The Forrest City times., 1899-08-11

<I r-l dish tinge which bodea no cood :, ~ oweiier in the desert. At rare ;n,ervaIs across the yellow hilloclxs would come Pirouetting diabolical little spirals of sahu' moved by puffs of wind. Elke preaths from furnace
 oh the morning of the fftb 5av iiamed' my Circassian slave. n man ot rare courage and singular personal beauty disappeared into the depths of .ne oasis in quest of fresh water. that III 'he clstern being used for the beasts ohiy ana, from the length of time clans. ing' must have penetrated, further tban usual Suddenly we perceived him at .he cage of the jungle wildly gesticu. lating. The Arabs rifles were ot ,ho;, shoulders in an instant, but there was mingled scream and roar, a flash of .a"ny hanks, and Hamed, dragged down rom behind, disappeared in the wood
 me rihemen who had been nearest 10 him fell upon their faces. paralvved with some awful fear, and couId no, oe induced to stir. What they had seen l Knew not. Drawing my scimitar 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 cioth upon the broken twigs, borne down by what must have been a crea- ture of unusual size and ponderous strength, guided us onward. Pantino 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.
 The terrible odor had grown al- most stifiing, and mingling with it came low, whining purr, apparently at no great distance now.
 Crouching behind a 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- to the space beyond. Soul of Moham- med! What sight met my gaze!
 wing upon it's belly at the en-
 NN'SA As ehC iithS tdll Dtdt- ing the ground, was creature. the sight of which caused my scimitar to fall from my nerveless grasp. Out of tangled red mane, rose a white neck of columnar strength, surmounted by 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 venomous red arch, through which flashed long canine teeth.
 Before her, slightly propped against powder, lay Hamed, white and limp, but conscious and fas- cinated. Ever and anon the great furry paw was thrust forward caress- ingly, the claws sheathed, and the eyes of the dread creature became narrow and tender, and the purring sound was repeated.
 Streaming with sweat, had man. aged to level my pistol across a pro- jection, when a shadow fell over us which deepened, and murmur broke upon our ears, increasing to a roar. springing to it's feet, its eyes blazing greenly in the gathering gloom, the Thing seized the shoulder of Alameda S garments in its teeth, and with a hor- rid screaming snarl leaped past us, as the simeon in all its fury burst upon us.
 ''The black had already clambered to the highest rock and lay clasping the base of large palm, face down, en- veloped in his burnous. did likewise, and after 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, stifled.
 "'Around about among the rocks and trees and across the plain were great drifts and pillows of sand, but of all my faithful people and val- uable beasts there was no trace. A tent pole, with a fragment of canvas here and there, marked their graves.
 "'I was rescued in a delirious condi- ton by my partner, who came weekly to visit the encampment.
 "'That I 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, whither I go at intervals to trade. The mystery that yonder sand heaps en- velop will never be revealed until the desert and the sea give up their dead !" IN. Y. Herald.