Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-01

have no right to modest me and my servants. l call
you to return to your master and set at liberty
He was answered with perfect blaze of rifles.
Every man fired at random. At least dozen
bullets crashed against the rock. A violent tug at
his left sleeve and some spatters 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 ire until
sure of mark. Another volley lit the darkness.
This time he made out the forms of his attackers:
They were standing some twenty yards away ana
he marveled that they seemed not to see him;
though he reflected at once, with the utmost non
chaance that the binding flash of the guns screened
him quite effectually from their eyes.
Then he saw two dim figures moving forward
He brought both down, and their yels rent the air.
He sprang sdewise, 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
was good genera1shp of the sort dear to the heart
of his great ancestor At the first tremendous sweep
of his weapon he broke Oft its stock against an
Arabs body That did not matter. The heavy bar
rels were stanch, and iron deals harder blows than
wood He was active cat, and had the strength
of any four of his adversaries. With lightning like
whirls he srnote them resoutely that when hve
were laid low the rest broke and ran. He actually
pursued them, and brought down two more, before
he stumbled the body of one whom he had shot.
That ended the fight. He heard men scrambling
the rocks in panic, and knew by the gruntng
and groaning of distant camels that all the kaila
had stampeded Searching the fallen at his
feet he found full cartridge belt and rifle He took
them lest there should be further need but did not
relinuuish the trusty weapon which had more than
equaized unequal combat.
Then he went to his camel The terrified brute
had risen and Juggling madly at its rope. 1t
seemed to recognize him. and to be grateful tor his
presence, if ever camel can display gratitude. He
gave it the contents of the water bag led 1T to the
top of the cliff and stood there brief space to listen
Some wounded men calling loudly for help, and
he was sorry for the poor wretches; but there was
no response from their flying comrades. He fixed
on a star to guide his course by, and rode away to
the SOUTH trusting to his camel sense OF drec-
ton than to his own efforts to keep on the track.
When dawn appeared.-ad dawn that was glorious to
him beyond measure,-he caught sight of precipl-
tous hill which he remembered passing on 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
of the Italian rifle and cartridge belt and the blood
stained gun barrels resting his knees the fierce
struggle in that forbiddng valley might have been
the delirium of fever dream
He rode on munchng 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 choleric 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's crew, and a score
of we'll armed Arabs and negroes. Even before they
met, Royson two Arabs back toward the
camp, and Stump after the first hearty congratua-
tons, explained the hurry of those messengers.
It's mainly on account of Miss Irene he said.
" She took on something awful when the shek blew
in an toll you had gone under. He heard the
shootin', you see, an, accordn to his account, you
full of lead Taggl be full of beer when he
listens to the yarn I'll spin mex time we meet.