The Washington times., 1904-11-20
CHAPTER xxI-(COntinued).

ht tsitate Although il was pitch dark,
ne fred five shots against the barrier
in quick succession. Then he looked up.
A fash of lightning showed the
crowding craft i'm the widest confusion.
A voney of rifle bullets ratified about
him. but the IRE was Intellectual
straight ahead!" cried Bardoff TO his
pilot Il shall break the line OF boats
by the time we reach them
Another roar of the garrison guns and
one Of the shells carried away the black
flag at the PROV. another grazed the
armored cabin where Dorothy stood at
her post. Tie Alldeen listed 10 port.
and the water poured over her deck for
n moment,
The prince jammed another cartridge
home and Numbered his way through
the ranks of the opposing forces. zone
thing is sure; If a shell ever hits us"
Crash! came a shot striking the deck
between the solitary gunner and his
pilot, plowing il up and throwing the
prince fiat upon his back. stunned and
bleeding
Dorothy gave a cry and ran forward,
but the gunner motioned her back under
cover and staggered 10 his feet. She re-
treated 70 the helm.
Stand by your post"' he called out.
and throwing himself upon his gun,
blazed away again and again full into
the closing ranks of the dahabeahs till
the Alldeen was upon them. tearing her
way through the barrier with terEihe
momentum. Then he ran back under
cover and seized his rifles.
Fearing that their own allies might be
hit, the garrison guns ceased their
booming, and the flash OF lightning
showed the confusion Of the struggling
dervishes in their sinking dahabeahs
The seven-pOunder had done deadly
wcrk, and the masts of three of the
boats were protruding above the water
To port and starboard the Alldeen
struck the wooden craft, but the dark
ness was so intense and the confusion
SO appalling that none dared board the
runaway till a broadside collision took
place, and in the hghtning's gleam two
or three OF the crew leaped upon the
Alldeen's deck standing there appar-
emily bewildered.
Crack, crack. went the rifle Of Bar
don. one after another the dervishes
went down before the deadly repeater
The shTieking and commOtion was in
tense. though for fear OF hitting their
own men the hiring had almost ceased
till the Alldeen broke through the ranks
and dashed into clear water Then came
a perfect fusilade OF hot shot
An inopportune flash Of lightning
pointed the fleeing crafts place - free
water, and the guns OF the garrison be-
gan their laundering again.
the engines, and was piling in fuel A
snGt struck the boiler and sent hiss
ing jet Of hot water and steam into the
air A second and "a third volIey from
the garrison resulted ia the destruction
of the armored cabin underneath which
poor Dorothy lay
Upon this appalling catastrophe Bar
don ran forward. feeling sure that his
companion had met instant death
Upon MS hands and knees In the roar
of kissing steam and the binding dark
ness. the prince crept under the twisted
and cOntOrted iron superstructure. ind
ing his fair pilot lying upon her face.
stunned and unconscious. but breathing
family. He drew her from under the
wreckage and laid her tenderly forward
out of the cloud of smothering steam
The storm was passing. the thunder
and lightning had almost abated but
the garrison guns kept up an inenec-
tual hre
Three dead dervishes lay upon the
deck. Bardon stripped them Of their
arms and threw the bodies overheard.
Then as fortunate nash OF lightning
showed the Alldeen 10 be dangerously
near the lee shore. the prince ran 10
the broken Jiller and managed 10 sWerve
the craft into the stream again. Then
he returned TO Dorothy who sat up
now with her hands pressed 70 her
temples
Are you badly hurt?" he asked,
dropping by her side.
Il thought / was killed. That, shot
that awful boit-I thought il broke
every bone In my body. How my head
thrObs. Are YOU speaking? / am so
deaf cannot hear thing. Don't leave
me-
You must have something 10 revive
YOU" ard the prince ran for restora-
tive.
The parched lips drank with eager
ness. Are We out Of Danger she
whispered. Have we passed Berber at
last?"
Yes. thank heaven responded the
hero. Eut-'
What is that roaring? is it in my
head Or
Escaping steam. The boilers have
been hard hit. and there Is no remedy
till morning. In the meantime / doubt
whether we have fuel enough 10 plunge
through the hfth cataract which we are
bound TO reach before daybreak."
God help u.s." mOaned Dorothy.
Take courage. my little heroine. We
are a long way from defeat yet MIND
you, / only wanted 10 get by Berbei
and safely through the hfth cataract
and then we can scuttle the yacht and
take 20 tie desert. We have had enough
OF this. IL is too open warfare. anC
We aren't prepared for H."
"A miracle, said Dorothy. "Ah, il Is
a miracle. ] thought the blow was
struck at last, and that We were lost"
THAT thunderstorm was a stroke O1
FFovidencc. These towards are not
afraid of he muzzle5 of the giaOur',
repeater, but thunder and lightning put
them to rout Begldes, our seven
FOUNDER sank three OF their boats. and
placed others In a sad plight. But here
We shall be on shOrt sooner than ",
wish II We do not mind our helm"
Bardoa gave a tug al the rudder rops
and then went back 20 the engines
which were enveloped IN clouds oi
steam. she is almost on her last legs
II we can only make our way through
the NTH cataract-'
a D. H.. Il.