The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1910-07-09
PHARAOH's MUMMY
Copyright W. G. Chapman Copyright in Great SFis0n

up there you ought to see before 1t
gets too dark"
We all jumped to our feet at this,
and made for the shore. Scrambling
up the incline-here almost perpen-
dicular-Cortice handed me the glass,
l being first on top, saying:
Look yonder, right under that
bright star; see anything coming this
way?"
The instant got the lenses focused
made out the cause of Bartons in
terest. A band of perhaps thirty Arab
horsemen were riding steadily toward
us, their long guns and spears glitter
ing with dull CLEANS in the fast-fading
light
Without answering / passed the
glass to Forbes and he in turn to Lord
Wayne.
.'Well?' inquired Cortice coolly
when we had all taken a good look.
Sure enough, it's a band of armed
natives" returned Wayne. They look
pretty business-like-out on some raid,
perhaps-but probably they'll not trou-
Bile us"
I'VE can't be too sure" returned
Barton. in the last Is minutes they
haven't swerved a hair from the way
they're heading-right this way"
Nonsense" laughed Wayne, with
British assurance. Why, my dear fell
low, we're less than two hundred miles
from Assouan and 500 Tommies; be-
sides the countrys quiet since they
bottled up the Mahdi. Eli, Forbes?"
What the engineer would have re-
piled we never knew, for events came
thick and fast. While we had been
gazing and talking the cava1cade had
drawn much closer, spreading out fan
wise, and the rattle of their harness
was now very plain. In the deceptive
evening light we had miscaleulated
their distance. However, here is what
happened:
Before any one Of us four could
turn or make a move toward the boat
the Arabs were upon US, riding US
down, in fact. The foremost, headed
by their leader, refined up SO suddenly
that | felt the hot breath of the horse
in my face.
Quick as lightning, almost, ten or
dozen Of the riders on the TANKS had
slipped to the ground and snaked
their half-naked bodies, pistols in
hand, between us and the edge Of the
bank. So there we four men were be-
ho1y
less! In trice each was seized by
sinewy hands, our arms tied behind,
and soft searf-a burnoose, they call
it-pulled over our heads.
Meantime, we could dimly make out
the outrage that was being enacted on
the boat. Muf1ed feminine screams
reached US, and hubbub Of gutteral
shouts from the crew. Then grim ST.
lence. These informed us without
much guessing that Miss Cortice and
Lady Blanche had been seized by the
raiders; God grant that no worse had
befallen them was the prayer Of each
white man!
After perhaps ten minutes Of this
agonizing suspense we could make out
the return of the attacking party, but
not a sound could we hear from the
girls. Immediately I felt myself ierked
from behind and urged forward on my
feet; next two pair of husky arms
seized me and flung me astride sad
die, my feet being tied beneath the
horses belly. Similar treatment, we
found, by comparing notes afterward,
was accorded to the other three men
Of our party; but the ladies were
merely lifted to their seats, each in
front of rider who held them on none
too gently.
Then came a sharp word of COM
mand, and we set off in the darkness
probably into the heart of the desert,
/ told myself, for of course there was
no sense of direction.
Well, about midnight we halted, the
burnooses were removed and we men
were lifted down as before. Some
dates were put into our mouths one
by one, gourd of warmish water was
held to our parched lips then we were
hoisted into the saddle once more. But
this time, our captors probably feeling
secure from pursuit, our heads were
left uncovered. l must have dozed in
the saddle toward morning, for on
opening my eyes l found the dawn all
abroad, and mile or two ahead the
tall palms of a tiny oasis which I af.
terward learned was named SeIineh.
The horses were put to the gallon,
and in few minutes the six of US
were huddled apart on the ground in
the shelter of the cool and grateful
greenness, which was dotted with sew.
eral brown tents, into one of which
Lady Blanche and Retta were led by an
old bag of an Arab woman.
After breakfast, as I suppose I must
call it, cur hands were fastened as be-
fore and We were led before the sheik,
as Misunderstanding a miscreant as
you'd care to meet in a month of Sun.
days. He spoke a horrible patois of
French and English, and | shall not at
famY$ RI ranraHu1o bic Ya-1o