Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-19

retired without a word. AS he went out
our eyes met for a moment, and the look
he gave me was full of sorrow and pity. It
was but glance, yet it expressed more elo-
quently than would be possible in words
the conviction that was lost and his grief
at being unable to save me. or even so much
as help.
SIS there any one else to speak in his IA
vori" demanded Abou Kuram in a loud
voice. The crowd swaying violently GRAINED
its neck for an answer. None came, and
the governor Turned to me.
'Thou canst not be old, )" he said, survey
ing me for the fftieth time. "Thy face
hath the bloom and comeliness of youth,
yet already thine acts reek with iniquity;
yea, they are as carrion to the nostrils. In
what school thou hast learned thy guile
and how thou hast the heart to practice it,
know not, but thou art a match for the
hoariest headed transgressor alive. We
have had some of thy kind here lately, and
they did not return to the place whence
they came. Thou hast heard the tale Of
thine iniquities. What thinkest thou is
thy due?"
Before could give any opinion in the
matter-indeed my tongue was not at all
ready-one of the men seated by Abou
Kuram on the right interpolated:
IA ueeul6SS Qu6SIlOus NY AOEOs SdSo hLAA
to the dogs and let them tear him alive.
Then let his gnawed head be perched on
the topmost tower as warning to spies
and other malefactors."
Hewas leather faced rascal, with small,
deep set eyes, very close together, the
mouth and jaws of a bloodhound and the
shifting, sinister expression of she hyena.
There are brave and elegant gentlemen,
adventurous fireside heroes, who can dis
pose of the fear of death in an epigram.
Unluckily for myself, am not SO happily
constituted, and it was with sudden gasp
and throb of terror that now turned to
the minister. The hate of hell was in his
lowering, fanatical face-the spirit that
makes the Moslem a fiend in the fray, that
impels him to cut out an enemy's living
heart and stamp its quivering life under
foot, that in jealousy, anger, revenge or
statecraft makes him subtle, crafty, ruth
less, diabolic, an instigator of foul deeds,
a secret assassin or an open murderer, as
the occasion may require. Such spirit
cleaned sullenly from every hneament of
the minister's cruel and repulsive visage.
Crouching there, his hand upon his
crooked sword, he watched me as if he fain
would spring forward and cleave me on the
spot. His hideous countenance and glitter
ing eyes fascinated me as the serpent fasci-
mates the fluttering bird it is about to de-
stroy. My tongue was frozen. With a
tingling sense of innocence and wrong in
rery atom of my being could not utter a
.rord in self defense or vindication. could
do nothing but gaze enchanted upon the
devil which had so suddenly confronted me
in the form of a man.
Fortunately Abou Kuram had thoughts
and a mind of his own. He made no reply
to the minister's suggestion. Perhaps, be-
ing human, he pitied me in spite Of my bad
character, for l must have presented pic
ture of utter distress; perhaps after the
fashion of the great he loved the idea of
absolute power. At any rate, he made a
diversion, which set my heart leaping with
tumultuous hope. A small thing you will
generally notice is Of great effect in an ex-
tremity.
"What is that instrument on which thou
madest music?" he asked. Nay, rather"
he added quickly. ION which thou madest
witches and genii screech."
With palpitating haste answered it was
named bagpipe in my country, that it
put the spirit of victory into warriors and
the f1eetness of fear into the heels of their
enemies.
II said it was the scream of demons" he
remarked, with q chuckle. Then suddenly
his expression became oneof deep thought;
he seemed to be trying to recollect some
thing. II have it; have it," he cried, sit
ting up with a beam of intelligence. I'm
thy country are the men naked about the
Iegs?"
Partly, my lord" I answered in aston
ishment.
''They have been to Egypt, have they
not!" he said eagerly. "To Cairo, Alexan-
dria-they have looked on the desert and
shifted its sands They have likewise been
to India. They have pulled down princes,
established empires, uprooted ancient laws
and made new ones, said prayers in a
strange tongue that no man could under
stand and gone to battle with great cries.
Have they not done all this?"
my lord speaketh the TRUTH" I said,
more and more amazed.
''They are called'- He pressed his brow
as q man will to aid his memory.
"Highlanders," I shouted, beside myself
with excitement.
may, nay, not that. That is not it. /
will remember; yea, have it. Dost thou
not recall the tale of that Egyptian?" turn
ing to his minister. NAKED Scottish devils
that was it. They leap like lions and roar
like bulls of Bashan; yea, they have the
voice of the wild ass, and their tread is like
an army of horsemen that maketh the
earth to tremble"
my lord is right again." cried.
"Werh thou naked when Said Achmet
took thee in?" he asked.
mo, my lord"
He seemed disappointed at this, but his
face lighted up again as he said:
AT any rate thou hast the screeching de-
mons with thee. We have leisure this
morning. Thou shalt give Us some of the
war music Of thy land" .
IF my lord will cause room to be made
for me- said joyously.
cause room to be made for thee! Why,
dost thou swell with playing?"
Nay, my lord, but the piper must walk
to and fro to play we'll"
Thou callest myself a piper. have
heard Of the company of prophets with
thee prophesying." Saying this, he waved
his hand with laugh as signal to the
soldiers to clear a space.
make ROOM" lie called "Hearken to
the music that putteth courage in the
hearts of the naked Scottish devils"
The next instant the wondering people
were being hustled back, and the pipes
were squealing in the process of tuning up.
You may be sure that if ever piper played
with all the zeal and skill that were in him
it was then. The consciousness of the
great prize at stake was diffused like an
electric current through lips and lungs and
fingers, through head and feet and all that
lay between, giving fiery energy and ardor
to both the soul and body Of the performer.
Yet in spite of this earnestness and
the acute sense Of momentous issues hang
ing in the balance. could not help being
tickled by the righteousness Of the stu
alton. Very absurd it was to me, an Arab
in garb. highlander in feeling, to go
sailing about in flowing skirts, bursting my
cheeks for the favorable verdict of judges
who had never seen or heard a bagpipe in
their lives, who did not know one tune
or note from another, and who would be
quite likely to- decide with overwhelming
unanimity that all my merits were faults
and all my faults merits, and who were
prejudiced and incensed against me-
1t was like putting Harlequin on q trial
Of skill before a man who had never seen a
play, who detested the theater and its ira
Ill Al L. koxl