Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1903-04-22

be beset by the jackals and vulturee
the moment showed signs of faint
ing under the scourging sun. The
strain grew maddening. For a long
time bore it; and then, no longer
able to fight with the demon of 81
lence, and haunted more than ever
now by the presente Of human and ami
nal skeletons half buried in the drift
ing sands, arose and plodded on. But
little did dream that there was yet
mere dreaded enemy than yultures,
leopards, or even the predatory rob-
bers soon to encompass me.
"The first warning that l had of its
terrible approach was the soft OBJ
scuration of the sun, which stood so
straight overhead that it cast my
form in a circling shadow about me
just to the tips of my toes. A sort of
silken mist flcated before the coppery
Sky. Then this thin cloudiness seemed
to descend, the wind arose, and the
sirocco grew heavier and more op-
-pressive. l bowed my head, pressing
forward with increasing difficulty now.
Up from the limitless southwest the
dreaded scourge wes closing down
upon me. My God!' mummured at
last, losing courage at the sound Of
my own voice, 1T is simoon!'
"The wind was rising in a gale. l
heard the roar of the sand blast from
afar. These gusts of hot, white atoms
grew sharper and fierccr now; and if
hod worn a King Arthur coat Of
mail, scarcely think it would have
been proof against that volley of dead
ly dust. 1t penetrated my clothing till
! felt the layer of it chaing the flesh
at every movement. My nostrils were
clogged so that breathing became more
labored. and painful. My ears were
stuffed up SO that it dealened the in
creasing whistle and roar; and though
my eye were almost closed, the aw-
full volley seemed TO penetrate the
very lids. Then l finally succumbed,
falling to my knees, and at last prone
upon my face, covering my head with
the ample folds of my burnouse.
For long time lay there in the
thick, drifting mounds<~tfineaam monoto-
nous Shrek G6Sr-.ttres Simeon lulling NE
Sleep. 1t was not refreshing re-
pose, but one filed with frghtful
nightmares and monitions of evil.
Once in while the shrill cry of a
lost jackal or desert bird broke the
abhorrent spell, but the sound brought
no cheer. After what seemed to be
dangerously long time, awoke, recov-
ering from this sort of daze rather,
han sleep, and looked s9iz yagpfitiEs lily hfIfe
mouse, took my watch. 1t had stopped,
the dust having penetrated it and
clogged its delicate machinery. l stood
up, and brushing the sand from. my
eyes, peered over the trackless plain.
Nothing but a dead grim waste OF
whiteness; but, thank Hsaven, the
storm was abating. l vaguely remcm-
bered the direction of my course, al
though the trail was now wholly OBJ
liberated, and started bravely on. But
so chafed and faint was | that soon
found all effort torture, and at last
sank in my tracks with moan.
For a long time l lay in sort OF
stupor. Then l heard a voice. 1t was
more human than any had heard IN
the loneliness of tie desert, although
it was a moan of anguish rather than
call of rescue. rose and turned
sharply in the direction Of the sound
and soon perceived kneeling, sway
ing figure at some distance. The
thought of a human being, let hin
proye whatever he might &c, made mI
poor heart leap. l came closer, ant
was amazed to discover that the sway
ing figure was that of half nake'
and more than half-blind- slave boy
There was moyeless SHAPE half
buried in the drifting mound befor
him. I uncovered it, amazed to fn'
that it was Nubian sheik lying upol
his face, quite dead.
"When the slave realized the pres
ence Of another human being. he fel
roveling at my feet as if had bee
an angel come from heaven. His mout
and tongue were swollen with fever
and | pressed the canteen to his lip:
but he could not drink. He was chat
terins wildly in language didnot III
derstand, raving, and more thanhalf dt
mcnted. The sheik had been robbed
everything worth carrying away, tn
scoundreis leaving him only his bul
nous, and a small skin Of water, Whic
was already fiat and dried into Chi
The poor traveller must have died fro
exhaustion, for there were no wound
upon his person save a few scratch'
on the wrist where the slave boy ha
tried to suck q drop of blood from h
dead master to keep himself fro
nerishing. AS the slave was more uss
TO the tortures of the desert, natural
the shaik had succumbed first.
Meeting with such companions
misery. for a little time / almost TO
got my own perils and suffering. Slo'
" the slave lad revived under II
simple ministrations. Then I got som
what of his story. The sheik's carav'
had successfully resisted attack up'
the march, but the two had becoI
! separated from the company, and Q
!, ing overtaken were robbed and Il
: to die. All this had taken place mo
than three days since; and the sla
, had kept up the lonely and Madden
vigil by his dead master with alm@
! sublime heroism. Knowing that I
comrades would soon be retreating
recover. me dead or alive, as soon
!. the slave was able to walk we took
burnouse from the dead shsik a
: started back toward thestrail. The W
q was very difficult and slow, and :"
: compelled almost to carry the cn
o. ciated lad bodily. On we plodded
= the darkness settled about us, and tt
q making ourselves as comfortable
. possible, we lay down side by side