The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-07-06

confess felt relief when one
morning With three camels and bali a
dozen men. including my servant,
HadJi, who had attended me while Ia
Iripoli, | started on my journey. /
nad tried III vain to secure the serv-
Ices OF some trustworthy Bedouin who
knew the desert aud would make q
safe guide. But whenever / found q
man who knew the country was
warned that be would probably muir.
der me aud possess himself Of my eff
fects. and when | found man with a
reputation for morality he knew moth
Ing about the desert. | finally started
with no one but myself to rely on, and
l had occasion to bitterly rue my te-
merlty.
Ny journey was one continued effort
to protect myself against thieves and
robbers. 1t was useless to put my
men on guard ut night, for they did
not seem to care whether what | had
was stolen or not One night while
myself was watching / noticed q large
dog prowling near my camp. Pres
emily ! discerned a desert thief direct
Ing the animal, who had been taught
10 steal
But this was a mere bagatelle com.
pared with a sandstone that overlook
us. and the sandstorm was not so dan.
gerous as q man hired for a guide
from one oasis to another. WHO tried
to pilot me into an ambush where q
band Of robbers were waiting to kill
me.
Not being satisfied with hiring
guides, determined to go through to
the next oasis without one The dis
lance was three days travel. but at
the end of the third day / looked In
vain on the horizon for that bunch of
fauna which indicates an oasis.
camped. and the next day we travelled
In the burning sun without seeing any
sign Of a point for refreshment, nor
did we meet caravan. The sand
storm bad obhterated any tracks Of
the great route between Tripou and
the Sudan on which we had started
All about US was an unmarked vii.
derness of sand The desert is 30 i'm
mense that when one loses his position
there Is no hope OF finding It again
One on that boundless sea without
knowing what direction to take can
only go on day after day. hoping TO
strike an oasis
That is what we were compelled TO
do.
The sensation of being lost In a
wilderness of sand was frightful
enough In itself. but to see the stock of
provisions day by day growing smaller.
the skin pouches holding the water
growing thinner. with the hot sun pour
ing down on ones BRAIN is maddening
So we toiled on. hoping each day for
some end to this frightful journey
Either distant caravan. an oasis or
even a band of robbers would have
been welcome And now the humps
We had no water to give them. for we
We're using ourselves what remained
in one of the pouches. We killed one
of the camels for the water In its
hump. Then we killed another One
Of my men died. then another and nm
other, most OF them mad, till about all ,
were dead aud | was left alone, a hu- |
man being with a camel Alas. must .
sacrifice my only companion for what
water WAS left in him killed him
and was alone on the great desert OF +
Sahara.
l fell asleep that evening praying
that l might never awaken But
WAS awakened by a touch There, by
the light OF a full moon that had
arisen perhaps an hour before, saw
skeleton of a man In Bedouin COS
time bending over me.
Allah has sent me-" he said
He took me up In his arms and car
ried me away. | knew not where. for
TO me there was no north. south. east
or west Most of the time was un
conscious. When was not was
looking up into the dome of the heav
ens. whose stars seemed to be glaring
AT me Then suddenly | Thought |
was in bont In choppy sea- hrr
>ooll recognized the motion ~ camel
/ put out my baud and felt hair Straps
were about me ~ that could not fall
felt a cup of water placed TO my lips /
and saw the face of the man ! had /
saved at Tripoli holding 1t while /
drank Then | slept
In the morning ! found myself lyae .
IN green grass in an Oasis.
have told my story | shall not at .
tempt to explain II Nor am | going TO .
ask any one To believe 1t. | certainly do /
DOT expect persons TO believe what /
would not believe myself had II been
told me instead of having happened TO /
me One thing occurred to me the mo
ment was conscious of having been
saved was seized with o desire to
know whether bad been saved by the
quick or the dead.
Joined caravan passing through
the oasis northward Of Tripoh On
rea ching there. after rest and having
satisfied myself that the escaped pris
oner / had hidden no longer occupied
either the popular or official mind,
went TO the castle for any information
might pick up interviewed those
m charge as TO what had become of
the man who had escaped and found
that his 1ailers felt considera bic super
stition as to his disappearance, claim
ing that In his chains and hunted by
l.