Chicago eagle., 1896-07-25

sue the Walls. The camel-spike au-
vises you to fly from Khartoum imme-
diately. Where did you get thisf'
when told him the source Of my
Information he was inclined to pooh
pooh 1brahim's letter. 1t IL a boys fear
and fancy he said. We shall be re-
licved In O few weeks
But the Mahdis men formed an
impenetrable circle around the town
a circle that grew narrower and mar.
rover. Day after day we scanned the
desert horizon for some sign Of the ex-
pected relief, but without avail. Day
after ,ay the impression grew stronger
upon each and all Of us that we were
doomed.
During an early morning walk 1bra-
him accosted me as suddenly as he had
done before. Fly, cffendi,' he whisper.
ed. The city Is betrayed. My father
and other Mussulmans have decided to
let the Mahdi within the gates. Dis.
guise yourself and fly before 1t Ii too
late.
II shook my head. for duty kept me
in Khartoum; and 1brahlm retreated
with tears In those big, honest eyes Of
his.
III.
'"rhe very next night his warning
was fulfilled. It would be Idle. my
friend, to tell you over again oil the
horrors Of the capture. or rather be.
trayal, Of Khartoum. The Mahdi's sol.
diers were like fends incarnate. Spent
with fatigue and slender fare we could
not stand before them. Gordon, poor
fellow, was slain, and n 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 n rude
minaret, 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 a dark
stairway and count the minutes until
Its coming might make the bravest man
In the world feel uncomfortable. All
around heard the hidcous sounds Of
slaughter and watched through a tiny
loop.hole In the wall the red flames
shooting across the sky (for II was mid.
night, and starless midnight to boot.
A sick feeling stole over me. TO re.
main coopcd up thus seemed intolera.
bic. I had Just resolved to rush into
the thick of the SOudanese and sell my
life a. dearly as possible when foot.
fall on the stairs below arrested me.
ssv< ,.,os <t,o ~o,,uA ~ n ,,ol,<,xa e~o<
and a. I peered, every sense on the
alert, into the half.ligit by the minaret
doorway, vaguely distinguished a
dark form and two shining eyes. Was
It one Of the Mahdis In search Of hu.
man prey? gripped my broken sword
tighter and prepared for action.
":EfIendiv whispered a voice, 10 II
you, protector Of the poor?'
"The voice was that OF Ibrahim. son
Of Hassan. My heart gavc lcap for
gladness and I answered him that II
was. indeed. myself.
"It IL good no exclaimed. My
lord, have come to save you. Hasten
down and don these garments which I
have brought you. They belong to tho
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, 81.
hib, make haste!
II saw the chance and seized II. Be.
fore you could have repeated the pro-
verbal Jack Robinson many times
had pulled those baggy Mohamniedan
clothes over my soiled and bloodstained
uniform. A turban took the place OF
my khaki helmet. and around my face
draped the white hood which the
Soudanese Arabs wear. Then, before
I could protest, lbrahlm coOlly seized a
handful of mud and literally daubed
my face.
"The sahib IL too white.' he explain
ed. The OLD blind priest was always
black ana dirty-so kick of your boots
sahib, and let me daub your feet on
went my boots; and In q minute or two
my legs from the knee down were al
brown land 40 dirty as they well might
be.
"'You are all right. now. effendi.
said Ibrahim, let Us make for the Cairt
gate.'
with all my heart I thanked the boy
but he would listen to no thanks. 'Yol
saved my life; I'll save yours he said
Remember, effendi. the mouse and thu
lion. Let us hasten to the gate
"'But you are not coming be
gan; when my protest was interrupted
by troop of black Mahdists surginl
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 spear
and scimeters a-drlp with blood. ] ha,
given myself over for lost. when Ibra
him, gripping my hand. led ME onward
calling In sing-s0ng tones: Room TO
the blind priest. Room for AIMED, Sol
Of Ali, the soothsayer. The light o
Allah Is upon the blind priest
"raking the hint ! plucked up c0ur
age enough to shout the war-cry Of tn
Mahdi. The fuzzy-wuzzies,' entirel.
deceived, Joined In my cry. 'Bide you
time. holy father said one Of them
'we'll give you plenty of Christian head
later on Then they left US
whooping like demons down the street
but Ibrahim plucked at my sleeve an
mechanically ] followed him. Man,
times we met parties of the Mahdists
but In the darkness our ruse succeeds
beautifully, and we reached Cairo get
In safety.
"Around the gate, DESPITE the cor