The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-12-11
CHAPTER XxXIv.
On the Threshold Of Freedom

front the very guard whom he had sent
10 interview the commander. Osmalt
Digna.
There was a look OF keen triumph
upon the fellows swarthy visage
Dog of a Russian infidel" he cried
the messengers have arrived from the
! emiT, Mamud 81 F'ik1 Your time has
come The grand commander wants
you. He has ordered us TO BRING you
dead or alive. Which shall it be-"
Bardof had swung loose from Dor
othy and drawn his sword with back
ward movement. which the guard did
not see The latter was about 10 shout
TO the other pursuers when a swift lunge
| broke the cry into something like the
yeip Of a jackai. The man had appaT-
| emily lodged the blow for the blade
grazed his straw cap as he dropped and
all bat wrenched the princes arm from
the socket; but in the ankle deep sand
be lay perfectly stil.
| In the tempest OF battle Bardon bent
and saw that the mans neck had been
| partially torn away by an explosive
bullet. He seized Dorothy's hand, and
| on they ran, till finally they gained the
north flank Of the field. their other pur-
suers having sped by them like a whirl-
wind.
They both suddenly stumbled in the
dark over a dead camel. and Dorothy
/ crouched close 20 the still warm body TO
/ keep from being trodden or run down
/ by the cavalry coming up in the rear.
She put forth her hand and seized thas
90 her eomrade. 1t was strangely cold.
Then she bent over him and spoke. but
there came no answer. Her heart stop
ped beating for an instant Things
/ blurred and danced before her eyes.
Creeping closer TO her fallen comrade.
she managed 10 turn his face so that
she could look into IL: and when she
did. she bowed down and rested her own
/ against It. Dead? He was dead
! For a long time she lay with her face
| against her comrades unable II stir.
Then she arose. Dead" she whis-
pered, but the voice seemed not her
own. She thought only OF him-her
| friend. her rescuer, her hero.
| She looked up. A shell plowed up
the ridge and all but buried them both
in deluge OF sand. She struggled, but
sank back. She wanted to get into the
range OF the bullets-tO invite them,
I =
/ Another battery was hurrying by from
the rear, the nearest gun drawn by
/ four cameis. In her frenzy Dorothy
even tried 10 throw herself In their
way. but only succeeded in thrusting
out her white land where the wheels of
the gun carriage ran over it and
crushed it into the sand
/ She arose and looked at the Bruised
member. She felt no pain as yet. Then
she though. Of the dagger-the poisoned
: daggeT-and a frenzied laugh escaped
/ her. She seized IL with her left hand,
gave herself blow and fell with her
face IN tbH sand PROSTATE over her
| comrades body.
! The sudden weight thrown upon him
! seemed To rouse the prince who had
/ fallen into a sort OF trance OF exhaus
I ton. lie wTithed and twisted till ne sat
! erect. with the limp body Of DOrothy
across his knees. For a moment he did
not realize what had happened; then he
seized the frail form. drew il to him,
and looked into the pale face.
! What had happened? Shot-l1illed? lie
! thrust his hand into her bosom, moan
I ing, Dorothy. Dorothy He felt the
! faint ,fiutter OF her heart. The. there
/ seemed TO gather within him a Sudden
and gigantic courage supernatural
strength from some miraculous source.
Throwing his arms about the 1.-the form,
he was about to raise il, when some
thing slipped from her bosom and fell
1 The prince gave q gasp and stopped to
pick it up. his soul on IRE with wonder.
/ Then he gave a wild cry II was the
/ dagger.
/ For a moment Bardon felt Il sense of
/ frightful suffocauon. as II the sepulcher
were closing over him. Then that name
l less despair gave way 10 a hopeless.
needless resolve. He wonld take her in
/ his arms and push on.
/ Rising. he gathered poor Dorothy 10
his bosom asain. and began running.
Every now and then the mad refugee
would see something indistinguishable
that blocked MS way. would strike at
/ it viciously. and then plunge forward
/ like a tempest. He ran down a short
ravine, whose bottom was flied with
/ corpses. over them he raced. Up on
the other side. painting. staggering, hair
dead. and suddenly he confronted
solid square of blazing musketry before
and above him. The bullets swept over
I MS READ ike n WhlllWiLus anu ne
! stopped low.
All at once he was overhauled by
dervish. whom. on turning, he ran
/ through like a shot. leaving his sword
/ IN the fallen body. Then he raised
! his hand 10 the square of soldiers.
There was a shrill shout from some
where. and then the firing. almost fun
( I'm his face. ceased With wild shrieks
! the dstevishes were plunging down into
the ravine back Of him. A moment
/ more and they would be upon him,
/ Al the same time another order came
from the hollow OF the square, and So1
Brftishers charged like mad toward the
staggering figure with its limp bur
Z den.
MY God, is the prlnce-it's the
prince and the angel OF light Save
/ them. save them
"The prince-the prince ran throush
I the throng
Lie down" shouted the forward man
/ Dow, down.
/ Bardoff obeyed. Then came another
whirlwind Of bullets over his head ans
wered by a shower OF lances from the
I bowling Ansar
! The regiment few by. forming a pro-
tertirg wedge behind him, pouring vol
! lev, after voIiey into the grooming, strug-
! Cling native horde