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

seeing Iuc dDCNt III LltAiOpOiitdh
weekly and being DESTROYS of renewing
acquaintance with an interesting old
friend. for he always had a new ex-
perience OF thrilling interest to exploit.
| fastened up to his favorite club. and.
between puffs OF Havana perfectos.
obtained the following account of
weird predicament. which | give as
nearly verbatim as my memory allows
me:
The DESERT" exclaimed the colonel.
rapturoasly. 'Ah. my boy. standing
on the brink of the great Nubian sand
seas. one is transfiXed. The sun was
Just rseping over the barren cliffs
beyond the Nile. tipping them with
dull fire. when the order came TO start.
Ny heart leaped forgot eli dangers.
and thought only of adventure. CO new
sensations. The chief guide gave the
word. and We mounted. giving civiliZa-
ton, home. the very world itself. IL
seemed. n single backward glance.
There We're five of us. with guides
and men: and it was the third day of
last March that we started over the
difficult trail from Korcsko. taking
the southwark trail toward Absoh.
leading through the very bowels OF the
Nubiaa sands Our objects were di
verse. My own was to discover some
rare antiquities of which | had heard
rumors. but the principal interest on
the part of the others was to rediscover
the abandoned gold mines of Absoh.
Knowing that the Nubians are con-
firmed in their Incidence and utterly
unacquainted with the modern methods
of prospecting. the two experts of the
party-one a Californian and the other
an Australian-both thoroughly famil-
lar with gold-bearing regions. felt con-
WINGED that with patient effort. there
was a possibility OF unearthing for
tune. and the exciting experiment was
at least worth the trial.
For four days our little caravan
snailed along the barren sands. pass
ing FL Murrah. or springs of bitter
water. and all went well. Then the
journey, which for the first day or two
was full of varied novelties. began to
grow painfully monotonous. To make
matters worse. the geerbah skins.
which were used to carry fresh water
from the Nile. were daily growing fat
ter. The wells of FL Murrah were sa-
line and heavy with brackish sediment.
and. though the camels drank of the
water without suffering i'll effects. the
men who INDUCED freely were seized
with intense gripings. Two days south
A.
occurred.
Our way led over the beaten camel
trail. centuries old. and yet every
month the tract was obliterated by the
drifting sands Now and then we
scarcely knew our way save that the
route was pointed out TO us by the
wreckage Of former caravans which
had shed the sick and exhausted by
the wayside, both man and beast. leav-
ing them TO the merciless sun and the
prowling jackals till death relieved
them. There is no place on the face
of the globe where the survival of the
fittest means SO much as here on the
Nubian desert. whore the caravan new
er stops: and II the poor native cannot
plod on. no halt is made for his recov-
cry. The consequence is. that the far
Their one progresses. the more skeletons
of men and bsasts point the uncertain
way through the drifting sands. and
the sight is surely most depressing
MY camel was not a particularly
fast one. He had habit of tagging
behind. so that once or twice a day
the caravan was compelled 10 halt and
wait for me TO come up. like a lost
vertebra of a skeleton reptile. On
this occasion. while somewhat behind
the party. a fire young gaZel!e
crossed my path not dozen rods
ahead. dashing with sudden fright
into a little ravine which appeared
to be closed at the farther end. SO
that apparently he was made prison.
err Rifle in hand. | leaped from my
camel. Eagerly | made my way
through the hot. ankle-ieep sand to
the little ravine. following it up some
distance, ready 10 bring down my
game. To my surprise however.
found that there were several turns
beyond and soon saw that my chase
was OOOtieSS. DeJecteuIy l maze my
way back to my camel. which had not
stirred. and seemed only too glad for
the little respite from the racking
toll of the march. Taking good
draught from my geerbah of water. and
also filling my canteen. | drew the
beast to his knees. as is customary
when mounting. so that by placing
my foot upon his neck. by his up
ward movement of the head he would
raise me. enabling me to step into the
cushioned seat betwesn the humps AS
| was fixing my foot on the camel's
neck, however, the sudden raising of
his head caused knife to slip from my
belt in such way that 1t grazed the
beasts tanks. giving him a slight but
singing flesh wound. Up he started,
and so suddenly. with that quick up
ward throw of the body. that was
pitched clean over his humps. and fell
headforemost in the sands. Then. to
my CONSERVATION. with a queer snort
OF rage. the camel made a little circle.
and with his head thrown up like an
ostrich pursued by a hunter he bump
ed along at rapid pace over the trail
in the direction of the caravan
IN vain shouted. in vain Shrek
ed all the Arab coaxings and impreca-
tons that | knew Then unite exhaust