Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-07-20

linking that it was the enemys camp,
nd half OF them were drowned As for
ne rest they soon died of fever and star
tation, not blow being struck al them
The marshes, she told Us, were absolutely
mpassable except to those who knew the
paths: adding, what could well believe,
hat we should never have reached this
aace where we then were had we not
oeen brought there.
These and many other things we learn
rd from Ustane during the four days
pause before our real adventures began.
md. as may he imagined, they gave us
considerable cause foI thought. The
whole thing was exceedingly remarkable,
almost incredibly so, and the oldest part
of il was that so far it did more OF less
correspond TO the ancient writing on the
herd And now it appeared that there
was mysterious queen clothed by rumor
with awful and wonderful attributes, and
commonly known by the impcrsona but
To nv mind rather awesome title OF She
Altogether. | could not make 1t out, nor
could Leo, though of course he was eX-
ceedmgly triumphant over me because
had persistently Knocked at the whole
thing. A. for Job be had long since
abandoned any attempt to call his reason
his own. and left it to drift upon the sea
Of Circumstance. Mahomed the Arab,
who was, by the way. treated ciyllly, IN
deed, but with chilling contempt by the
Amahagger, was, discovered in a
great fright, though | could not quite
make out what he was frightened about.
He would SIT couched up in corner OF
the cave all day long. calling upon Allah
and the Prophet to protect him. When /
pressed him about it, he said that he was
afraid, because these people were not men
and women at all, but devils, and that
this was an enchanted land; and, upon my
word. once or twice since then | have
been inclined to agree with him And so
the time went on till the night OF the
fourth day after BIllali had left, when
something happened
We three and Ustane were sitting
round the fire in the cave just before bed
time. when suddenly the woman, who
had been broodlng in silence, rose, and
laid her hand upon Leo's golden curls and
addressed him Even now when | shut
nv ewes can see her proud imperial
form. clothed alternately in dense shadow
and the red pickering of the fire, as she
stood, the wild center Of as weird scene
as ever witnessed, aud delivered herself
of the burden of her thoughts and fore
holdings In kind of rhythmical speech
that ran as follows.
Thou art my chosen-I have waited for thee
from the beginning
Thou art very beautiful Who hath hair like
unto thee, or skin so whitet
Who hath so strong an ARM who is 80 much
a MANI
Thine eyes are the sky, and the light in them
is the stars.
Thou art perfect and OF a happy face, ami my
heart turned itself toward thee.
Az. when mine eyes fell on thee, | did desire
thee
Then did take thee 10 me-thou, my Beloved,
And hold thee fast, lest harm should come unto
thee
Av.Idid cover thine head with mine hair, lest
the sun should strike It;
And altogether was l thine and thou was alto
gethrf mine.
And so 10 went for a little space till Time was
in labor with an evil Day;
And then what befeI upon that day. Alas.
my Beloved. | know not.
But l. l saw thee no more-I, was lost in the
blackness.
And she who is stronger did take thee; ay she
who is fairer than Ustane.
Yet didSt thou turn and call upon me- and let
thine eyes wander in the darkness.
But nevertheless. she prevailed by beauty.
led the down horrible places;
And then ah, then, my Beloved"
Here this extraordinary woman broke
of her speech, or chant which was so
much musical gibberish to us, for all we
understood of what see was driving at
and seemed to fix her flashing eyes upon
the deep shadow before her. All in a
moment they acquired vacant, terrified
stare, as though they were trying to real
ize some half-seen horror She lifted her
hand from Leo's head, and pointed into
the darkness We all looked, and could
see nothing; but she saw something, OF
thought she did, and something evidently
that affected even her iron nerves, for,
without another sound, down she fell
senseless between US.
Leo, who was growing really attached
to this remarkable young person, was in
great state of alarm and distress, and 1,
to be, perfectly candid was in a condition
not far removed from superstitious fear.
The whole scene was an uncanny one.
Presently, however, she recovered, and
sat up with an extraordinary convulsve
shuddcr.
"What didst thou mean, Ustane?" ask
cd Leo, who, thanks to years of tuition,
spoke Arab very prettily'
NAY, my chosen" she answered, with
little forced laugh; II did bnt sing unto
thee after the fashion of my people.
Surely meant nothing. How could
speak Of that which is not YETI
"And what didst thou see, Ustane2' |