The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-08-03

evitable. Ii is all very well TO meet death
boldly on the Geld of battle, with comrades
and friends around one, but To SIT down in
"a dark stairway and count the minutes un-
til its coming might make the bravest man
in the world feel uncomfortable. All
around l heard the hideous sounds of
slaughter and watched through "A tiny loop
hole In the wall the red flames shooting
across the sky-for it was midnight, and
starless midnight TO boot. A sick feeling
stole over me To remain cooped up thus
seemed intolerable. had just resolved to
rush into the thick of the Sudanese and
sell my life as dearly as possible, when
football on the stiars below arrested me.
at was the sound of a naked foot, and
as i peered, every sense on the alert, into
the half light by the minaret doorway
vaguely distinguished a dark form and
two shining eyes. Was it one Of the NAH
dis in search of human prey? gripped
my broken sword tighter and prepared for
action.
"'Effendi, whispered "A voice, is it you,
protector of the poor
"The voice was that of Ibrahim, son Of
Hassan. My heart gave "a leap for glad
ness, and L answered him that it was in
deed myself
" 1t is good, he exclaimed My lord,
have come to save you. Hasten down
and don these garments, which / have
brought you. They belong TO the old
blind priest who lodged with my father
He died last night, but nobody knows of
IL yet. You can pass as the old priest and
| escape Make haste, sahib, make hasteP
81 saw the chance and seized it, Before
you could have repeated the proverbial
Jack Robinson many times l had pulled
those baggy Mohammedan clothes over my
soiled and blood stained uniform. A tur-
ban took the place of my khaki helmet,
and around my face / draped the white
hood which the Sudanese Arabs wear.
Then before / could protest Ibrahim coolly
seized IA handful of mud and literally
daubed my face.
"'The sahib is too white he explained.
The old 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 n 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
Z" But you are not coming began,
when my protest was interrupted by n
| troop of black mahdists surging into the
| little bystreet where we stood. Never
shall forget the sight they presented in
| the false light of the burning city, with
their huge piles of hair, their ferocious
| faces and their spears and scimiters a-drip
with blood. / had given myself over for
lost, when Ibrahim, gripping my hand, led
me onward, calling in singsong tones:
Room for the blind priest. Room for
| AIMED, son of ALI the soothsaSer. The
light of Allah is upon the blind priest
"Taking the hint, l plucked up courage
| enough To shout the warcry of the mahdi.
| The fuzzy wuzzies entirely deceived,
| joined i'm my cry. 'Bde 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 i 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 confusion,
q strong guard had been posted. In the
open space without many scores of camels
were sprawling.
ga camel for the mahdi's messenger
cried Ibrahim i'm his shrill voice. 'Ho,
brothersl A camel for the blind soothsay
er, AIMED, son of Ali, who bears the
mahdi's defiance across the DESERT
"A dozen dusky warriors surrounded us,
and as many awkward camels were prod
ded to their feet. One Of these ungainly
beasts was made to kncel, while Ibrahim
made great show of helping the supposed
blind priest to seat upon its back.
"Just then n tall fuzzy wuzzy'-clearly
| an ofliccr-rushed forward Who is this
he demanded. Where does this man gos
The orders are that none shall leave the
gates before daybrcak.
"My heart sank; but, fortunately for us,
the natural superstition of the Arabs CAME
to our aid Have n carer cried one of the
soldiers 1t is blind priest, soothsayer.
He may curse you. 80. The officer step
ped back involuntarily, eying me with
fear. Give us your blessing, holy father,
cried a dozen onlookers.
Here was new predicament. l could
not remember enough Arabic at the mo-
ment to give the desired blessing, but "A
whisper from Ibrahm recalled to my mind
a simple form of words, which, eked out
by discreet mumbling on my part and the
loud responses of the boy, suited the Arabs
we'll enough. They Frustrated themselves,
the officer with the rest, amid great cry
| of Allah Akbar' Then Ibrahim smote
our camel soundly, and away we went,
| through the outposts speeding fast from
| the CORY city of khartum
"The perils and adventures of the jour
ney were too numerous to be told at one
| sitting, but it was nearly a month after
| that awful night that our camel limped
| into Cairo carrying on his back two ENACT
atcd fugitivcs who had once been AN officer
| of the line and an Arab boy.
"Ibrahim has been all round the world
| with me since and will probably continue
| to be my comrade until one of us twain de
| parts this life forcvcr-ch, 1brahim cid
l friend?"
/. The Arab lad smiled and spread ont his
I hands. "My fate is thine, cffendi, " he said
| "You saved my life"
"On that score, lhrahim," answered
| Captain Grimshaw, IL think that we are
| quits. Remember Khartum. " - Atlanta
| Constitution.