The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1912-02-13
Oonyrisht 1909 bv LouIs Jossns v.na.
CHAPTER VII.

A guerilla warfare Is waged Deren- |
nially between the lords of the desert, |
the Touaregg on the one hand, and
the advance agents Of civilization, as |
personifed by the reckless French !
Condemned Corps and the Foreign Le-
gion on the other Year after year
military expeditions set out from the
oasis of Biskra to penetrate the will
derness, either by caravan route to
Timbuctoo or along the proposed
route Of the Trans-Saharan Railway
to Lake Tchad; and their lines Of
march are traced In red upon the
land.
Toward this debatable land O'Rourke
set his face with will, gladly; for
he loved 1t. He had fought over 1t
Of old in his memory Its sands we're
sAnctiHed with the blood Of comrades,
men by whose side he had been proud
to fight, men Of his own stamp whose
friendship he had been proud to own.
Mentally serene, II physically the re-
verse Of comfortable. O'Rourke dozed
through tho interminable twelve
hours Of the journey to El-Guerrsh;
arriving at which place after eight the
following morning he transferred him.
self and Ms handbags (for now he
was travelling light to the connecting
train on the Biskra branch. The lat.
ter, scheduled to roach the oasis at
four-thirty in the afternoon, losfed cas-
ually up the line, arriving at the term
linus after dark.
The Irishman, thoroughly tagged
but complacent In the knowledge that
he had left both vicomte and honor
able . day behind him, kept himself
from bed by main will.power for half
the night, while he made the rounds
Of cafes and dance balls, in search of
. trustworthy and competent guide
no easy thing to find.
The French force by then was three
days out from the oasis, and no doubt
since 1t was technically flying col
umn," calculated to move briskly from
point to point in imitation Of Touar-
egg tactics, hourly putting a greater
distance between itself and its start
Ing point. Moreover, the pursuit con-
templated by the adventurer was one
attended by no inconsiderable perils.
BY dint of indomitable persistence,
unfiagging good.nature and such in
fuence as he could bring personally
to bear upon the authorities, O'Rourke
got what he desired--a competent
guide and two racing camels, or me
hera, with a pack animal that would
serve their purpose.
BY dawn they were ready to start;
and So in the level rays of a sun that
seemed dazzling sphere Of intoler'
able light, posing itself In the eastern
rim of the world as II undecided
whether or no to take up its flight
across the armament, the little cara.
van rocked out into the fastness OF
the desert, the Irishman in the van
sitting a blooded mehari as one to the
wilderness born.
On the seventh night they bivouack.
ed hard on the heels Of the flying col
umn, having for seven days pursued
II this way and that, zigzagging into
the heart OF the parched land.
Now, when they were come within
six hours Of their goal, reluctantly
long after nightfall, O'Rourke gave
consent to halt, conceding the ne
cessity; for WEAKNESS weighed upon
their shoulders great burden, ano
the camels had become unusually sui
len and evil tempered; II rest were
denied them presently they would
become obstinate and refuse to follow
the road
O'Rourke closed his eyes and los,
consciousness with sensation OF fall
ing headlong into a great pit OF OBJ
livion, bottomless, eternal. Yet II
seemed no more than a moment ere
he was sitting ap and rubbing sigh,
into his eyes, shaken out Of slumbeI
by his guide.
He stumbled to his feet and lurched
toward the camels, still but hall
awake. When his senses cleared ir
ritation possessed him. His guide had
been overzealous. He turned upon the
nan and seized him roughly by the
arm.
What the divvle!" he grumbled an
grily, between a yawn and a chatter
OF teeth-for the air was bitter cold
The moons not yet up!"
Hush, Sidi!" Something IN the
guides tone stilled his wrath. "The
Touaregg are all about us. They have
been passing US throughout the
night"
"Ye knew this and did not wake
me?"
There was no need; we could moi
have moved ere this without detection
Now, they are all s-str, and we IL
the night may pass for them-unti
moon-up."
The gusde turned away to rouse the
mehara, prodding them up, mutinous
snarling and ugly. In another five
minutes they were again moving for
ward. BY the time the silver rim o.
the moon peered over the edge OF thu