Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-08-12

ceived no reason for this speed. Shouts
followed him, then several bullets
spit sharply as they struck into the
sand ahead. sl-ga
In another moment suspicion SCENE ed
to have become conviction in the
Mahdist mind. Achmet heard the bub-
bling grunts OF camels being pulled
mp, and then the heavy padding Of
big feet in the rear. On he galloped.
And now he heard news OF another
Of the three messengers. As the hill
faded out 10 the darkness, there was
second outburst Of angry cries and
q few shots. Achmet felt little thrill
as he realized that ON him alone de-
pended the rescue Of the two hundred.
The dervishes in pursuit were firing
now, but the night was dark, and
they could not shoot accurately by
sound Of his galloping as he lashed his
own beast to good eight-mile pace.
His camel rolled and pitched like 0
ship at sea, while now and again o
bullet whined over his head through
the darkness. But the pursuers we're
not gaining. So Achmet presently lot
his camel relax into the regular
natural trotting pace Of the animal,
aud mile upon mile passed with no
sound but the padding OF the soft feet
on sand, OF, the occasional splitting
crack OF q rifle.
Six miles were covered, and the
trained sense of the young Arab told
him the Nile was near. When the
moon slowly rolled up, bronze and
large, over the distant ranges that
border the Red sea. Achmet had been
expecting this with dread. As the
light spread over the black and cor.
rugated landscape he looked back and
saw his pursuers distinctly-fve of
them The light served them equally
well for scattering volley, and to
Achmet the flying lead whistled near.
He turned In his saddle and replied
with his Martini. The first shot went
wild; the next famed q camel, and
one rider was out of the chase.
But he must get out Of range, and
he again urged the dromedary to a
gallop. The Mahdists galloped, too,
but the gap grew wider. Four hun
dred yards interval became six and
eight hundred. Already he saw In
the distance an irregular line which
might have been arrow Of squat stakes,
but which was the fringe of palms
along the Nile.
Straight onward Achmet rode, while
the dervishes fred wildly in hope of
stopping him short OF place Of
safety. Now the feathery palms were
clear and black in the moonlight.
Two minutes more aud he. rode be-
meath them. In front foamed the
rushing Nile, surging over the hun
dred black crags and boulders that
block the Second Cataract. He was
too far upstream for the camp.
He turned to ride northward on the
beaten track by the river, when
peculiar, soft ''thud" sounded under
his saddle, and the camel, hit by
bullet, grunted, tottered, and sank to
its knees.
The boy sprang clear with an agile
bound, and stood for amoment in dis
may. He thought of his danger, then
of the little beleaguered band upon
the hillock in the desert, and all the
traditions Of his tribe urged him to
lay down his life if need be, but to
stand fast to the service he had taken.
The rocky shores of the Nile were
strewn with driftwood from the dis
tant equatorial forests. Achmet fred
two defiant shots at the oncoming
deryishes, dropped his rife, threw
himself upon half-stranded log, and
ran it before him with arush that sent
it shooting far into the whirling tor
rent.
He went clear under water with the
impetus, and the water was cool and
refreshing. When he rose he was in
the grip of the rapids, and the bullets
were cutting into the water all around
him. The strong current drove him
downward, aud he was absolutely help
less in its grasp. Down chutes or
whirling dizzily in eddies he went,
with grim and gasping determine.
ton to cling to his log, and to reach
the British post below.
He escaped crushing as by q
miracle; often the log revolved, and
he went under in a choking dash of
waves and foam. He could not see
where he was drifting, much less
direct his course beyond Tending |
blindly off the rocks as they doomed |
mp close beside him. Suddenly, as a
leaping wave lifted him, he saw the
quiet rows OF white tents ashore, and
little lower the lights of Wady |
Halfa.
His voyage was finished; il only re-
maine I to land. An eddy rolled him,
log and all, shoreward, and he clutched
desperately APPROACHING cregs. They
helped him TO shallow water, whence