The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1912-04-26
CHAPTER vn.--icontlnued.N

CHAPTER Vll.-tContinued.D
BY dawn they were ready to start;
and 50, In the level rays Of a sun that
seemed a dazzling sphere Of intoler'
able light. poIslng itself in the eastern
rim of the world as II undecided
whether or no to take up its flight
across the armament, tho little cara
van rocked out into the faBtncss OF
the desert. the IrIshman in the van
sitting a hloodod mehari AS one to the
wilderness born,
On the seventh night they %biyouack.
ed hard on the heels OF the flying col
umu, having for seven days pursued
IL this way aud that, zigzagging into
the heart OF the parched land.
7 Now, when they were come within
six hours OF their goal, reluctantly,
long after nIghtfaIl, O'Rourke gave
consent to halt, c%onceding the ne
c~essity; for WEAKNESS weighed upon
their shoulders a great burden, ana
the cameIs had become unusually sui.
len and evil tempered; II rest we're
denied them presently they would
become obstinate and refuse to follow
the road.
O'lourke closed his eyes and lost
consciousness with a sensation Of fall.
ing headiong into a great pit Of oh.
ltYlon. bottomless, eternal. Yet 1t
seemed no more than o moment ere
he was sitting up and rubbing sight
Into his eyes, shaken out OF slumber
by his guide.
lie stumbled 10 his feet and lurched
toward the camels, still but half
awake. when his senses cleared IT.
ritation possessed him, His guide had
been oyerzeal0us. lie turned upon the
man aud seized him roughly by the
arm.
What the diyvlel" he grumbled an
gritty, between Il yawn and Il chatter
OF teeth-for the air vas bitter cold.
'Vrhe moons not yet up"
"Ilush. Sidil' Something In the
guides tone stIllod his wrath. "The
Touarcgg are all about us They have
been passing us throughout the
night"
I'VE knew this and did not wake
me2'
There was no need, we could not
have moved ere this without detection.
Now they are all a.stir, and we In
the night. may pass for them-until
muub.up'
TIE 5uide turned away to rouse the
mehara, proddlng them up, mutinOus,
snar|lng and ugly. In another five
minutes they we're again moving for.
ward, BY the time the silver rim of
the mooa peered over the edge Of the
east they were peltiug on at fun speed,
a. yet. apparently, undecided by the
Touarcgg
An hoar passed, and the chill in the
afr became more intense, dawn was
az hand. A sense Of security. OF dan.
gers Jeff behind, came to the Irish
mat. he began to breathe more free.
iy though stIll the polished butt Of a
repeating rife swinging from the sad,
die remained 8 comfort to his palm.
lie grew more confident, mentally ut
ease, seeing the desert take shape
in The moonlight aud show itself desc.
late on every baud.
Even as he gained assurance from
this thought, the guide turned In his
saddle and cried a warning; THE Tou,
aregg!" From that moment on both
welded merciless whips. For out Of
the moonlit wastes behind them had
shriiled a voice, cruel aud wild, an.
uouncIng discovery and the inception
of the chase. The fugitives had need
Of no sharper spur,
A rife shot rang sharp on the echoes
al that cry, but the bullet must have
fallen far short. A moment later in.
deed, they opened a 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 II came" in a twinkliug and as
unexpected as q bolt out OF a clear
sky a flash OF fire ahead. a spitful
snap and-pttt!-the sons Of a bullet
speeding past his head.
The guide pulled up with a Jerk.
0Rourke, refining In desperately,
swung his camel wide TO avert the
threatened collision. simultaneously
the SHARP "Qui viye?", OF a French
sentry rang out. loud and sweet to
hear.
Thank Cod" said the adventurer
In his heart. And aloud. 'Friends!"
he cried, driving past the sentry in a
cloud o. dust,
by a blessed miracle the man was
luick q Wit and swift to grasp the
ttuationcf which. however. he
4IHhi44t.ANf 4t4lfI Iasa IsWt. d tt.