Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-06-06

ing the uuinul. who nud been taught
to steal.
But this was mere bagatelle com.
pared with a sandstorm that overlook
us, and the sandstorm was not so dan.
gerous rs man hired for guide
from one oasis to another. who tried
to pilot ME into an ambush where
band of robbers were waiting to kill
me.
Not being satisfied with hiring
guides. I determined to go through to
the next oasis without one The dis
tance was three days travel, but at
the end of the third day I 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 a caravan. The sand.
storm had obliterated any tracks OF
the great route between Tripoli and
the Sudan on which we had started.
All about us was an unmarked vii.
derness of sand The desert Is so i'm.
mense that when one loses his position
there Is no hope Of finding 1t again.
One on that boundless sea without
knowing what direction to take can
only 60 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 a distant caravan. an oasis or
even a band Of robbers would have
been welcome. And now the humps
on the camels' backs became shrunken
We had no water to give them. for we
were 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 an
other. most of them mad. till about all
were dead and l was left alone. hu'
man being with 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.
| fell asleep that evening praying
that might never awaken. But !
was awakened by touch. There. by
the light Of q full moon that had
arisen perhaps an hour before. saw
a skeleton of 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. I 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'
ems. whose stars seemed to be glaring
at me Then suddenly thought
was In a boat in choppy sea. but
soon recognized the motion Of u camel
I nut out my hand and felt hair. Straps
were about me so that could not fall
[ felt n 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 lying
on green grass In an oasis.
have told my story. ] shall not at
tempt TO explain H. Nor am ! going TO
ask any one to believe H. ] certainly do
not expect persons 10 believe what !
would not believe myself had u been
told me Instead OF having happened To
me. One thing occurred 10 me the mo
ment was conscious Of having been
saved. ! was seized with a desire to
know whether I had been saved by the
quick or the dead
| 1oined a caravan passing through
the oasis northward Of Tripon On
reaching there. after rest and having
satisfied myself that the escaped prts
oner | hnd hidden no longer occupied
either the popular or official mind. !
went TO the castle for any Information
might pick up interviewed those
m charge nv to what had become OF
the man who had escaped and found
that his jailers felt considerable super
stition ~ to his disappearance, claim
Ing that In his chains and hunted by
20 mapy persons be could not have
escaped without the Interpolation Of
Allah
I asked them who he was, but was
told that he had been in prison 80 long
that hIs Identity had been forgotten
was greatly disappointed at this. for
Il precluded the possibility Of my ever
hunting up the man through bis rela'
lives md discovering whether he was
living or had died So ] reluctantly
sailed away from Tripoli, feeling that
must wait for an explanation until
had entered that existence where all
things will he made plain
To Find a Number Thought OF.
Let q person think of q number. say.
Let him multiply by S...................... IL
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