The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-13

our rescuing friend included, simply
laid our coats and rugs on the floor
and were soon stretched on them side
by side, or heads and tails as the
case may have been.
Our sleep was not likely to be very
sound in any case, but it was fire.
quently interrupted by the custodian
of the station, who every now and
then put his head in at the window
and asked for instructions from our
rescuer as to some matter connected
with the business of the telegraph.
Sometimes our rescuer merely got up
anu talked with his subordinate at
the window, but sometimes, too, he
went out of the shanty and paced up
and down for an hour or so on the
sand outside, discoursing earnestly
with the official. The night wore
away in this sort of fashion amid
snatches of sleep and odd, perturbed
dreams. l do not think l had ever
spent whole night sleeping on
plank floor in all my life before, and
although there was something humor-
GUS and even romantic in the thought
of thus passing night Oh the Ara
bian shore, yet there was a continual
sense of weariness in the limbs and
in the frame generally which did not
make ever SO many snatches of sleep
altogether refreshing. At last the
morning came and the sun of the
East shone in upon us, and the air
was divinely bright and clear, and we
staggered up from our plank bed and
shook ourselves and wandered out to
see what the place was like, and to
hear the rescuer tell us all about it's
conditions and its surroundings.
There was Bedouin camp not far of,
we learned, and our rescuer expressed
strong wish to escort us there and
get us treated to genuine fantasia,
as it is called in those parts, much of
the delight of which consists il seeing
the Bedouins in kind of warlike
order gallop their camels at the very
top of their speed, making them look
like gigantic horses in the full stretch
of a gallop, and then suddenly turn
ing them round SO that they seemed
like to fall crash upon their gigantic
sides. and galloping them back again
while the whole plain shook beneath
their tremendous tread. The two
Younger men of the party were long
ing to stay and see this glorious sight.
But my time was pledged had to
be back in London for the not far
distant opening of Parliament, and we
had to visit the Holy Land mean
while. So we had to refrain from the
excursion to the Bedouin camp, and
to satisfy ourselves with the hope of
being able to study some Bedouin
camp outside the walls of Jerusalem.
Then, at last, the steamer came
along that was to carry us to Port
Said. Aswe could not stay with our
rescuer, our considerate rescuer came
with us and told us of everything
along the way on both sides, and
helped to make life pleasant with US
during our short stay in Port Said.
From him we learned that the keep
er of the telegraph station which had
sheltered us was native of London
and also poet. At least he devoted
all his leisure time to the composing
of verses. $50 l didn't mind turning
him out into the desert last night"
our rescuer said, ''for l knew he would
have a very happy time of it compos-
ing his poems."
''And the poems-what are they
like7"
30 well, l don't profess to be much
of judge of poetry, but l fancy they
are not any worse than some / have
seen printed in English country news
papers"
"Oh, not any worse than thatl Has
he ever succeeded in getting any of
them printedi"
mo, not as yet. But he lives in
hope"
May hope sustain him everl l was
shown some specimens of the poems.
l have seen many worse things in
print; and in big print too; and in
editions limited to two. hundred
copies.
But / think ours was a wonderful
adventure on land and sea. A wreck
on the Suez Canal, rescue through
friendly Englishman in the Khe-
dives service, night spent on the
planks of telegraph station on the
shore of Araby the blest, with an ex-
lied London poet pacing up and down
the sands meanwhile, and whispering