New-York tribune., 1908-03-01

recognize the sound of English, he went on You
have no right to molest and my servants. | call
on you to return to your master, and set at liberty
the Arab HuSSanl' -
He was answered with perfect blaze of rifles
Every man fired at random. At least a dozen
bullets crashed against the rock n violent tug at
his left sleeve and spaters of hot lead on his
cheek showed that missile had come too near to
be pleasant. After passing through his coat It had
splashed on the granite Just behind him.
He did not speak again, nor would he fire until
sure of a mark Another volley lit the darkness.
This time he made out the forms OF his attackers,
They were standing some twenty yards away, and
though he reflected at once, with the utmost non
chalance that the binding flash of the guns screened
him quite efectually from their eyes.
Then he saw dim figures moving forward.
He brought both down, and their yels rent the air.
He sprang sidewse, as far as the narrow road per-
mitted, and reloaded The Arabs aimed wildly at
the place where he had just been standing. One OF
their number screamed a command, and they made
a combined rush. He fired both barrels INTO their
midst, dubbed his rifle and jumped forward That
good generashIp of the sort dear to the heart
of his great ancestor At the first tremendous sweep
Of his weapon he broke off its stock against an
Arabs body. That did not matter. The heavy bar
re1s were stanCh, and iron deals harder blows than
wood He was active a cat. and had the strength
of anv four of his adVersarieS. With lightning like
whirls he smOte them resOlutely that when five
were laid low the rest broke and ran. He actually
pursued them. and brought down two more, before
he stumbled over the body OF one whom he had shot
That ended the fight. He heard men scrambllng
over the rocks in panic and knew by the grunting
and groaning of distant camel5 that all the katila
had stampeded Searching the fallen man at his
feet he found full cartridge belt and rifle He took
them lest there should be further need, but did not
relinquish the trusty weapon which had more than
equaized unequal combat.
Then he went to his camel The terrified brute
had risen, and tuggng madly at its rope. 1t
seemed to recognize him, and be grateful for his
presence, if ever a camel can display gratitude. He
gave it the contents of the water bag, led 1t to the
of the cliff and stood there bret space to listen
Some wounded were calling loudly for help. and
he was sorry for the poor wretChes; but there
no response from their flying comrades. He fixed
on a star to guide his course by, and rode away
the south, trusting to his camels of dreC-
ton than to his efforts keep the track.
When dawn appeared,-a dawn that glorious to
him beyOnd meaSure,-he caught sight of a precipl-
tous hill which he remembered passing the outward
march Looking back at the first favorable point he
could nothing that betokened the presence of
Hadendowas any other human beings IN all that
far flung solitude If it had not been for the presence
of the Italian rifle and cartridge belt and the blood
stained gun barrels resting his knees, the fierce
struggle in that forbidding valley might have been
the dellrlum of a fever dream
He rode on, munching at a biscuit from his haver-
sack, until his glance drawn to a cloud of dust
hanging in the air for the unpleasant wind of the
previous night had given way to softer and cooler
breeze He read its token correctly. and smiled at
the picture which his fancy drew of Stump when
that cholerc skipper heard what had happened to
his second mate. Surely he would be among those
now hurrylng to the rescue
AND he was not mistaken With Stump came Abdur
kad'r, six of the AphrOdite 5 crew, and a score
of we'll armed Arabs and negroes. Even before they
met, Royson saw two Arabs race back toward the
camp, and Stump after the first hearty congratula
tons, explained the hurry of those messengers
It's mainly on account of Miss Irene" he said
She took on something awful when the sheik blew
in an tor us YOU had gone under. He heard the
shootln', YOU see an accordin' to his account YOU
full of lead as Taggl be full of beer when he
listens to the yarn III spin mex time meet
Abdur kadrs black eyes sParkled when Royson