Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-05-02
CALLING THE CAMELS HOME.


dismounted and led hi horse, walking
In front With the bride relns tse1nd his
back, the agony Of fear made them
sweak - the eliloplps had ~ failed
10 Do. Il was paiqfn 70 - Ne fae.
dAsteuded no0trllat " SlaAqg 1Yss "a
the trsmbis q s*6ly musls n 1hsir
hard.kn1t frames.
The clash q the f,oofs and the ognin.
ors sllds - the hard iron h)e ne unre-
lentlng bowlder made boAh man and
horss thrill With sbsoluts tefyus. Il
was simpiy awful. No<4lng but the
Lust Of blood, when man hunts man
the greatest and most exciting hunt Of
all-couh have steeled the hearts Of
the puNueN. NotAng but the b(ipd
trust In company, which dslvO the
warhorss Into the deadly chaege -<he
hSdeoD companionshAp q perfect feae
could have enabled the hosves 70 suo.
coed In <his ewful enHspsaso. Their
Srcam cent . oold sAu66aS 6uWn tho
plnes Of the men. TsarU OtASeod 10
BakDhan Khan's eyeo q the agony Of
he beloved marc. He vented &c feel.
inGs II curves, and - did ~ WhiGe
brother. The passage dld uoe last
twsney minutes. Il might have been
twsn<y hours.
An reached the plain IN safety. hut
the hoF0eo wees spsnk WIKI terror. The
camslD were eeen not half . mile ahead
making for the ravines a. fast % blows
could urge them. The Dngiishman pull.
ed out BIZ nask and. pouring q few
drops On bic handkerchief, wiped the
hoEveV uostetO. Then he mounted.
Bal1hon Khan breathed Into he mares
ncOtrils, and GuNiit Singh mounted
and spurred. Waxir Khan, calling
aloud on Allan, mounted. too. At iirst
. tsoA- lssble and uncertain; then, %
thev fek good, arm ground, Q gailop.
The horses rsgained courage with pace.
The came6 noaSed the ravlncs % the
pursuerU raced bard for chem. In that
supreme moment there was nothing
known Of race or creed or color. Tue
Bnuch, Sikh. PaHhan and Engiishmnn,
each swearing indiscTiminateiy at zach
other. raced for blood.
Another 800 yards. A camsl's lead.
ing rope breaks and the jo6e6 brute
sands Sdll. 4 yell Of Joy from Inc pur.
susss. A ooupls q ahos from tho
wasins. Bakshan Nhap nuiis Up. and
10 OF his mare like Q eH4ak Of NIGHT.
ming. A shot from his ride hits tho
man who - striving to drive the camel
on. The rest sweep On WITH . yell!
Another 200 yards to Cross! They have
them! No!
They reach the brink Of the tirst
ravine to ind nothing. In Q way In.
conceivable. except to an actual DO.
holder. there remains only q solitary
camel and o dying man bleeding from
a bullet wound In the back Of the neck.
Tho rest are a. clean gone a. II the
earth had swallowed them IN.
Il 10 hopeless to search those endless
ravine0. The horses were quite done
up. Eight hours hard going across
that dreadful country at an average Of
Ave miles an hour make It far more
desirable to make for home 40 quickly
% possible. 81 they loaded the dead
Mashud on the camel, and, after rest.
Ing q couple Of hours. began to wend
their weary way home by the easiest
ways known. The horses found water
and grass about nightfall. and the sew.
On weary and hungry men forgot oil
differences Of race and religion In con.
sidering their safety and relief In that
dangerous desert. Each man put his
provisions out on dat rock, and then,
under cover Of the dark. each went
alone and took his share. The Mussul.
man drunk from the English nask, the
Sikh ate the Musuiman's chupatties.
tho Englishman took and smoked . pin
Of the blessed opium. Surely God scnt
that drug for mans solace In has hour
Of utmost need.
Il was nearly noon next day when
the pursuers returned TO the post. After
taking ok hours dead sleep II was
time to attend 10 business. Habibuilah
had recognised his camel and also the
dead man - man he had met on the
road near Mir All Khel, who had said
he was q coolie on the road. Tue great
question now was how to get the 70.
naming eight cameis hack. At the
instigatdon Of Bakshan Khan the fol.
lowing device was adopted: A rope
was hung from one Of the big beams
supporting the roof Of the gate. and
Bakhtawar, mounted on gth-box, wa
placed with the moose GROUND his neck
In this position he was told before hil
fellow prisoner that unless the camcla
return safe and sound before the third
sun his corpse would be burned on the
dunghilh below the post. Tue Other
youth was then stripped to a garment
doing duty for shirt, soundly logged
and then hunted out Of the post de-
fenseless. II had previously been as
certaaned that the two were cousins
and that Bakhtawar was the son Of q
man having some influence. The deat
mans corpse was not to be burned un
les the camels failed to return. HI
was also an influential person-or hat
been.
All that now remained was to war
and trust that the camels would be re
stored. IT was q game Of grab. Thu
young Mahsud. bore himself with {
calm Indifference to his fate. He ever
pretended that he was q Ghazi, and a
such could not burn. One could po
but admire his courage. None th'
less vas he carefully guarded under {
SIKH guard, no Mussulman being allow
| "a - asnDvonxrh him N<,w SA,o Solkt Z,