The Wahpeton times., 1904-04-01

All" eas oa1n, NHal ON eartn mas nap
pened to himoo" he calculated. look
ing round in q confused way.
Presently the bewilderment passed
and he began to understand his posi-.
tion more clearly.
he was alone in the BUSH having
slept for 10 Eou!s. lsayhurn had ut
ter.y disappeared. He had never como
back, that Was quite evident. If hs
mad done so lie would have awakened
Cleland. What was Cle.and to make
out from thiso
ii was some time before he came 10
the conclusion that he had been delib
erately deceived by Rayburn. a.u led
into this unhappy position for pur-
poses of Rayburn' S OWL Cleand was
not s"perstitious man. and he was
too honest and upright himself to
think evil of others: but he could ar
rive at no other conclusion
What had caused him to sleep so
soundly: He remembered his sudden
drowslness-a very unusual condition
with him. Was it possible the cigar
| SH'>H AAAA AAS Uulu Hlu lnv(nlnY
to do with that?
He remembered now he had noticed
somewhat peculiar flavor. not unlike
that known to the hashish eater,
about it. He had thought nothing of
it at the time. but now the remep,-
hrance confirmed his worst suspicious.
For some purpose Of his own Ray
burn had deliberately led him into
the jungle, drugged him, and then left
him there. to whatever fate might
overtake him.
But what could his purpose have
been?
Suddenly it flashed upon Cleland
that the camp had expected in all
probability it would be called upon to
march forward to Hudi to-day. IL
that were the case. the brigade would
have left at break of dawn--at least
eight hours before this.
Would they have noticed his abb
sencc? 1t was highly improbable.
Paul Cleland was Il brave man. ana
as ready to face a days hard march
Or a sharp brush with the ene.ay as
any old and seasoned soldier: but at
the prospect of a solitary march over
that desolate and pathless desert, in
utter Ignorance of the direction taken
by the army. his heart sank. What il
he should take the wrong direction.
ana get further and further into the
unknown depths OF that vast sandy
desert--'a dry and thirsty land where
no man is"-anl wander there ann
lessly, fruitlessly, cnd!essly, until
thirst and starvation did their work.
and he dropped on the torrid sand.
never more 10 rise from it. only to
leave his bones bleaching there, where
never human eye should see OF pity?
C!eland reused himself from these
thoughts with Il shudder. His first
effort must be to get out of the jung.e;
his second. to find the camp.
IF they're really gone" he thought
to himself, time enough then to in
dulge in these CHASTITY anticipations.
Hnd even If thsy are-why. | must
make bold effort 20 make up with
them
Getting out nf the Jungle was easier
said than done. Rayburn had made
that as difficult as possible by turning
and twisting several times instead OF
taking a straight path But it was
accomplished AT last and Cleland
found himself in the open once more.
He knew in which direction the camp
lay. and Il quarter of an hour took him
Gown to the deserted village.
/ Alas. his worst fears We're realized.
ssot 4 tent, not a man remained. Like
the Arabs themselves, the whole bri-
gade had in the early dawn, silently
folded their tents and as silently
passed away like dreams of the night.
Cleland stood still for moment, a
sense OF sickening disappointment
coming over him. To find oneself ut
tcrly alone in that vast, unknown des-
ert, with no human companion, no
chart to guide .he way nothing to eas
or drink, no hope of ever again seeing
Il human face. save thu ough ones own
unaided efforts. Is enough to appall
the stoutest heart
But Paul Clc!and had the obstinate
and determined nature of his country
people. Nothing but death itself
would ever make him give in when
once he made up his mind to thing
He paused a few minutes to take
his bearings. He had a little pocket
compass with him, and by that alone
he could hope to guide himself. Once
he decided which direction to take lie
| marched forward without hesitation.
| Walking in the desert is slow work.
BY & O'Clock Cleland calculated that
| he had walked 10 miles: but he was
no nearer the moving brigade for any,
thing he could make out
! At sundown sandstone, arose. Gle
land had been in one before, but this
seemed to be the most terrible expe-
rience he had yet been through. The
sand blew In his face. and soon formed
hard crust over it, which cracked
painfully with every muscular motion;
his eyes were bloodshot. and he could
| hardly see. his throat felt as II II