The Lamar register., 1912-02-14

/ the moonlight and show itzelf desc
lie on every hand.
Even as he gained assurance from
this thought, the guide turned in his
caddle and cried q warning: THE Tou-
aregg!" From that moment on both
welded merciless 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 rife shot rang sharp on the echoes
of that cry. but the bullet must have
fallen far short. A 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 or
hoped. 1t came In a twinkling and as
unexpected as . bolt out of a clear
sky: a flash Of IRE ahead. a spitfuI
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 a French
sentry rang out, loud and sweet to
hear.
Thank Godi" said the adventurer
in his heart. And aloud, "Friends!"
he cried. driving past the sentry in a
cloud of dust.
BY blessed miracle the man was
quick Of wit, and swift to grasp the
situation-of which, however, he
must have had some warning from
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 trig.
ger Of his carbine. emptying the maya.
zine at the onsweeping line of Tou-
aregg.
The alarm was hardly needed;
O'Rourke and the guide swept on
over the slip Of q depression in the
desert and halted in the midst of a
camp already quickened and alive
with shadowy figures running method
ically to their posts. carbine and ac-
coutrement cleaning in the moon
light: men Of the camel crops. hard
ened to and familiar with their work.
They buckled down to 1t in a bust
ness-like way that thrilled the heart
of O'Rourke. In . trice they were
doubling out past lines of tethered
mehara, past the white hillocks OF
the officers shelter-tents and. like the
sentry. throwing themselves down
upon the ground to take shelter OF
whatever inequalities the face Of the
desert offered: and their firing ringed
the bivouac with fringe of flame.
o'Rourke slipped from his camel
and turned to watch the skirmish.
Massed. the Touaregg. In strength
greater than the adventurer had be
lieved-something like two hundred
mounted men. in ali-charged down
upon the camp as II to over-run and
stampede II.
Yet at the critical moment, when
1t seemed that Of a surety there was
no stopping them. they divided and
swung round the camp In two wide
NsANatos 1eattchihB AhNo opch
firing as they scattered. Here and
there horse fell. a rider threw out
his hands and toppled from his sad.
die. camel seemed to 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 a man plunged for
ward in mid-str1de. and on the firing
line beyond the tents now and again
sharpshooter shuddered and lay still
upon his arms. Even at ORourke's
side an officer was shot as he ran to
the front, and would have fallen had
not the Irishman caught him with
ready arms and let him easily to the
earth. As he did SO the stricken man
rolled an agonized eye upward.
"O'Rourkei" he said between a
groan and a sigh.
And O'Rourke. kneeling at his side
and peering into his face, gave a bit