The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1903-05-21

noon.
z=l From tie ffst break Of dawn
4 the battle had ragged. Now, al
midday. 1t was at its height. Far In
the interior, almost at the edge of the
great desert, in that terrible season
when the air that is fame by day Is ice
by night and when the sc0rch Of d bla7-
ing sun may be followed Id I'M hotft by
the binding fury Of d snowstorm. the
slaughter had gone on hour through
hour under a shadoMless sky, blue as
steel. hard as a sheet Of brass. The
Arabs had surprised the French en-.
campment where 1t lay III the tehtef
OF an arid plain that was called Zdrdi-
Ia. lowering like n cloud of hawks on
the entrance Of the Sahara. massed to-
gether for one mighty II futile effort.
with all their ancient war lust and
with a new despair, the tribes who re-
fused the yoke Of the alien empire were
once again In arms, were once again
combined in defense Of those limitless
of drifting sand. OF that be-
loved belt Of bare and desolate land SO
useless to the conuuetof. sU deaf to the
nomad.
Circllng. SWEEPING. silently. swiftly.
with that rapid spring. that marvellous
whirlwind Of force. that IL Of Africa
and 6f Africa alone. the tribes had
rushed down In the darkness If night,
lightly as a kite PUSHES through the
gloom Of the dawn. For oncE the vlei-
lance Of the invader served him taught;
for onc the Frankish camp was sur
prised on its guard. While the air was
still chilly with the breath Of the night,
while the first glehm of morning had
barely broken through the tiIsts OF the
EAST, while the picket area burned
through the dhsky gloom and the seiiti-
hels and vedettes paced slowly to and
fro and cIrcled round, tearing tothing
worse than the stealtht tread Of the
jackal or the mufied digit Of d night
bird. afar in the south d great dark
cloud had risen. darker than the brood
ing shadows OF the earth dhd sky.
The cloud swept onward. like d mass
bf cirri, In those Shadows shrduded.
Fleet as though Wild dritsh. dense as
though thunder chaffeu. It tiUved over
the planes. As It grew nearer and
It grew Erayer. d Changing mass
Of white and black that fused. iii the
into q shadow color. d dense
array Of men and horses fiitting noise
like spirits and az though guided
nlone by n rein and moved alone by
bne breath and one will; hot q bit
not n linen fold loosened. not
n shlver of steel was heard. As silent.
ly as the winds Of the desert sweep up
northward over the plains. 90 they rode
now. host upon host OF the warriors Of
the soil.
The outlying tedettes, the advanced
had scrutinized 70 long
through the hight every waveting
shade OF cloud and moving form Of
buffalo In the dim distance that their
sleepless eyes. strained and aching.
failed to distinguish this moving mass
that was SO like the brown plhins and
starless sky that 1t cUhld scarce be told
from them.
Awake while his comrades slept
around him. Cecil was stretched half
embarrassed. Do what he would. force
himself into the fulltess OF this fierce
md hard existence as he might. he
tould not burn out or Danish a thing
That bad many d TIME haunted him. hui
newer as II did now-the Remembrance
a woman. He AlfhUst Mtigheu as be
lay there on h pile 6r futtifg Straw and
Tie truth out or his Uwn heart
that he. a soldier Or THESE exiled squad
was mad enough to lore that wo
man whose deep. round eyes had dweIt
With such serene pity upoh him. Well.
Il was but "a thing more that was
added to all that he had OF his own
will given up. He was dead. He must
be content. as the dead must he. to
the warmth of kisses. the glow OF
delight. the possession OF a woman's
uvellness. the homage Of mems honor.
he gladness OF successful desires. to
hose VITO still lived In the light he had
quilted.
Flick Flick. ruiled asleep In his bos-
,m. thrilled. stirred and growied. He
rose and. with the little dog under his
lrm. looked out from the canvas. He
that the most tigilant sentry In
he service had not the instinct for a
Zoe afar OF that Flick Flack possessed
lie gazed keenly southwark. the poodle
growing on. That cloud so dim. SO
Instant. caught his sight. Was II a
moving herd d shifting mist. q shadow
play between the night and dawn
For a moment longer he watched II;
hen what 1t was he knew or felt by
Iuch strong instinct as makes knowL
sdge. and. like the blast or a clarion.
his alarm rang over the hfarined and
camp.
An instant. and the hite OF man. 30
still. so mutiohless. broke into violent
movement, and FROM the tents half
sleepers poured. Weakened and
in wakehinG ~ hounds. Perfect
discipline did the rest. With marvel
Gus. with tnatchless. swiftness and