The Cairo bulletin., 1905-09-24

Were Dur tOWaEu us stSllc- Ia
when l left Kimberley was thick
with posters Offering 400 for the poar
little hunehbaek. dead or alive Then
the whole incident went out OF my life
IN the beastly time had of it getting
north II was fourteen months before
l reached Nubia. and / was so wen
worn cut that made for the Nile and
did tie rest by dahabiah We had 70
pun ar every night the boatmen are so
IN horror OF the dark. but l made the
longest days possible by ceaxing and
bribery One evening We came on a
feet Of nat boats that had Just moored.
They were loaded with transdesest
bales and had relieved some long dis
tance caravan below the cataraets. j
made chance for free and early |
start by forcing my men 10 pass them /
and moor a quarter of mile below, /
but 1t came near costing me my life.
AT night | always had my sleeping !
mat and mosquito net on the rudher |
platform. for | was too well used to 4
the free air to endure the fetid, vermin I
haunted cabin. but the boatmen and |
even my own servants serupulously |
went below
@1'hat night. without an idea Of what /
Weakened me, Il opened my eyes on the
outline OF q head with long knife IN
its, jaws, thrust over she rail some ten
feet away. II was ali that / could see,
but the fellow evidently located me all
right.
~.fhe outline disappeared. and l
heard faint ripple in the water as the
fellow worked his way slowly toward
me. The river thieves on tile Nile aFe
an infernal lot, realy to murder any
one just as sportsman shoots deer,
simply because he comes within range.
/ decided to teach this one Il lesson 50
punched my Iailow up under my bel
met and mosquito net and nassed
| things together to look as much like me
In the dark as possible. loosencd the
long rud2er arm for club, slipped
| from the platform aud hid In the
shadow.
Il did not lose second, but the
! black bali appeared almost before |
| was ready. 1t came up cautiously but
steadily till the head was well over the
rail ana the body supported by one cx-
tended arm. The free hand rose. |
| could just catch the line OF the dirk
and 1t was SO fascinating watching
myself being murdered thut nearly
forgot what was there for, til the
! h:aitd fell suddenly and my club with
I 1t.
I al natives head is solid stuff. and
struck accordingly, without tho lenst
4 intention &c doing him any real injury.
but was nervous and nlaybe struck
harder than meant. Being dark. too,
( did not see that his chin and NIL was
over tire rail. his throat resting on 1t.
My club came down square on the
back OIL his neck and must nearly have
broken it. / thought he was dead when
i drag rcd him OH board and shouted
to ms servants 10 bring light
"Te be brief 1t was the hunchback.
He recovered consciousness. but was
TOO well spotted to move After look
Ing al me steadily for ton minutes lie
said Id a weak voice; tYou have killed
me. sahib. You will have the hundred
I5S;iCtts, but that ii ALL lost the dia.
inund
-ltstook ne some tine 80 hiH,se La
uIltief.F ..ssl tlia N, ffg i M HhN
centcgsd III cul4J4.s, i To Why w ~ 81
ont Of his way u nial,pE l..e, but +
finally Gcyclopel that. unknown to me
be had actually lodged me dozet
tihi.,s ia that enormous heart Of Africa
He was sure that | was following lin
fiji Tie interest III the mines and wa.
hoping at last that he Ind slipped iat
when my boat passed. his and anchors
JUST below ii. Oh the Nile, lit tht
: threshold Of the civilization of whicl
: be lad heard such awfni tales, wher
Z should be at home and he il stranger
The poor fellow made up bis mind thu
| was too much for him aud that
4 must be question 81 Its life Or mine.
y II told him frankly TINT ! believe
: the diamond was his, that | heard til
l. baas say he was welcome to It If h
a could carry IL away, and that w0ul
e help him keep it, for. Of course. | didn
L DCfNAN nv ItuI1fDSA IL a obiGfNN w AAN
\ him on board and nurse HIN and sc
Z that he Ind fair play at Cairo, but h
= only shook his head and said. 'Sahil
III 1t Is written In my forehead that die
= II resolved to save lin. and bega
! feeling gently about his neck to- Sc
:, il lie was really very badly hurt. II
= caught my band and pressed II ih'
!, him. near the abdomen, Just under Il
! last rib There was lump Their
= .Thnt u the diamond, sahlb,' he Said
& had slf In my mouth. and when the sab
struck me swallowed IT. tierefo
n, \ die
'In native South African throa
&c there IL Il natural or frequently deyt
10 opcd cavity back Of the tongue, who
n they can often deposit anything !
larger than an egg eating, drihkln
mi talking, without dslodging Il, a.
bring II up again at WILL. Present
N. the hnnchback went on; When
NM thought the sahIb was my enemy
NJ. would not tell him, but he is i
81 friend. ask him TO take II as so
AZ as am dead Swear to me that v
ae VIII take II, suhib1
IN. .IIe died, OF course. had no pow
wy to save him. took the diamond a
INA buried him as lccently as we GO,