The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-13
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

| Geographical society of that name, had
| years ago been lost, and his fate had re-
mainsd n complete mystery. This, then,
| was message inscribed with apparent
difficulty within tho impregnable cit
adcl OF the warrior sultan of Borku,
whose little mountain kingdom was sit
uatc five hundred miles south of Mour-
! zouk, between the 1ibesti mountains
and Lake Tsad secret that for half
century had been in the keeping %
Arabs who could not decipher it.
What might not be buried at the spot
indicated by this curious relic of the
great traveller? My curiosity was ex-
cited 10 the utmost Impatient TO in
vestigate the truth, but compelled, new
| ertheless, 10 remain silent until such
time as l could escape from my unde-
sirable companions, concealed the disc
in my gandoura and rose TO join Abdul, :,
! MelilI at his morning meal.
Khadidja's escape caused the old OUT
| law intense chagrin, and his anger
knew no bounds, but luckily no sus-
| picion fell upon me, and, having re-
NAMED with them during two whole
moons, i succeeded one day, when we
were near the town of Rhat, in evading
! them and getting away. As quickly as
| possible / returned to In Salah, where
] exhibited the metal disc with it's
| strange inscription to Capt. Chandioux,
who became at once interested in il, an :,
nouncing his intention to accompany,
me next day 10 investigate the truth of
the engraved record.
With an escort of twenty Spahis, all
well mounted and armed, we rode out
of In Salah at dawn, and for nine days
continued our journey across the desert
due eastward, first taking the caravan
route to Tarz Quill, beyond the French
boundary, and continuing through the
| rocky region of the Ibehaouen and
across the Diedid Oasis, until one even
ing, at the maghrib hour, the high
white walls and three tall minarets OF
the desert city of Zcmnou came within
view. IL was unsafe tn take the Spahis
nearer, therefore we returned and
bivouacl<ed until darkness set in.
| Then, dressed in the haick and burnouse
of the Arab of the plain, ChandiouN
with myself and three Saphis, carrying
spades concealed beneath our flowing
| -drapery, approached the town and crept
under the shadow of the walls until we
reached the Bab-el-Oued, or principal
| gate. Guarded by strong watch towers
on either side, the gate was closed, and
silentlywe crept, anxious and breathless,
on over the sand westward until we had
counted twenty PAGES and reached the
second bastion.
Then, after glancing eagerly around
TO reassure ourselves that we were not
observed, we all five commenced TO Jig
beneath the wall. Discovery, we knew,
would mean death. The sand was loose
but full of stones, and for some time wo
worked without result. Indeed, L be-
gan to fear that some one had already
been able to decipher the record aud
obeyed its injunctions. when suddenly
the spade of one of the Spahis struck
something hard, and he uttered an
ejaculation. With one accord we
worked with will, and within ten min
utes were unearthing an object of ex-
traordinary shape. At first it puzzled
us considerably, but at length, when
we had cleared the earth sufficiently to
remove IL, we made a cursory examina-
| tion and discovered 1t was kind of
stool with semi-circular seat, support
ed by six short columns Of twisted gold
in imitation of serpents, the seat itself
being of gold inlnid with many precious
stones, while the feet consisted of six
| great yellow topazcs, beautifully cut
and highly polished, held in the SER
pents' mouths. Tho gold had become
dimmed by long contact with the earth.
but the gems, as we rubbed off the sand
that chung to them, cleaned and spark
led in the tapers' fltful rays.
The stool, or throne, was so heavy
that il was with difficulty two men
dragged il out of the trench, and breath
| less with anxiety we all lent willing