Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1899-03-16

gathsEiR e gR .hs !eng |sa&inF rein
one camel, he prepared TO seat hi1nself
on The Z s. 5..g8 .aa n, .ssE Il,
But here Harding sprang upon. him
suddenly. mo, you. don't!' he cried.
.sYou shall leave me one. you brute,
though it were a ehundred times .your
property" .$s
s'Stand OFF, the professor cried.
Harding's answer was to close with
him silently; and there ensued q trial
Of strength whereby the issue seemed
for several minutes doubtful. The:men
were not i'll matched. Kirkhoffer was
the taller and heavier. but then he
was also the elder by 20 years and Hard
ing's naturally 1.-THE habit of body had
known an English public school and
university training. The result Of the
conflict was still uncertain when. the
professor. suddenly: 'loosed his hold and
fell back, leaving the prize of conten-
ton; the led camel, almost in +he;o.h
er's clutch. Harding stopped to seize
the creatures halter and rose again to
find himself covered by his 1ainta gonist's
revolver.
ssNow, Perhaps the man of science
observed, s''you will consent to hear
reason. No use, my good friend, 2 as
Harding's hand went Sbriskly to his
breast pocket. II drew the charge while
you were asleep this morning, in view
of possible difficulties. You see know
something of your strange English
character. There is nothing like be-
ing ready for difficulties as they arise
j.. Dick. Harding under the coveringsre-
ivolver, stood erect and-dumb. To argue
further with a man prepared to COM
NIT murder on Behalf Of his tablets of
baked clay were simplewaste of breath.
~ Keeping the muzzle of. his weapon
pointed full at Harding's breast, Prof.
Kirkhoffer mounted his camel, made
both his great beasts get up and began
to move off. AS long as Harding re-
manned within running distance he con-
tinued to hold the revolver raised and
leveled, sitting sideways on his animal
to insure an accurate aim. But after a
minute the camels broke into a long,
awkward trot; in two minutes they
were beyond pursuit; three-and the
professor pocketed his frearm and
threw his leg across the saddle. ssYour
own, fault, remember!" was his final
greeting before he disappeared over the
fov, 1ff 1o, II
When. he. had disappeared Harding
looked about him, reviewing the situa-
ton. Tt was no cheering prospect that
met his eye; dead waste of sand-hills
to- north, south, east and west, white
hot in the glare of the tropical sun.
Two dark blotches alone broke the pale
surface Of the wilderness-thes tiffen-
ing bulk of the dead camel and the limp
figure Of the fever-stricken camel
driver. Truly no pleasant place to
die in; more especially if you happen
to be young and strong, and thesdeath
TO- which you stand condemned is death
by hunger. and thirst. A few, hours
would exhaust the scanty remains of
food and water left in the skin and sad
dle-bag lying hard by the dead camel
and then >.
Harding shook off anticipations OF
coming torture to take stock of his
wretched commissariat, and, rummag-
ing the bag, found a priceless treasure
nothing less than an untouched bottle
of quinine! Why, with this he light
hope to revive the Khirgiz, whose. case,
but for the supposed exhaustion Of the
expeditions medicine chest, had never
been a serious one. Escape was yet
possible. '
Escape? From a trackless wilder.
ness in which they could only wander
to and fro, having no single instru-
ment by which to determine their po-
,sition or point the way? Saving his
assistants pack, the professor had car
sried off every thing.
j No, not everything, Even as this
thought sank like a stone into Hard
ing's heart his eye fell upon something
glittering at his foot. With shaking
hand he grasped it, Lifted it---a broke
into a cry of mingled triumph and
thanksgiving, which startled the Khir-
gig from his lethargy. Pushing back
his long hair, the man made an effort
to sit up.
The master? Where is the master?''
he asked, looking about him in sur
prise.
Harding laughed grimly. Heaven
alone knows, since he has left his com
pass here .
And heaven alone knows to this hour
the course of the wretched Kirkhoffer's
wanderings. When Harding and the
Khirgiz, guided by the instrument
which he had dropped in his scufHe
with the Englishman, reached, after
manifold tolls and sufferings, the con-