Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-24


Fort victrins on tho edge Of the Sahara
desert.
"I'll wagcr 90 napoleons," said ono of
them "that no European ever goes from
here TO Fort ST. Denis alone and reaches
thcre aiivo.'
"Dono!' said quiet voice behind him.
Tho speakers looked around with start
and saw that a new parsonage had SUD
| denly come upon the scene-a small, thin,
swarthy Frcnchman in civilian dress.
"You must not think of 1t, my dear
SIR" cried the young lieutenant, who had
offered the wager
"Perhaps IL may not turn out to be such
| terrible business, after all, " said the lit
tie man. "I'm going straight to the colo
mel and ask his permission to make the at
tempt, and have not the least doubt that
shall get 1t"
And he did get it, sure enough, though
IL was not without n severe twinge of con.
science that Colonel Lagrange gave his
sanction.
Rash as he was, however, the bold ad'
venturer had a method In his madness,
for the first thing no did was to assume an
Arab Dress knowing that however useless
such disguise might prove at close quar-.
ters against the keen eyes of his enemies,
yet if they saw from distance n solitary
man in native garb they might not think
1t worth while to ride after him, as they
would certainly do after European.
When the hour for starting came, not
merely the old colonel, but every other
officer who was not actually on duty
crowded to the gate of the little fortress to
witness the departure of their adventurous
guest.
"Can I carry any message for you tc
Fort ST. Denis, colonel?'' asked the latter,
turning to Colonel Lagrange as coolly as
If he were only setting out for picnic in
stead of running a risk in which the
chances were 90 to l Of his being killed.
"Well, since you will CO." rejoined the
veteran, laughing in spite Of himself, "you
might give this paper to the oommandant,
and 1 only hope you'll survive to deliver
it."
There is no more grim or dreary spectacle
upon the face of the earth, except perhaps
the kindred wastes of central Asia, than
the mighty desert that stretches almost
unbroken from the palm groves Of Egypt
to the waves Of the Atlantic.
All at onoe, In the very midst of the hot,
brassy glare which makes all earth and
sky seem on fire together, the palmy crests
Of a long line Of graceful palms are seen
standing like sentinels along the edge of a
clear, still, shining lake. But 1t Is only
that fatal mirage Of the desert, which
mocks the weary eye Of the lost wanderer,
only to add a keener agony to the bitter
ness Of his despair.
visionary splendor and this weird, ever
lasting desolation were alike hackneyed
spectacles, and forward he went without
even troubling himself to look at them.
Ten miles OF the 30 had already been &C.
complished, then 12 IA, 10. He had now
achieved three-fourths Of his perilous jour
ney, and at length, mounting the crest OF
one Of tho long, wavelike sand ridges, he
deserted far in the distance the low white
walls Of Fort st. Depis, with its gay tri-
color flag Of France wSving jauntily above
1t.
But at the same moment he caught sight
of something else which was by no means
SO satisfactOry-a distant group Of white
mantles and glittering spear points and
Arab horses coming straight down upon
him.
The fact was that the French had so Of.
ten employed native messengers that every
man, even II he looked like an Arab was
now an object Of suspicion to those desert
vultures.
But when they neared our hero and saw
that he quietly continued on his way with.
out taking any notice Of them whatever
they began TO think that they must be
wrong in suspecting him, naturally sup
posing that his showing SO little fear OF
them was q proof that he could have nc
reason to be afraid.
- AS the six wild horsemen closed around
him, brandishing their guns and spears,
but still in doubt whether to attack him
or not, the disguised Frenchman drew him.
self up defantly, indulged in a series OF
those excited gesticulations which are char.
acteristic Of Mohammedan pilgrims and
then called out to them flercely In Arabic:
"Begone, transgressors Of the law! A
true believer hath no fellowship with the
sinners who violate the sacred commands
of the prophet"
what mean your asked the nearest
horseman In tone OF amazement, which
was certainly not without reason.
what call you thisS" retorted the &C.
ouser with stern emphasis. And quick az
thought he drew forth from beneath the
Arabs white mantle an undeniable pork
sausage.
A yell Of mingled horror and indigna.
sion burst from his comrades rs the "un.
: clean flesh" came to light and their holy
anger broke forth anew when the reprov.
ing stranger produced small flask OF
wine from the pouch Of another of the
band
This was more than flesh and blood could
bear. One of the jealous Moslems dealt a
heavy blow TO the wretch who thus defled
the precepts Of the holy Koran, whereupon
the fierce Arab levoled his gun and shot
him dead on the spot, being himself In
stantly shot dead In turn by the slain
mans brother.
Meanwhile the supposed sausage eater
being coarsely revilcd by two of his com.
rades, drew his sword and mortally wound.
ed both The next moment he went down