The Washington times., 1904-11-20
CHAPTER XIV.
Of One Blood.

MY Dear Comrade-I have just had
the fight OF my life. and I do not feel
equal to the gathering OF more wire
from the telegraph poles 10 enable me
20 return 10 you tonight I shall find
a ready ambush, and as 1 have plenty
OF food here, do not worry about me.
shall recover my strength and then
seek a camel for our eastward journey.
= inclose a message wTiSten on page
torn from my note book 1t Is in Rus
sian, and you must give 1t to the holy
father. who. / doubt not, viii do every
thing for your comfort Keep his COM
mand in silence; and If you do not hear
from me for two or three davs. fear
nothing. for / shall surely return and
bear you safely TO civilization. / shall
get the ropes from the raft below some
how and contrive 10 lift you ont Of
trouble. As long as you are with the
holy men you are safe; for the fathers
are sacred even IN MosIem ewes, the
Koran making 1t a crime for them TO be
molested. / shall await your answer
here till sunset, then start on foot to-
ward Abou Hamed for camels. l can
fight my way where / cannot bTibe II,
and bribe 1t where l cannot fight; so
ANaA AgAh4A6 ~A-4FNE CIV - - 49,
cheer! God bless you"
The inclosure was addressed to the
holy father of the Order Of st. Anthony
of the Desert:
20. holy father. 1 greet thee n the
name Of God and the illustrlous saint
whose temple here thou hast eonse-
errted with thy fasting and prayer.
= command to thy loving kindness and
- r~fr els nh I haVr
rescued from tho hands of the merciless
Moslem after the fall of Khartoum.
Guard and keep her in the name of the
Father and the Son in the favor OF
holy Saint Anthony. who tasted here in
the desert and first made the place OF
thy worship.
Il go to Abon Hamed for camels that
we may make our way by night through
the wilderness 10 FAR Soudan. Dec
volente. l shall return IN three days.
In the meantime feed and shelter our
beloved sister, and may the Father re-
ward thee abundantly.
IF perchance thou hast a wish which
1 may fulfill upon my return TO the
world. communicate it TO me. and I
swear II shall be granted thee.
In the meantime, holy father. give me
thy prayers and blessings. BE stead
fast in the love OF the Lord and protect
His child
Prince Andrea St. Vladimir Bardoff 4"
Dorothy tore the edge from the sheet
OF paper, and, in lieu Of a better thing
to indite her reply, cut into the little
sheet with her finger nail the words;
''Au is we'll Co. Climbing into the
cave window. she tied the missive 10
the dangling thread. A signal TO the
patient watcher high above. and the
message was lifted over the cliff sum
nit.
The shades of night were deepening
now, and over all the strange world
there lay a solemn and beautiful light.
/ Up from the Nile bed far beneath the
white mists arose, and from the dim
south the roar of the cataract came
clearer through the vapOrous depths
The SUBMITS of the opposite crags
seemed tipped with gold, IN the evening
light, and above them hovered shift
ing clouds like skeins of royal purple
spun into fantastic shapes
The sacred stiffness OF that cave tenn
pie was ineffabIy solemn and sweet:
and when through the dark halls and
I >
horn-the very same which had been
blown daily at sunrise and sunset for
hundreds OF years-the weird sound
| echoed mournfully over the Nile and
quavered down the bleak wastes IF the
Libyan desert far beyond
Dorothy stood entranced.
With this solemn farewell TO the de-
parting day there came the chant of
aged voices lifting their orisons IL the
twilight gloom Then was dimly seen
through the bleak archways the grave
procession OF the brown cowled fathers,
advancing with crossed hands upon
their bosom and bowed heads toward
the chapel where the evening prayers
were said in tremulous monotones mex
pressibly beautiful
Never in all her life was the American
so moved rs by this reverent rite OF
peace and resignation and humility per-
formed by this score or NOR. of white
haired yenerables. tOttering upon the
very verge Of the grave.
There was something about II so un-
worldly and spiritual. contrasting sharp
| IL with the wild and turbulent scenes
/ among the savage hOrdes OF fanatical
/ Mahdists. from whose midst Dorothy
had escaped by miracle.
The girl crept to the archway and
watched the holy fathers at their even
] ing devOtiOns. as they knelt with barred
knees upon the hard stone floor. with
their chief patriarch standing upon the
rude altar in the vestments of his order
Two wax candles cast a weird glow
over the bowed heads.
Prayer followed prayer. and chant fol-
lowed chant. until over the silent river
was sounded again the rams horn of
praise Then the fathers rose and re-
treated in solemn procession to their
cells
| Dorothy crept back To her place and
awaited the coming of the old patriarch,
who soon brought her the evening meal
bread and honeyed water. thimble
cup of spirits. dates. figs. and a pome-
! granate.
/ Dorothy greeted him according 10 her
vows. but with every show OF thank
| fulncss; and then gave him the message
/ from the prince. The old man read the
1 tiny sheet slowly by the dim light OF
/ the ancient lamp he carried When he
/ had reached the end the monk stared at
| the signature with eagerness. Then he
dropped the note from his quivering