Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-03

going upon that? 1t would be a strain up
on the splendid ponies OF his companions
and they were the swiftest and most Ga.
during in the country. The most enduring!
There was one creature more enduring,
and that was real, trottfng camel. III ne
had had one he might have got to the wires
first after all. for Mortimer had said that
over thirty miles they had the better OF
any horse. Yes, If he had only had real
trotting camel! And then. like flash.
came Mortimer's words: 1T is the kind of
beast that the dervishes ride when they
make their lightning raids
The beasts the dervishes ride! What had
these dead dervishes ridden? In an instant
he was clambering up the rocks. with Alb
bas protesting at his heels. Had the two
fugitiyes carried away all the camels. or
had they been content to save themselves
The brass CLEAN from a litter OF empty
Remington cases caught his eye ano
showed where the enemy had been crouch
ing And then he could have shouted Tor
joy, for there, in the hollow, some niue
distance off, rose the high. graceful, wnte
neck and the elegant head OF such Gamer
as he had never set eyes upon before-a
swan-like, beautiful creature, as far from
the rough, clumsy baggles as the cart
horse is from the racer.
The beast was kneeling under the shelter
of the rocks with it's waterskin and bags
Of doora slung over its shoulders, and lts
forelegs tethered, Arab fashion, with
rope round the knees. Anerley threw his
leg over the front pommel while Abbas
toward the creatures neck. then violently
backward, clawing madly at anything
which might save him, and then with a
jerk, which nearly snapped his lofns. he
was thrown forward again. But the camel
was on his legs now, and the young press
| man was safely seated upon one OF the ny.
ers of the desert. 1t was as gentle as II
was swift, and IL stood oscilating It's long
neck and gazing round with its large brown
| eyes. whilst Anerley coiled his legs round
the peg and grasped the curved camel
| stick which Abbas had handed up to him
There were two bride cords, one from tne
| nostril and one from the neck. but he re-
| membered that Scott had said that 1t was
| the servants, and not the household, which
had to be pulled, SO he kept his grasp
| upon the lower. Then he touched the long,
| vibrating neck with his stick, and In an
| instant Abbas farewells seemed TO come
| from far behind him, and the black rocks
| and yellow sand were dancing past on
| 1t was his first experience of a trotting
| camel, and at first the motion. although
| irregular and abrupt, was not unpleasant.
| Having no stirrup or fixed point OF any
| kind, he could not rise to 1t, but he gripped
| as tightly as he could with his knee. and
! he tried to sway backward and forward
| as he had seen the Arabs do. 1t was q
| large, very concaYe Makloofa saddle. and
| he was conscious that he was bouncing
| about On it with as little power Of adhesion
as billiard ball upon tea tray. He
! gripped the two sides with his hands Il
|
| into it's long, swinging, stealthy trot. III
| sponge-like feet making no sound upon the
| hard sand. Anerley leaned back. with hi.
two hands gripping hard behind him. ane
| he whooped the creature on.
The sun had already sunk behind the line
| of black volcanic peaks which look like
| huge Stag heads at the mouth of the mine
| The western sky had taken that lovely
light-green and pale-pink tint which make:
evening beautiful upon the Nile. and the
old brown river itself. swirling down
amongst the black rocks, caught som,
simmer Of the colors above. The glare
the heat ard the piping of the insects had
all ceased together. In spite of his achins
head Anerley could have cried out for pur'
physical joy as the swift creature beneath
him flew along with him through that cool
invigorating air, with the virile north wine
soothing his pringling face.
| He had looked at his watch. and now h
made swift calculation Of times and dis
| tances. 1t was past when he had left tn
camp. Over broken ground it was impos
sible that he could hope to do more thai
seven miles an hour-less on bad parts