The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-07-22
I is a question, Professor Kirkhoffer
SAID quietly, between this and that"

said quietly, between this and that"
1 Saying thus he looked down at the
two objects between which choice had
to be made. "Thisn was a man, a brown
skinned man Of the upper Asian steppes
He lay prone upon the desert sand, his
eyes, unseeing eyes, wide open, motionless,
save for an occasional twitchng of the
limbs az the fever shiver shook him silent,
except WI IN his parched lips moved in the
inarticulfte mutter of delirium. The pro-
fessor's gaze did not linger upon this pit
eous figure. 1t travelled to ''that''-two
loads Of clay tablets evidently of extreme
antiquity and closely covered with strange
cuneifor,n character, which had just been
carefully strapped by his companion to the
backs OF two kneeling camels.
'Seein. we are now reduced to two
beasts ouly," he went on, his eye shifting
for an instant to the body of third camel
which lay dead some twenty yards off,
t'seeing also that we are in waterless
desert, probably twenty-four hours ride
a dead weight on our hands. ~
'You don't dream OF abandoning the
poor chap?' Dick Harding broke in.
The professor glanced uneasily over his
smoked spectarlcs. Harding was a puzzle
iva man of distinguished scientific
attachments and capable of strong scientific
enthusiasm, yet occasionally betraying a
vein of sentimentalty altogether out of
place in connection with scientific explora-
TONS Kirkhoffer had had inconvenient
experience of this popularity more than
once during the year spent with Harding
in the remote Businesses of Thibet
''You wouldn't leave him here to die ~
the Englishman persisted.
The professor rubbed his forehead
thoughtfully. Hes bound to die soon in
any case
81 don't see that at all. If we can keep
him alive till we get out of this
impossible, my friend. He cannot walk
and these two cames cannot carry him in
addition to you and me and the tablets. >
''Then leave some of the tablets behind. !"
The professor fairly gasped for breath,
'Leave-Ieave behind some of the tab
lets?' he stammered. Leave the records
of a civiliZF': II to which the Arcadian is a
th,Gg OF yesterdLy-tO be swallowed up by
the next sandstorm? Give my great dis
covery, the greatest of the century, manned
and imperfect to the world? Harding,
you must be mad What's the life of a
Khirgiz Tartar leside these priceless
things %
KirkhoiIers shorr-sghted eyes then
CLEANED angrily bel nd his glasses his
voice was thick with passion.
"What's Khirgiz Tartar" he growled
like wild animal.
He's a man, anyway" Harding retort
ed. Suppose refuse to leave the fellow? ?"
''Then"--tbe professor became all at
once ominously cool--"I shall be forced to
remind you that | al the head of this ex-
petition and you my salaried assistant.
Also that these animals are my property !
go aud they 90 with me. You can join the
party or not, as you please"
Harding grew pale. THAT is the choice
you offer me: Then say you are black
guard"
"And say" indifferenty, you are a
fool. Come, will you mount ?"
''No !" furiously.
The German shrugged his shoulders
''Haye il your own way he said. And,
gathering up the long leading rein, which
he had fastened to the head Of one camel,
he prepared to seat himself on the other.
But here Harding sprang upon him sud
denly. mo, you don't!" he cried. "You
shall leave me one, you brute, though it
were hundred times your property -