The Yale expositor., 1895-12-06


wearied force was seeking rest from the
turmoil of the day, moullah placed all
doubts at rest as to Cameron's fate by
shrieking out of the gloom that when
the next day dawned the followers of the
prophet would first cruelty the accursed
Feringhi in their possession and then
wipe the British troops off the face OF
the earth.
"Jackals," he yelled, will turn away
gorged from your corpses," but 1t was
his figurative eastern way of putting 1t.
Then Dalrympe swore he would full
fill his promise to Ethel.
To obtain the permission of the briga-
dier for his project was out of the ques-
ton, so he consulted with no one, not
even Col. Townsend. With the aid OF
sub adar he was soon dressed n Ia
Ghazl, and he borrowed the tulwar of n
dead tribesman who was lying, among
plenty of his kin, or front of the zereba.
This, with couple of revolvers con-
cealed beneath his flowing robes, con-
stituted the whole of his appliances.
and indeed Of his plan also, as he had
resolved that if he could not save Cam
eron he would endeayor to get near
him and give him the means of avoid
ing crucifixion.
The mountain village to which the
tribesmen had retreated was distant
some four miles. The road approach
ing the place was fairly free from OBJ
stacles, but it twisted and turned in all
directions as it climbed up the side OF a
precipitous gorge, finally reaching a
plateau about 1000 feet above the level
of the small stream that dashed along
beneath. The moon was trying to strug-
gle through a great cloud bank, but
gave light enough to show the way and
to distinguish objects close at hand.
Nearing the village-as no semblance
of guard was kept-he passed several
scattered groups clustered round fires
or huddled among bundles of fodder.
Many OF the men we're grooming and
their women b2adaging their wounds.
Dalrymple hIfIled painfully along,
finding the native sandals difficult to
walk in, and he came upon Cameron
suddenly. The Hon. Bob was seated on
the ground, with his hands apparently
tied behind his back, and resting
against a low mud hut, inside and In
front OF which were some twenty OF the
| tribesmen-a few smoking round fire,
the others asleep. Dalrymple walked
straight up to him. and growled "Sug'
That is the Persian for all that we
mean ahen we call a man a dog-and
mors. The action was natural In a
tril.sman and evoked no comment; IN
Dairymple's case it was fine piece OF
art He squatted on the ground close
to the prisoner and whispered.
STEADY, Bob, I've some to help you.
Cameron had nerves of steel, but the
words tried them to their utmost ten
sion. When he could trust his voice he
only said:
Thanks, old chap. It's no use. Ny
left ankle is sprained so / can't walk
yard. even If it were any good. Get
back safely and give my love to Ethel.
AS for you, God bless YOU"
At that moment a horse neighed
! loudly at some distance and Dalrymple,
/ in n second, had formed his plan. He
whispered again: Can you manage to
stand straight up when you hear a
horse coming this way?"
YES" said Cameron.
every well, be ready in five minutes. p"
Then he rose, growled another Persian
oath, eXpectorated again at the pris-
oner, and left the circle of light cast by
the fire. He had little difficulty in find
! ing the animal that had given voice.
| He was tied up in a rough shed and
seemed to be a strong beast. Ethel
said afterward that he was the best
pony she ever laid eyes upon, but she
was prejudiced in his favor. His sad
die and headgear were hanging close at
hand, and Dalrymple lost no time in
! getting him ready, although the queer
| Afghan bride troubled him a little at
| first. Then he led him out and mounted
| him, but at the same moment fellow
sprang out from the rear of the shed
and wanted to know in the name of the
prophet why a cursed thief was moving
off with his masters ghora. There was
no time for long discourse, so Dalrym-
pie gave him the weightiest reason at
command by hitting him such a crack
with the tulwar on his shayen crown
that, like Bret Harte's orator
"He smiled a kind OF sickly smile ana
curled up on the floor
And the subsequent proceedings inter-
ested him no more"
Then the fun commenced. He rode up
to the hut at canter, found Cameron
standing, swung him crossways on the
saddle in front of him, and started for
| home.
The excitement on that hillside dur
ing the next ten minutes was some
| thing remarkable. Jezoils were fired,
tom-toms beaten, gongs banged, and
not few Martini bullets whistled past
them as they galloped down the path
way. Cameron and Dalrymple weighed
J twenty-three stone between them, but
the little horse would have run away
with two more like them. There were
no other animals handy, to all appear
ances, so pursuit was out of the ques-
ton after the first 100 yards, and in
less than half an hour Cameron was in
the hands of the doctors, Dalrymple
was drinking some hot whisky and
| nil I~t<