Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1911-12-19
He Had Found Chambret.

He Had Found Chanbret.
gers left behind, came to>the Irish
man; he began TO breathe more free
", though still the polished butt OF
repeating rifle swinging from the sad
die remained a comfort To his palm.
He grew more confident, mentally at
ease, seeing the desert take shape
in the moonlight and show itself desc
late on every hand.
Even as lie gained assurance from
this thought. the guide turned in his
saddle and cried warning: The Tou
aregs." From that moment on both
welded merci!ess whips. For out OF
the moonlit wastes behind them had
shrilled a voice, cruel and wild. an
nouncing discovery and the inception
Of the chase. The fugitives had need
of no sharper spur.
A rifle shot rang sharp on the echoes
of that cry, but the bullet must have
fallen far short. 4 moment later, IN
deed, they opened brisk, scattering
fire-naturally Intellectual, though the
bullets dropping right and left in the
sand proved that the chase had got
within range.
Even with that warning, the end
was nearer than he had dreamed OF
hoped. It came in twinkling and as
unexpected as Il bolt out OF a clear
sky: flash Of fire ahead. spitfu
snap and--pttt,-t song of bullet
speeding past his head.
The guide pulled up with jerk.
O'Rourke. refining in desperately,
swung his camel wide to avert the
threatened collision. simultaneously
the sharp "Qui vive?' of French
sentry rang out, loud and sweet to
hear.
Thank Cod" said the adventnrer
in his heart. And aloud. "Friends!'
he cried. driving past the sentry In
cloud of dust.
BY a blessed miracle the man was
quick of wit, and swift to grasp the
situation-of which, however, he
the rattle of firing. He screamed
something in O'Rourke's ear as the
latter passed, and turning threw HIM
self fiat and began to pump the trlg-
ger of his carbine. cmptying the maya
zine at the on-sweeping line OF Tou-
aregg.
The alarm was hardly needed;
O'Rourke and the guide swept on
over the slip OF depression in the
desert and halted in the midst OF 4
camp already quickened and alive
with shadowy figures running method
ica!iy TO their posts. carbine and ac-
coutrement cleaning in the moon
light: men of the camel crops, hard
ened 10 and familiar with their work.
They buckIed down to it in a busi-
ness-likc way that thrilled tho heart
of O'Rourke. In q trice they were
doubling ont past lines OF tethered
mehara. past the white hillocks or
the officers sheltertents and like the
sentry. throwing themselves down
upon the ground to take shelter or
whatever inequalities the face of the
desert offered: and tGeir firing hinged
the bivouac with q fringe of flame.
ORourke slipped from his camel
and turned 10 watch the skirmish.
Massed. the Touaregg. in strength
greater than the adventurer had be.
lievcd-something like two hundred
mounted men, in all-charged down
upon the camp as If TO over-run and
stampede it.
Yet at the critical moment, when
it seemed that OF surety there was
no stopping them, they divided and
swung round the camp in two wide
circles, scattering into open order and
firing as they scattered. Here and
there a horse fell, rider threw out
his hands and toppled from his sad.
die, a camel Seemed 10 buckle at full
tilt like faulty piece OF machinery;
and so gaps appeared in the flying
wings.
For the men Of the flying column
were picked shots. They had need to
be. who had such tasks as this to cope
with.
Nor-for that matter-were the Tou-
aregg the only sufferers. Here and
there in the camp man plunged for
ward in mid-stride, and on the firing
line beyond the tents now and again
q sharpshcoter shuddered and lay still
upon mis- arms Even at O'Rourke's
side an officer was shot as he ran 10
the front. and would have fallen had
not the !rishman caught him with
ready arms and let him easily to the
earth. As he did so the stricken man
rolled an agorized eye upward.
"ORourke." he said between
groan and sigh.
And O'Rourke. kneeling at his side
and peerins into his face. gave a bit
ter cry. For he had found Chambret.
Ito Be Continued.)
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