St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-09-16

the cage of the jungle wildly gestico
lating. The Arabs rifles were at theil
shoulders in an instant, but there wal
a mingled scream and roar. fash oi
tawny fianks. and Hamed. dragged dow1
from behind. disappeared in the wood
1.-The riflemen who had been neares,
10 him fell upon their faces, paralyzed
with some awful fear, and could not
be induced to stir. What thee had seer
knew not. Drawing my sciBlitar and
grasping my pistol bade a huge black
under threat of instant death, follow
with lance, and plunged into the
tangled wood at the spot where Hamed
had disappeared. White fragments OF
cloth upon the broken twigs, borne
down by what must have been a crea.
ture of unusual size and ponderous
strength, guided us onward. Painting
with the heat, bruised with falling
and now feeling giddy with strange
odor which began to pervade the air
we proceeded with the utmost caution
along a path grown steep and rocky.
1.-The terrible odor had grown al.
most sitting. and mingling with II
came low, whining purr, apparently
at no great distance now.
'Crouching behind ragged mass
of rock which seemed to have been split
by the heat (the black calling inces-
sanity upon Allah with chattering
teeth) l peered through the crevice in
81 Of hn
med! What sight met my gaze!
"'Sprawling upon its belly at the en-
trance to a cavern, the 1.-THE tail beat
ing the ground. was creature, the
sight of which caused my scimitar to
fall from my nerveless grasp. Out Of
a tangled red name. rose white neck
of columnar strength, surmounted by a
countenance of awful beauty. Be
meath netted eyebrows glowed eyes
like FURNISHED brass, human in all save
the slit like pupils. The lips were a
vcnomous red arch. through which
flashed long canine teeth.
Before her, slightly propped
against bowlder, lay Hamed. white
and limp, but conscious and fas-
cinated. Ever and anon the great
furry paw was thrust forward caress-
ingly, the claws shcathed, and the eyes
of the dread creature became narrow
and tender, and the pursing sound was
repeated.
Streaming with sweat, I had man
aged to level my pistol across pro-
lection, when a shadow fell over Us
which deepened, and a murmur broke
upon our ears, increasing to roar.
springing to its feet, its eyes blazing
greenly in the gathering gloom. the
Thing seized the shoulder Of Hamed's
garments in its teeth, and with hor-
rid screaming snarl leaped past us, as
the simeon in ell its fury burst upon
us.
1.-The black had already clambered to
the highest rock and lay clasping the
base of a large palm, face down, en-
veloped in his burnous. did likewise,
and after a period of Inconsistencies,
awoke, and painfully drawing myself
up to sitting posture against what
remained of the palm tree. gazed about
me. The black lay rigid at my side,
stifed.
Around about among the rocks
and trees and across the plain
were great drifts and billows of sand,
but of all my faithful people and tal-
liable beasts there was no trace. A
tent pole. with fragment of canvas
here and there, marked their graves.
sI was rescued in delirious condi-
ton by my partner, who came weekly
to visit the encampment.
That l am stopping in this vicinity
is owing to an irresistible fascination
the spot has for me, and to its being in
the direct road to the market town,
go at intervals to trade. The
that yonder sand heaps en-
velop will never be revealed until the
desert and the sea give up their dead.
N. Y. Herald.