The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1896-07-09
IIFE FOR a LIFE


! doomed.
During an early morning walk Ibra
him accosted me as suddenly as he haG
done before. Fly, effendi,' he whisper
ed. The city is betrayed. My father
and other Mussulmans have decided tC
let the Mahdi within the gates. Dis
guise yourself and fly before it is toe
late.
81 shook my head, for duty kept me
in khartoum: and Ibrabim retreated
with tears in those big, honest eyes OF
his.
"The very next night his warning
was fulfilled. 1t would be idle, my
friend, to tell you over again all the
horrors of the capture. or rather be-
trayal, of Khartoum. The Mahdis sol.
diers were like fiends incarnate. Spent
with fatigue and slender fare we could
not stand before them. Gordon, poor
fellow, was slain, and remnant of us
was driven, fighting for life, from hut
to hut across the city. Finally, with
empty revolver and broken sword,
found myself in the stairway of rude
miraret, waiting for the death which
felt would be inevitable. 1t is all very
well to meet death boldly on the field
of battle, with comrades and friends
around one. but to sit down in q dark
stairway and count the minutes until
its coming might make the brayest man
in the world feel uncomfortable. All
around l heard the hideouS sounds of
slaughter and watched through tiny
loop-hole in the wall the red flames
shooting across the sky for it was mid
night, and a starless midnight to boot.
\ sick feeling stole over me. To re-
main cooped UP thus seemed intolera-
bic. l had just resolved to rush into
the thick of the Soudanese and sell my
life as dearly as possible when foot
fall on the stairs below arrested me.
ut was the sound Of a naked foot,
and as l peered, every sense on the
alert, into the half-light by the minaret
doorway, 1 vaguely distinguished n
dark form and two shining eyes. Was
it one of the Mahdis in search of hui
man prey? gripped my broken sword
tighter and prepared for action.
'Effendiv whispered a voice, is it
you. protector of the poor?
''The voice was that OF Ibrahim, son
of Hassan. My heart gavo a leap for
gladness and l answered him that it
was, indeed, myself.
1T is good he exclaimed. My
lord, have come to save you. Hasten
down and don these garments which l
have brought you. They belong to the
old blind priest who lodged with my
father. He died last night, but nobody
knows of it yet. You can pass as the
old priest and escape. Make haste, sa-
hib, make hastev
81 saw the chance and seized it. Be-
fore you could have repeated the pro-
verbal Jack Robinson many times /
had pulled these baggy Mohammedan
clothes over my soiled and bloodstained
uniform. A turban took the place Of
my khaki helmet, and around my face
l draped the white hood which the
Soudanese Arabs wear. Then, before
l could protest, Ibrahim coolly seized IL
handful of mud and literally daubed
my face.
1.-The sahib is too white he explain
ed. The olL blind priest was always
black and dirty-so kick off your boots,
sahib, and let me daub your feet Off
went my boots; and in minute or two
my legs from the knee down were as
brown (and as dirty as they well might
be.
"'You are all right, now. effendi,'
said Ibrahim, let us make for the Cairo
gate
with all my heart thanked the boy;
but he would listen to no thanks. You
saved my life; I'll save yours he said.
Remember, effendi, the mouse and the
lion. Let us hasten to the gate
"'But you are not coming be-
gan; when my protest was interrupted
by troop Of black Mahdists surging
into the little bystreet where we stood.
Never shall forget the sight they pre-
sented, in the false light of the burning
city, with their huge piles of hair,
their ferocious faces and their spears
and scimeters a-drip with blood. had
given myself over for lost, when Ibra-
him. gripping my hand. led me onward.
calling in sing-song tones: Room for
the blind priest. Room for AIMED, son
of Ali, the soothsayer. The light of
Allah is upon the blind priest
Taking the hint l plucked up cour-
age enough to shout the war-cry of the
Mahdi. the fuzzy-wuzzies,' entirely
deceived. joined in my cry. 'Bide your
time, holy father said one of them;
wen give you plenty of Christian heads
later on Then they left us
whooping like demons down the street,
but Ibrahim plucked at my sleeve and
mechanically 1 followed him. Many
times we met parties of the Mahdists,
but in the darkness our ruse succeeded
beautifully, and we reached Cairo gate
in safety.
around the gate, despite the con-
fusion, n strong guard had been posted
In the open space without many scores
of camels were sprawling.
ga camel for the Mahdi's messen-
gerv cried Ibrahim in his shrill voice.
'Ho: brothers! A camel for tn, blind
soothsayer, AIMED, son of Ali, who bears
the Mahdis defiance across the desert
"A dozen dusky warriors surrounded
us, and as many awkward camels were
prodded to their feet. One of these un-
calmly beasts was made to kneel, while
Ibrahim made 4 great show of helping
the supposed blind priest to a seat upon
his back.
'Just then tall fuzZy-wuzzy-clear
ly an officer-rushed forward. who is
this?' he demanded. Where does this
man go? The orders are that no man
shall leave the gates before daybreak.'
"My heart sank, but fortunately for
us the natural superstition of the Arab
came to our aid. Have 4 carev cried
one of the soldiers. 1T is blind priest
a soothsayer. He may curse you
The officer stepped back involuntar-
lily, eying me with fear. Give us your
blessing, holy father cried dozen on
lockers.
"Herc was n new predicament. /
could not remember enough Arabic at
@l,o Jnc;,nI ii