Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-03-07

I completely at the mercy of the noma-
die bands of robbers which invest the
rocky ravines. and would moreover.
be beset by the jaekals and vultures
the moment | showed signs of faint
ing under the scourging sun. The
| strain grew maddening For long
time | bore il; and then. no longer
able 10 fight with the demon of 81
lence. and haunted more than ever
now by the presence 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
a more dreaded enemy than vultures.
leopards. or even the predatory rob-
bers soon to encompass me.
The first warning that had of it's
terrible approach Was the soft OBJ
scur2ition 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 toss. 4 sort of
silken mist foated before the ccppery
sky. Then this thin cloudiness seemed
to descend. the wind arose, and the
sirocco grew heavier and more op-
pr5ssive. | bowed my head. pressing
forward with increasing difficulty now
Up from the limitless southwest the
dreaded scourge was closing down
upon me. My God | mummured at
last. losing courage at the sound of
my own voice. 1t is a simeon"
The wind was rising in a gale.
heard the roar of the sand blast from
afar. These gusts of hot. white atoms
grew sharper and fiercer now: and if
he'd worn a King Arthur coat of
mail, | scarcely think it would have
been proof against that volley of dead
| ~ dust. 1t penetrated my clothing till
felt the layer of it chatting 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 deadened the in
creasing whistle and roar: and though
my eye were almost closed. the aw
full volley seemed to penetrate the
very lids. Then | finally succumbed.
falling to my knees. and at last prone
upon my face. covering my head with
the ample folds of my burnouse.
For a long time | lay there in the
thick, drifting mounds. the monoto-
nous Shrek of the simeon lulling me
to sleep. It was not refreshing re-
pose, but one filled with frightful
nightmares and monitions of evil.
Once in a while the shrill cry of
lost jackal or a 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
than sleep. and looked vaguely about
me. Shaking the sand from my bur-
mouse. took my watch. II had stopped.
the dust having penetrated it and
clogged its delicate machinery. | stood
up. and brushing the sand from my
eyes. peered over the trackless plain.
Nothing but a dead grim waste of
whiteness; but, thank Heaven. the
storm was abating. | vaguely remem-
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 l that soon
found all effort torture. and at last
sank in my tracks with moan.
For a long time | lay in a sort of
stupor. Then | heard a voice. 1t was
more human than any | had heard in
! the loneliness of tie desert, although
il was a moan of anguish rather than
a call of rescue. | rose and turned
sharply in the direction of the sound,
and soon perceived a kneeling. sway
ing figure at some distance The
thought of a human being. let him
prove whatever he might be. made my
! poor heart leap. came closer. and
was amazed to discover that the sway
ing figure was that of a half naked
and more than half-biind slave boy.
There was a moveless shape half
buried in the drifting mound before
him. | uncovered it. amazed to find
that it was Nubian sheik lying upon
his face. quite dead.
When the slave realizsd the pres
ence of another human being. he fell
groveling at my feet as if had been
IN angel come from heaven His mouth
and tongue were swollen with fever
and | pressed the canteen to his lips,
but he could not drink He was chat
tering wildly in language did not I'M
derstand. raving. and more than half de-
mented The sheik had been robbed Of
everything worth carrying away. the
scoundrels leaving him only his bur-
mouse and a small skin of water which
was already fiat and dried into chip.
The poor traveller must have died from
exhaustion. for there were no wounds
upon his person save a few scratches
on the wrist where the slave boy had
tried to suck drop of blood from his
dead master to keep himself from
perishing AS the slave was more used
TO the tortures of the desert. naturally
the shsik had succumbed first
Meeting with such companions in
misery. for a little time I almost for
got my own perils and suffering. Slow
~ the slave lad revived under my
simple ministrations. Then | got some
what of his story. The sheik's caravan
had successfully resisted attack upon
the march, but the two had become
separated from the company, and be-
ing overtaken were robbed and left
to die. All this had taken place more
than three days since: and the slave
had kept up the lonely and maddening
vigil by his dead master with almost