The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-07-06
A n y
OF the Great
Desert of
Sahara
BY R. W. keenan,
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911
. sssss0sssssseseseeeses

! ern Africa and on the Mediterranean
] looking at the ancient castle of tbs
Bashaws. when | was startled to Sc,
the wall of a corner bastion of thu
fortress open where 1t Joined tn,
ground and a figure emerge and com,
running toward NE. On he came, stag
gering under the weight of heavy iro1
shackles, TILL he reached a point within
a few yards of me- when be sanl
down, evidently not knowing which
way to turn He was blinking hi,
eyes as If blinded by the light of the
sun.
Then | saw puff of smoke on the
ramparts of the castle, heard a report
and saw evidences Of stirring In and
about the stronghold 1t was evident
that prisoner had escaped The man
was a skeleton, and the agony on his
face at knowing that he must be taken
was distressing. Darling toward him,
/ began TO heap sand over him and,
having some knowledge of his Ian
guage, told him that | was trying 70
conceal him. He suffered me to dc
30. and partly covered him with sand,
partly with an oyercoat | wore, for O
chilly sea wind was blowing. Then |
sat down on him, lighted a pipe and
began to puff, looking out with feigned
interest on the Mediterranean
never knew who gave the alarm,
but It must either have been the fugi.
lives jailer who had noticed his dun.
geon vacant or some one on the out
side who ran In to communicate what
he had seen. At any rate. whoever
told of the escape must have lost sight
Of the fleeing man. for when a party
ran out from the fortress to follow
him they scattered in all directions.
evidently none of them knowing which
direction to take. Most of them ran
toward the shore. doubtless thinking
be would naturally 60 there In hope of
escaping by boat He certainly couldn't
swim out to any Of the ships. loaded as
he was with irons.
Several persons came near where
was, but they were too excited by the
chase to pay much attention to me,
for was In European dress and evi-
IDENTIFY not the man they sought One
fellow was heading for me when |
pointed, vociferating wildly at the
same time, to pearl divers boat
lying near the shore This probably
saved the man was hiding. for II was
likely that had permitted the search
ticed that the sand had been disturbed
For half an hour ! sat on my man.
and while | sat thought. My act had
been the result Of an impulse. | had
interfered with the law and II de
tected would probably occupy a dun
geon such as the fugitive had left
From the moment realized my posi-
ton | shivered whenever / saw any
one coming In my direction. The sun
was sinking in the west, and prayed
earnestly that 1t might set and leave
darkness behind It Gradually the
searchers thinned out, not supposing
that the fugitive could be near at
hand. and finally the search was given
up In my immediate vicinity.
When 1t grew dark enough to war
rant my uncovering the man | did so.
His eyesight was now far better than
mine. for. as | had supposed, he had
become used to what little light might
make Its way into a dungeon | told
him to go where he liked, but be
pleaded with me 30 eagerly TO help
him get rid of his chains that could
not refuse him. Besides. | considered
him In sense as Robinson Crusoe
looked upon the man he bad saved
from the cannibals, his own man Fri
day. So covered him again. went up
into the town, bought coarse file and,
returning. cut Off his shackles. which
buried In the sand Then. giving him
what money had IN my pockets. /
told him to go bis way.
could not see his features. but
could feel his gratitude In the pressure
of his hand and hear what he said
Translated into English, 1t is this:
Allah is great. When you are in
trouble be will send me to help you"
With that he disappeared in the
darkness.
The next day walked past the
point In the wall from which he had
made his escape. ! saw a hole just
large enough for lean body such as
his to pass through. He had doubtless
managed to secure some sharp nipple
ment. with which he had dug his way
out through crumbling places. In
deed, visited his prison and was
shown the cell in which he had lived
for twenty years and the passage he
had dug. But, conscious of the part
had taken In his escape. did not lin
ger longer than TO satisfy my curios-
ity. Indeed, whenever a Turkish Off
cial looked at me / felt that was
suspected.
Not feeling sure that might not
after all come TO be known as having
hidden the prisoner, went TO the
United States consul and told him that
feared arrest for an infringement OF
Turkish law and asked him to send
every day to my lodgings to ask II ]
were still there. What ! feared was
being spirited away and put in dun
geon without any Of my countrymen
knowing what had happened. was
planning for q trip down into the des-
art, but had my OUTFIT to purchase
For summer darrhoea in children
always give Chamberlain's Collie
Hhnlnrn and Diarrhnea Remedy and