Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-05-31

mt. One beacon OF hope burned Ia
his breast The Pasha might he de
posed. and in chat case he could i'm
mcdiatcly dispose of his own goods
and Chattcls and seek new pastures
II would come hard. doubly hard, since
lie never could regain the position he
WAS TO lose.
Nine hundred pounds English. and
a comfortable fraction over; the vel
low-haired dog would have nothing
in the end for his pains. II would be
what the Fcringhi called good joke
A week passed Christmas And
not one of them recalled the day
Perhaps II was because years had
passed since that time when it meant
anything to them. The old year went
out a-lagging, neither did they take
note of this Having left behind Civi-
lization. customs and habits were for
gotten.
Sometimes they rode ali day and all
night. sometimes but half a day. and
again. when the water was sweet. they
rested the day and night. Never
human being they saw. never cara
van met or crossed them. In this
week, the secret marvels OF the desert
became theirs. They saw II CLEAN
and waver and glitter under skies OF
brass, when the north wind let down
and breeze came over from the Per
sian Gulf. They saw II covered with
the most amazing blues and greys and
green's They saw 1t under the rarest
azure and a stately feet Of billowy
clouds; under the dawn. under the set
OF sun. under the moon and stars;
and unfaiIingly the intermtnabfe
reaches of sand and rock and scrubby
bush. chameleon-like, readjusted its
countenance TO each change in the
sky. George. who was poet without
the gift of expression, never ceased
to find new charms; and nothing
pleased his fancy more than to see the
cloud shadows scud away across the
sands. Once. toward the latter end
of day, Fortune cried out and pointed
Far away. palely yet distinctly. they
saw an ocean liner. She stood out
against the following sky as magic
lantern picture stands out upon the
screen. and faded similarly. IL was
the one and only mirage they saw. or
at least noticed.
Once another caravan, composed
wholly Of Arabs. passed. What hope
the prisoners had was instantly
snuffed out. Before the strangers
came within hailing. Mahomed hustled
his captives into his tent and swore
he would kill either George or Ryanne
IL they spoke. He forgot Fortune.
however. As the caravan passed she
screamed. Instantly Mahomed clapped
his hand roughly over her mouth. The
sheik Of the passing caravan looked
keenly at the tent. smiled grimly and
passed on. What was it to him that
white woman lay in yonder tent? His
one emotion was of envy. After this
the prisoners became apathetic.
Upon the seventh day. they wit
messed the deserts terrifying anger.
The air that had been cool, suddenly
grew still and hot; the blue above
began to fade. to assume dusty, cop
perish color. The camels grew rest.
less. Quickly there rose out OF the
horizon saffron clouds. approaching
with incredible swiftness. Little
whirtwinds of sand appeared here
and there. rose and died as IL for
want of air. Mshomed veered the car
avan toward a kind of bluff composed
of sand and precipitous boulders. All
the cameIs were made to kneei. The
boys muffied up their mouths and
noses. and Mahomed gave fnstruc-
lions to his captives. Fortune buried
her head in her coat and nestled down
beside her camel, while George and
Rvanne used their handkerchiefs.
George left his camel and sought For
tunes side, found her hand and held
II tightly. He scarcely gave thought to
what he did. He vaguely meant to
encourage her; and possibly he did.
The storm broke. The sun became
obscured. Pebbles and splinters OF
rock sang through the pail Of whirling
sand. A golden tone enveloped the
little gathering.
Had there been no natural protec-
ton, they must have ridden on. blind
~ and desperately. for to have re-
NAMED still in the open would have
been to await their tombs. II spent
its fury in half an hour; and the
clearing air became cold again. The
caravan proceeded The hair OF ey-
cry one was dimly yellow. their faces
and their garments.
GRO Re CONTINJTEDl