Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1906-06-14


the white silk cover. The whole car
avan had already passed when an old {
man who was riding in the rear of il
suddenly stopped and dismounting |
bent over the dying Arab.
t'What ails thee?'
s'Drink!" was all the sufferer could
utter
The old man gazed after. the cara
van It wended it's way slowly into
the cleaning distance. None Of the
travellers looked back. The old man
lifted his head, and it seemed to him
as if something was waited to him
from on high and penetrated to his
very SOUL He took down his skins OF
water. First he washed the face and
mouth of the sufferer, then he let him
swallow once, twice-and the face OF
the dying man became animated with
life.
"Thou art of the tribe of Ommia-
des?''
eyes, replied the old man.
81 saw it by the mark on thy arm.
| am of the tribe Of Elkomiades; we
! are deadly foes.''
'In the desert, before the face of
! Allah, we are brothers. Drink! I am
! old. thou art young. Drink and live. -
! The sufferer drank greedily. The
/! old man lifted him up and seated
| him upon his camel
"Go home," he said, ''and teD your
tribesmen Of the way we of the tribe
of Ommiades revenge ourselves upon
our enemies"
"And thou?'
st am old and my days are mum
bered. [ would not be long for this
world, anyway"
.Let us go together
"'Impossible! The camel is to<
small. It will not be able to carry
the two Of u.s."
The Arab hesitated. But he wa:
young, life had not lost it's sweetness
fame and love were awaiting him. H
silently prepared to depart. Sudden
ly he stopped.
"Thou hast kindred, children?" h
asked.
mo one!" replied the old man.
sFarewell!"
The one left behind looked after tn
; / departing one until he was lost in tn
glittering, binding distance. He ha
spoken falsely to his foe. He ha
| j children-but they were all grown an
! famous warriors. They needed hiI
: no longer.
. The caravan and the Arab were n
, longer to be seen. The sun burned
f the sky was yelled in a g1ittering ops
e haze. The old man wrapped his hea
r in his white burnoose and lay dow
0 with his face to the ground.
f Several months passed.
$ The same desert. The same golde
4 hillocks of sand. The same carava
d returning. AS on their previous jou
n ney the pilgrims had, at their la
~ hating place at an oasis, taken enous
! water to last them two days, and we
! swaying sleepily on the backs OF the
= tired-out camels, when suddenly the
n guide halted.
"a "What witchcraft is that?"
He pointed into the distance. II
pilgrims who had meanwhile gather
~ ~ about him also stopped and were loe
- ing with great wonder at the pla
)" he had pointed out There, amo
10 the endless sand heaps lay a gre
~ oasis Tall palms proudly lifted th'
green, luxurious heads and a c'
81 fountain dubbed up among thicl
- of green bushes and shrubs. The j
full murmur of the cool streams fill
90 the languid, sinister quiet of the
a. rounding desert. Brightly color
beautiful flowers rejoiced the eyes
ad the weary traveller, and their sw
lg; odor met him as if with frlen
lcn greeting.
lte Close to the living fountain lay
So imperishable body of the great-he'
1te ed old man. They lifted his be
Eau wrapped it in costly silks, and carr
lss it to the oasis .cf his tribe.
M. ene The Arabs say that the new @ e