Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-12-01
F E A r
BIZ GUY DE MAUPASSANT
Copyright, by Short Stories Co.. Ltd)

ullSnIy snip cast large serpent o
black smoke on star sprinkled sky
and the white water, aeitated by tn,
quick movement of our heavy boat
loaned and frothed, created so man,
lights that one would have said thu
sea was on fire. We were there, ST,
or eight of MISUNDERSTANDING
eyes turned toward distant Africa
whittier we were bound.
The commander, who smoked
cigar In our midst, took up the con
versation begun at dinner.
Yes" he said. a experienced feal
that day. My ship was tossed about
SIX hours with rock in. her belly
Happily we were rescued towards
evening by an English coal ship which
sighted U.S."
AT this point large man, with q
Dronzed, serious face, spoke for the
nrst time. He was one of those men
VINO gives the impression of having
canned through immense and unknown
countries, In the midst of unceasing
dangers and whose tranquil eyes
seem to hold in their depths some.
thing OF the strange sights they have
seen. man imbued with courage.
You say, commander, that you felt
fear! do not believe 1t. You mis-.
use the word. An energetic man never
experiences fear in the face Of i'm.
mediate danger. He is troubled, OF.
cited, worried; but fear, that Is quite
another thing"
The commander replied. laugh.
ingly:
Nevertheless. promise you l was
afraid"
The bronze-faced man said, slowly:
'Lst mo explain myself Fear land
the most courageous man can expe-
rience IT. is something horrible, q ter
riDle sensation, decomposition Of
the soul, spasm in the thought and
IN the heart, even the remembrance
OF which causes agonizing shivOrs. But
this never happens to the brave. eth.
er In attack or in the face Of inev.
table death, or in the presence of
any real tangible known danger. II
only happens under certain abnormal
conditions. Real fear Is something
ike reminisceuce Of old fantastic
terrors. A man who believes In spir.
It's and who imagines he sees a ghost
In the night must feel fear in all its
horrors. / felt fear In the middle
OF the day about ten years ago. | felt
the eject Of 1t last winter, one De-
cember night. have often fought. |
have been left for dead by robbers.
was condemned as rebel and was
pitched into the sea In China. Each
time | thought myself lost. accept.
ed my fate without trouble, without
regret. But fear is another thing.
had a presentiment Of it in Africa.
Yet Africa Is the daughter Of the
north. There the sun disperses hang.
Ing shadows like mist. Notice we'll
this, Messieurs. To the orientals like
counts as nothing They are imme-
diately resigned in case of danger.
Panics are common, but fear is un.
known. Well, here is what happened
to me in Africa, was crossing the
desert south of Onargla. 1t is one of
the strangest countries in the world.
You know the appearance of the
shores of sand along the boundless
sea. Picture to yourself the sea It.
self changed into sand, and imagine
a silent storm of waves of sand and
yellow dust These waves are as
high as mountains, uneven, rising I'D
just as the waves Of the sea, but a
hundred times larger.
I'VE were two friends travelling to-
gether followed by Arabs and four
camels, with their drivers. We no |
longer spoke, overcome by the heat
and fatigue and parched with thirst
as the desert. Suddenly one of our
men broke into horrible cry. We
stopped, and stood petrified, surprised
by the inexplicable phenomenon, well
known to the travellers of that hone.
less country.
Somewhere near US, in an un.
known direction, we heard the beat.
ing Of dru,n-the mysterious drum
OF the hills. The sound was sometimes
clear and loud. sometimes weak and
halting-then again beginning to beat
Enthusiastically The Arabs, terrified.
looked at each other, then one said
in Arabian Death is upon u.s. Sud.
denly my comrade, my friend. almost
MY brother, fell from his horse. his
head sank in his chest and his body
became rigid. That day knew what
1t meant to fear-I have even had a
greater experience of 1t since"
The commander interrupted
Pardon me, monsieur, but the drum
what was it?"
The traveller answered: 81 do mot
know-no one knows. Travellers are
often surprised by the strange sound
they attribute 1t to the echo exas.
gerated, multiplied. swelled by the
valleys Of the sand hills, and caused
by particles Of sand striking violently
against species Of dried grass. for
1t has always been noticed that this
phenomenon takes place in the neigh.
borhood Of this little plant--burnt by
the sun and hard like parchment
Il will tell you my other occasion