The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1904-05-21
CHAPTER WI


over that waste of painless, yellow
sand, under a burning, torrid sun,
With a sky above of quivering, palpi-
tating, passionate, blazing heat; with
burning, sand-blistered feet, blood
shot, sandfilled. eyes, clothes soaked
to wet pulp with perspiration, limbs
that almost refused to drag their
weary weight over the way.
1t was Paul Cleland's first experience
of the desert. Most of the long line of
human beings, creeping like a black
snake across the white waste, had been
there before, some of them for many
years, during preceding campaigns, but
Cleland had no experience Of the Sou
dan, and he suffered in proportion, as
all newcomers do.
Still, he was tough and strong, and
had all Scotchman's logged endur-
ance; he would never own himself
beaten where others did not.
They were marching from Berber to
Atbara, and had as yet heard nothing
OF the enemy.
Cleland had already found his serv-
ices required. One or two Of the new
recruits among the British had been
attacked by such diseases as only the
desert knows. These he had treated.
to his own immense satisfaction, sue
cessfully. It was good to know that
he was necessary factor to the we'll
being of the army.
Coming out of binding sandstone
one day they halted at a ruined viii
lage, destroyed by the Mahdfs cruel
decree, and remained there overnight.
Cleland found ruined hut, in which
he established himself, with his two
native "boys" to keep guard. He was
dead tired, and, making himself as
comfortable as he could, he rolled him.
self in his rug and was soon fast
asleep, though the far-off screams of
jackets proWling in the outskirts of
the camp, sometimes mingled with the
hoarse laugh of the hyena, might have
kept him awake under other circum-
stances.
Suddenly, however, he was awak-
ened, and that. effectually. Something
was moving in the hut.
He started up in bed and looked
around. The moon-a desert moon,
white and clear almost as daylight
was shining into the tent. BY it's
light he could see his two 'boys"
asleep on the sun-baked turf that
formed the floor in far corner of the
hut.
He saw something else, though-a
smooth, round, dark head and two
glazing eyes, looking like balls of
fire, fixed On his face.
He could not tell what the animal
was at that distance. 1t might be
jacket, panther, or-mosH terrible of
ala hyena, watching it's opportunity
for spring. But, whatever it was,
Cleland had no doubt about one thing
his only safety lay in perfect self
possession at this awful moment.
He was usually cool and self-pbs-
sessed enough; but there are not
many men who can wake up at the
dead Of night, to find a bloodthirsty
beast of prey within few feet of
them, and experience no sensation of
fear. Cleland knew that his heart
was beating in strong, heavy throbs,
like the strokes of sledge hammer,
and that his forehead was wet with
Precipitation, not altogether brought
there by the heat and closeness of the
night.
He dared not move his eyes from
those glaring balls fixed upon them.
He knew that to do so would mean an
instant spring on the part of the crea-
ture. He could not call his boys. In
all probability they would howl with
terror, and rouse the animal to greater
fury.
His rifle was on camp stool not
five feet away, but almost beside that
crouching dark form. If he had but
put it underneath his head! But it was
no time for regrets, it was a time for
action. He must make up his mind at
once what he was to do: at any mo-
ment the animal might spring.
He cautiously put out his arm. still
keeping his eyes fixed on the crea-
lures. Then, without once turning his
glance aside. he tried to creep stealth
lily across towards the camp-stool. The
creature uttered a low, threatening
sound. something between a bark and
a howl.
But Cleland was now desperate. He
felt that, whatever happened, he must
get at the rifle. He made q sudden
dart forward. AS he did so he heard
another low. threatening growl. The
next instant he 4 had his rife IN. his.
hand s5..$s 4: j. l3 l.s
. Twas ltt,'' g short-range one. fortnnas-