The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-02-06

faces, the quick pitter-patter Of. the
rushing feet. He lay staring as if
this was a show and he a spectator.
Now, Anerley, now! Take the
Arab!' cried somebody.
He put up the gun and saw the
brown fierce face at the other end Of
the barrel. He tugged at the trigger,
but the face grew larger and fiercer
with every stride. Again and again
he tugged. A revolver shot rang out
at his elbow, then another, and he saw
red spot spring out on the Arabs
brown breast. But he was still COM
ing ECO on ~ 49,, .., .oua. j,
Scott. $50 :.,sss-7 ~,
!, Again al he stsa1ned unavailingly at
pistol shots andst the big negro had fall
en- and risen and&fallen again.
t"tCock it, You fool" shouted a furi-
Gus voice, and. at the; same instant,
with a rush. and futter, the Arab
bounded over the PROSTATE camel and
Anerley's chest: In dreanS he
seemed to be struggling frantically
with some one upon the ground, then
he was conscious Of a tremendous ex-
plosion in his very face, and SO ended
for him the first action of the war.
| #"Good-by, old chap. You'll be all
right. Give yourself time" It was
Mortimer's voice and he became dinly
conscious of a long specialized face and
Of heavy hand upon his shoulder.
Sorry to leave you. Well be lucky
now if we are in time for the morning
editions Scott was Tightening his
girth as he spoke.
We'll put in our wire that you have
been hurt so your people will know
why they don't hear from you. If
Reuter- or the evening pennies come
up, don't give the thing away. Alb
has will look after you, and Wen be
Anerley heard 1t all, tho he did not
feel energy enough to answer. Then,
as he watched two sleek brown ponies
with their yellow-clad riders dwindling
among the rocks, his memory cleared
suddenly, and he realized that the first
was slipping away from him. It was a
small fight, but 1t was the first Of the
war, and the great public at home was
all athirst for news They would have
it in the Courier; they would have it
in the Intelligence, and not word in
the Gazette. The thought brought
him to his feet, tho he had to throw
i his arm around the stem Of the palm
tree to steady his swimming head.
There was a big black man lying
where he had fallen, his huge chest
pocked with bullet-marks, every
wound rosetted with it's circle Of flies
The Arab was stretched out within a
few yards of him, with two hands
clasped over the dreadful thing which
had been his head. Across him was
lying Anerley's fowling-piece, one bar
rel discharged, the other at nall COCK
said voice. It was Abbas. his Eng
. disappearing body-seryant.
Anerley groaned at the disgrace Of
it. He had lost his head 50 complete.
ly that he had forgotte nto cock his
gun; and yet he knew that it was MOI
fear but interest which had SO alb.
sorbed him. He put his hand up tc
his head and felt that a wet handker.
chief was bound around his forehead
''Where are the two dervishes?"
"They ran away. One got shot II
the arm
"Effendi got cut on head. Efend
catch bad men by arms, and Scott eff
! fendi shoot him. Face burn very
,, BAD
Anerley became conscious suddenl!
: that there was tingling about hi
skin and an over-powering smell o
burned hair under his nostrils. He pu
, his hand to his mustache. It wa
: gone. His eyebrows too? He coult
= not find them. His head, no doubt
: was very near to the dervish's whe1
:. they were rolling upon the groun'
e LOgeLneT, anu ILLS 100 eAS SAAS1s
Il the explosion Of his own gun. We'll
}, he would have time to grow som
: more hair before he saw Fleet stree
again. But the cut, perhaps, was
e more serious matter. Was 1t enougl
to prevent him from getting to tn
n telegraph office at sarras? The onl
4 way was to try and see.
Q But there was only that poor littl
a Syrian gray Of his. There it stood i
e the evening sunshine, with a sun
e head and q bent knee, as II its morn
: ing's work was still heavy upon i
n It would be strain upon the splendi
J. ponies Of his companions-and the
d were the swiftest and most endurin
: in the country. The most enduring
l, There was one creature more endur
d ing, and that was real trottin