Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-07-29

1hS o4ASh3 cNhS Aej hthe" Va sASS'~J
inside the walls. The camel spike ad-
vises you to Fly from Khartoum i'm
mediately. Where did you get this3'
"When 1 told him the source Of my
information he was inclined to pooh
pooh 1brahiln's letter. TT is boys
fear and fancy he said. 1--WE shall
be relieved in few weeks.
sBut the generals men found an i'm
penetrable circle around the town--a
circle that grew narrower and narrow
er. Day after day We scanned the
desert horizon for some sign of the
expected relief, but without avail.
Day after day the impression grew
stronger upon each and oil of US that
we were doomed.
"During On early morning walk
Ibratirn accostcd me as suddenly as he
had done before. FLY effendi, he
whispered. srhe city is betrayed.
My father and other Mussulma1s have
decided I'd let the Inahdi within the
gates. Disguise yourself and ay be-
fore it is too late. 7
81 shook my head, for duty kept
mo in Khartoum; and Ibrahin retreat
cd with tears in those big, honesteyes
of his.
''The very next night his warning
was fulfilled. 1t would be idle, my
friend, to tell you over again oil the
horrors of the capture, or rather be.
trayal, of Khartoum. The mahii's
soldiers were like fends incarnate.
Spent with fatigue and slender fare
we could not stand before them. Cor
don. poor fellow, was slain, aud o
remnant of us was driven, fighting for
life, from hut to hut across the city.
Finally, with empty revolvcrs
and broken swords, I found myself
in the stairway OF rudo minaret,
waiting for the death which felt to
be inevitable. 1t is all very we'll to
meet death boldly on the field of bat
tie, with comrades and friends around
one, but to sit down in dark stair.
way and count the minutes until It's
coming might make the bravest man
in the world feel uncomfortable. All
around 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
midnight, and o starless midnight to
boot. A sick feeling stole over me.
To remain cooped up thus seemed in
tolerablo. I had just resolved to rush
into the thick of the Soudanese and
sell my life as dearly as possible when
o football on the stairs below arrested
me.
Tt was the Sound of O naked foot,
and as peered, every sense on tho
alert, into the halflight by the min.
aret doorway. vaguely distinguished
q dark form aud two shining eyes.
EHVas it one of the mahdi's in search OF
human prey? gripped my broken
sword tighter and prepared for action.
'Efendi 7 whispered voice, lis it
you, protector OF the poor?'
"lhe voice was that of Ibrahim, son
of Hassan. My heart gave leap for
gladness and answered hun that it
was indeed myself.
est is good he exclaimed. My
lord, have come to save you. Hasten
down and don these garments which
I 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, sahib, mako haste!'
81 saw tho chance and seized it.
Before you could have repeated the
proverbial Jack Robinson many
times had pulled those bsggy Ma
homedan clothes over my soiled and
blood-stained uniform. turban took
the place of my khaki helmet and
around my faco I draped the white
hood which the Soudanese Arabs wear.
Then, before I could protest, Ibrahim
coolly seized handful of mud and
literally daubed my face.
"'The sahib is too white, he ex-
planned. 'The old blind priest was
always black and dirty-so kick off
your boots, sahib, and let mo daub
your feet Of went my boots; and
in minute or two my legs from the
knee down were as brown (andas dirty
as they we'll might be.
"'You are all right now, effendi," :"
said Ibrahim, let US make for the
Cairo gate.
"With oil my heart I thanked the
boy; but he would listen 10 no
thanks. 'You saved my life; I'll save
yours he said. Remember, effendi,
the mouse aud the lion. Let us hasten
to the gate.
"tBut you arc not coming 1 be-
gan; when my protest was interrupt.
ed by troop OF black mahdists surg
ing into the little by-street where we
stood. Never shall I forget the sight
they presented, in the false light OF
the burning city, with their huge pile
of hair, their ferocious faces, and their
spears and scimetars a-drip with
blood. had given myself over for
lost, when Ibrahim gripping my hand,
led me onward, calling in sing-song
tones: Room for the blind priest.
Room for AIMED, son of Ali, the sooth.
sayer. The light of Allah is upon the
blind priestl'
Taking the hint I plucked up cour-
ago enough to shout the war cry of the
mahdi. The 'iuzzy-wuzzies, entirely
deceived, joined in my cry. 'Bide
your time, holy father said one of
them; 'we'll give you plenty of Chris
tian heads later on. Then they left
us-whooping like demons down the
street, but 1brahim plucked OF my
sleeve and mechanically I followed
him. Many times VIC 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, o strong guard had been post.
ed. In the open space without many
scores of camels were sprawling.
"sA camel for the mahdl's messen.