Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-29

~ u ESO SfAAO hO"'
And he disappeared.
Saun .ering carelessly hack to the fires,
which burned red and loH now, threw
myself on the ground to ruminate on all /
had just heard.
We were riotously merry. There was an
abundance, indeed superabundance, of
food; wine flowed like water in the rainy
season, and the coffee and tobacco were the
best on earth.
Suleiman, rising presently, went to see
that the ladies were being properly attend
ed and came back praising the wondrous
docility of the Indian princess. Ismoked,
looking up at the brightness of Orion, and
said nothing But in my heart was the
uuivering exultation of the schemer who
has important business on hand and knows
that failure is death.
NV next move was to enlighten Tabal. 1t
was done in few words, for now that the
heavens were bright the chance of private
talk was small But Tabal quickly under
stood all and fervently swore a vow of
fealty To Tabal's mind there was but one
serious difficulty in our project of escape.
1--WE go with the caravan to Mecca" he
said.
"Assuredly; it will do us all good"
But thou art not of our religion. Think
what that meGneth."
Il am a better Mohammedan than thy
self, good Tabal. There will not be in the
great mosque more devout hadJl than
him whom thou callest Christian. Are we
not brothers? Did not thy father put the
light of the Koran into my soul? Dost
thou think am careless about getting to
heaven? Tabal, will do the pilgrimage as
a follower of the prophet"
Tabal was convinced. and we parted to
ignore each other very studiously for the
rest of the night.
Near the dawn, when the world was
black and men were heavy, Baru returned
to me. He had got over his wtwering and
was ready for the most'desperate exploit.
1--WE will put on the green turban 1.-THE
badge or sign of such as have performed
the pilgrimage to Meccal together, Baruk,"
1 said joyfully, after listening to his prom
Use of help. Now, tell me the name of
our princess"
They call her Rance"
"a pretty name" I remarked. Let US
make her happy" Therefore as briefly
and infinitely as waspossible with words
gave himself instructions both for Rance
and for himself. Fortunately the simple
ity of the plan of attack enabled US to
make our arrangements with confidence
and tolerable accuracy.
With the first blink of light we were on
the lookout for the caravan, but the day
had worn we'll into the afternoon before
our scouts brought word it was. at the
mouth of the defile. AT the intelligence
that it was coming we settled down in our
hiding place as still as dead men, the horses
being kept some distance behind lest they
should neigh and betray US. Tabal and
had many unsupported thoughts, but as it
would be unwise to express them and it
was impossible to communicate with
either Rance or Baruk we could only wait
in silent eagerness and faith.
The pilgrims sent forward party of half
a dozen horsemen, and we were ordered
further back. Suleiman himself, with one
companion to act as messenger, remained
to observe, their place of vantage being
the hollow top of Il great rock which pro-
jected, causing curve in the path below.
Lying there fiat they had an almost unin-
terrupted view Of the pass, and by deft
clambering the messenger could reach our
ambush without fear of detection.
To keep us keen and in touch with what
was going on Suleiman sent frequently to
tell us of the movements of the horsemen.
We learned that, passing right beneath his
hiding place. they rode to the head Of the
gorge, looked dutifully about among the
rocks, and discovering nothing returned
light heartedly to report the way clear.
Then the caravan, wishing no doubt to get
to open ground again as speedily as might
be, swung its huge length into the defile
and came trailing on like an endless SER
pent. Suleiman, watching it closely, sent
back word to look to our horses and arms,
as the prospect was glorious beyond his ex-
pectation.
A little later the order for action made
the blood Jingle in our veins. Half of us
were to go to the foot of the gorge and half
to the head so that the pilgrimage might
be harassed simultaneously in front and
rear, and so the reader induced to relin-
quish a part of their Astounding riches.
The response was as prompt as might be
expected of men whose notion of heaven is
eternal plundering Almost before the
words of command were out of the mes
sengers mouth we were gathering off at a
breakneck pace into sunless chasms and
by beetling archways and up and down
dizzy sleeps that only robbers with no souls
to save would have faced. Tabal and |
were of those who went to the foot, and
fervently we prayed the pilgrims might
have a good courage and firearms for dis
tressed strangers.
In the course of a racking ride we came
often into violent contact, and in one of
the collisions, while pretending vehement
anger at the rough usage, managed to get
a word in Tabals ear.
Whatever happens, let us stick to each
other" said in quick aside. Our sig
nal for the dash is when we see Baruk and
Rance descending among the rocks"
Never leech chung as l will cling to
thee" answered Tabal And then he began
to abuse his horse for the son of mule
that couldn't keep his feet in plain road.
And the BedOuins, being closely occupied,
saw or suspected nothing.
Reaching the bottom too soon, we had to
wait behind bluff. The tail of the cara
Won i'll IUri a6 utSida tba month Of ba
pass, and it would be folly to attack till it
had disappeared after the body. While
waiting, Ibrahim, our captain, gave his in
structions briefly and pointedly. We were
to rush the camelmen, throw them into
utter confusion, seize as many laden ami
mails as we could lay hands on, and make
off with them to the rear as fast steel
could urge them. Such as were free would
protect the others, but as many as could
were to pounce on some piece of property.
In short, our business was more to pillage
than to fight, and, if the pilgrims were not
unreasonable, not a man of them need lose
his life.
With beating hearts and burning i'm
patience, we kept still till the tail should
have wriggled itself into the mountain
cleft. AS if to try our self control, our
watchers were constantly reporting that
the crucial moment had come, and then i'm
mediately contradicting themselves to re-
affirm their first intelligence the next min
ute. This went on until we were in a fever
and ready to rush from our concealment at
all hazards. AS for Tabal and me, if you
have ever laid in wait with the merest
chance between life and death and fran
tic desire to try it, you will understand
our feelings. Being apart, we could not so
much as exchange whisper, and all we
had to restrain and encourage us were the
muttered curses and comments of our COM
rades Once horse of keen scent neighed,
and Ibrahim nearly felled the brute, think
ing we were betrayed, but the tail contin-
ued to wriggle slowly on, and we breathed
again. Then word came that the last man