Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-10-03

between a highly charged correspondent
and an electric wire he does it at his peril.
My dear Anerley, tell you frankly that If
you going to handicap yourself with
scruples you may just well be in Fleet
street as in the Soudan. Our life Is ir-
regular. Our work has never been system
affixed. No doubt it will be some day. but
the time is not yet Do what you can and
how you can and be first on the wires;
that's my advice to you; and also that
when next you come upon campaign
money can buy. Mortimer may beat me
or 1 may beat Mortimer, but at least we
know that between us we have the fastest
ponies in the country. We have neglected
II am not SO certain of that" said Nor
timer, slowly. you are aware. Of course,
that though horse beats camel on TWEEN
ty miles, camel beats horse on thirty"
what! One Of these camels?" cried
Anerley, in establishment.
The two seniors burst out laughing.
mo. no: the real high-bred trotter-the
kind Of beast the dervishes ride when they
| make their lightning raids
Faster than galloping horse?"
"Well, 1t tires horse down. 1t goes
neither halt nor drink and 1t takes rough
ground much better than a horse. They
used to have long-distance races at Halfa,
and the camel always won ut thirty"
Scott, for we are not very likely to have
| to carry a thirty-mile message. They
| win have the field telegra phi next week"
quite so. But at the present mo-
Il know. my dear chap; but there is no
| motion of urgency before the house. Load
baggles at o'clock. so you have just three
| hours clear. Any sign of the evening
| pennies?'
Mortimer swept the northern horizon
| with his binoculars.
| mot in sight yet"
They are quite capable Of travelling
during the heat Of the day. Just the
sort OF thing evening pennies would do.
Take care Of your match, Anerley. These
zine If you set them alight. By-by." The
| two men crawled under their mosquito rets
| and sank instantly into the easy sleep of
those whose lives are spent IN the open.
| Young Anerley stood with his bach
| against a palm tree and his briar between
his lips thinking over the advice which
he had received. After all. they were the
| heads Of the profession, these men, anG
! 1t was not for him, the newcomer, to re-
form their methods If they served theil
| papers in this fashion then he must do tht
| same. They had at least been frank ant
generous in teaching him the rules Of thu
It was good enough for him.
It was a broiling afternoon, and thos'
thin frills of foam round the black glisten
ing necks Of the Nile boulders looked de
l.ghtfully cool and alluring. But it woult
not be safe to battle for some hours t,
come. The air shimmered and vibratet
over the baking stretch Of sand and rock
| There was not q breath Of wind, and the
droning and piping Of the insects incline,
one for sleep. Somewhere above a hoopo
was calling. Anerley knocked out hi
ashes and was turning toward his couch
when his eye caught something MOVING
In the desert to the south.
It v as horseran riding toward then
as swiftly as the broken ground woul
permit. A messenger from the army
thought Anerley; and then as he watched
| the sun suddenly struck the man on tn
side Of the head. and his chin famed int
gold. There could not be two horseme
with boards Of such a color. It was Merry
weather, the engineer, and he was re
turning. What on earth was he returnin
for? He had been 30 keen to see the gen
eral. and yet he was coming back with hi
mission unaccompllshed. Was it that hi
pony was hopelessly foundered? 1t seem