cunibrous
length once more, making what haste it
could to quit such ugly quarters. Rance
clung to me like scared child murmur-
ing how good was and wondering, with
many ejaculations that were strange to
Inc, If we were yet safe. I did what I could
to encourage her, till venerable man with
long white beard and compassionate
manner led her of to the company OF her
own sex. .... .....
No questions were asked of MS strangers
till the caravan halted safe ON the open
plain Then, while fires were being lighted,
We NNlG NulAFIl utAOIc SOlllt VI luG Glltl men
and requested TO give an account of our
selves. Tabal, who was plausible fellow,
with ready invention, got through the
ordeal quickly and well, but ! had more
trouble in proving myself n pious NOLAN.
medan. Perhaps IL was owing to my face,
or ii may haze been from some defect in my
accent. But one scuryy priest, who was
the most active of the inqusitors, made q
point at the beginning of doubling all
said.
art not thou a hereto mbelieverg" he
asked, bending n pair of funcommonly sharp,
black eyes ON me. Art not thou an enemy
of our holy religion, a scolfer, an infldeli
Here, what sayest thousn he demanded Of
Tnbal. is not this fellow an unbelieverg"
AS lahek Allah may heaven set you
rightl," replied Iabal. with rapt and
pious expression. surely man never knew
his Koran better"
1--WE will see" said the priest.
Whereupon, whipping out his greasy copy
of the sacred volume, he began to catechise
me with the air of one who would say
'Now you shall see me do up this hereto"
But in my enforced leisure / had not
studied the Koran in vain. To every ques
tion came a pat answer in the very words
of the prophet himself till the priest, first
amazed and then convinced, thrust the
book back into his bosom and embraced
me as true believer.
"Marhaba, marhaba' Twelcome, wei
come], he said, with feryor more embar.
raising than his doubt. II crave thy pardon
for my distrrst. Thou art indeed a worthy
follower of our holy prophet Would that
all hissons knew his words so well And now
sit thee down. El hamdu l'illah Praise be
to heaven it hath fallen to our lot to rescue
a believer from the fangs of these wolves.
Semmo [eatl.n And forthwith we all set
to work with an appetite that the exercise
with the Koran had in no wise dullod
1t required constant watchfulness, how.
ever, TO preserve me from lapsng into
Christian barbarities and heathenisms
Even Tabal had to be kept ont of my inner
secrets, and as to Ranee though doubted
not her desire to be secret. | lad careful
remembrance of the natural weakness of
woman's tongue.
Once satisfied with our credentials the
pilgrims made us as one OF themselves.
When we spoke of their kindness to stran.
gers they made ever the one answer:
.'Think We it is the will of God that any
true believer should be left to perish on the
way to the holy city? At the gathering OF
the nations, when the angels shall render
their account of mems deeds, both good
and bad, what would be our recompense il
we were guilty of such thngSn And
somehow it seemed to me the spirit was one
that Christians who boast Of their charity
might occasionally initiate with advantage.
We Travelled fast and made our dcstina
tion without loss by sickness or violence
No Bedouin molested us, because we were
1000 strong and our way lay through the
open, where the children of the desert sci
dom attack. We went by arid strips and
fertile pasture lands, among focks aud
herds and herdsmen that are today as they
were in the days of the patrarchs, and ap
pear not TO miss the blessings of ciyiiza-
tion. We paid eXtortionate tolls to legal
lied robbers for allowing us to pass where
all the world was free, and we halted foI
rejection and prayers beside pleasant wells