Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1913-03-27

gradually minimtaad by the torture
bearing upon his ankles, his knees,
across his shoulders. Finally, when
in dull despair he was about to give
up and slide off, Indifferent whether
the camels following trampled him or
not, halt was called. 1t steadied
him. Some one reached up and un-
tied the thong that strangled the life
in his hands. Forward again. This
was a trifle better. He could now
ease himself with his hands. No one
interfered with him when he tore off
the bandages over his eyes and
mouth. The camels were now urged
to swifter pace.
Egyptian night, we'll called, he
thought. He could discern nothing
but phantom-like grey silhouettes that
bobbed up and down after the fashion
Of corks upon water. Before him and
behind him; how many camels made
up the caravan be could not tell. He
could hear the faint slip-slip as the
beasts shuffied forward in the fine
heavy sand. They were we'll out into
the desert, but what desert was as
yet mystery. He had forgotten to
keep the points Of the compass in his
mind. And to pick out his bearings
by any particular star was to him no
more simple than translating Chinese
Far, far away behind he saw a lumi
nous pallor in the sky, the reflected
lights of Cairo. And only few hours
ago he had complained to the head
waiter because of the bits of cork
floating in his glass of wine. All, for
the dregs of that bottle now; warmth,
revival, new courage! Curse
the luck! There went one Of his
pumps. He called out. The man rid
ing in front and leading Georges
camel merely gave yank at the rope. |
The camel responded with a cough |
and quickened gait "4
Presently George became aware Of
a singular fact: that he could see out |
Of one eye better than the other; |
and that the semi-useless orb shot out |
little stars with every beat of his
heart. One Of his ears, too, began 20
throb and burn. He felt Of It, 1t was
less like an ear than mushroom. II
had been a rafting good mix-up, any
how; and he accepted the knowledge
rather proudly that the George PERCH
val Algernon, who but lately had en-
tered the English-Bar sprucely and
had made his exit in a kind of neglf-
gible attire, had left behind one char
acter and brought away another. New.
er again was he going to be shy: the
tame tiger, as 1t were, had had his
first taste of blood.
Dawn, dawn; # only the horizon
would brighten up little so that he
could get his bearings. By now they
were at least fifteen or twenty miles
from Cairo; but in what direction?
Hour after hour went by; over this
huge grey roll Of sand, down into that
cup-like valley; soundless save when
he camels protested or his stirrup
clinked against buckle; all with the
somber aspect Of a scene from Dante.
Several black spots, moving in circles
lar above, once attracted George; and
ne knew them to be kites, which will
follow a caravan into the desert even
as gull will follow a ship out to sea.
Later, a torpid Indifference took pos
session OF him, and the sense of pain
grew less unde- the encroaching
numbness.
And when at last the splendor Of
he dawn upon the desert flashed Hike :
! sword-blade along the sky in the
'ast, grew and widened, George COM
pretended one thing clearly, that they
we're in the Arabian desert, out of the &.
main Travelled paths. in the middle Of
Nowhere.
His sense of beauty did not respond
o the marvel Of the transformation.
rhe dark grey Of the sand-hills that
,ecame violet at their bases, to fade
way upward into little pinnacles of
himmering gold; the drab, formless, :,
'cattered boulders, now assuming
,lear-cut shapes, transfused with ruby
md sapphire glowing; the sun itself =,
hat presently lifted its rosal warm
ng circle above the stepping-off
,lace-George saw but noted not. The
physical picture was overshadowed by
he one he drew in his mind: the good
hip Ludwig, boring her way out into
he sea.
The sun was free from the deserts ,
i'm when the leading camel was halt
ID. A confusion ensued; the camels
stupidity into one another, in
/ kind Of panic. Out Of the silence
zane a babble Of voices. a grunting, a
,latter Of pack-baskets and saddle ,
bags. George, as HIS camel kneeled,
lid off involuntarily and tumbled
against small hillock, and lay there,
without any distinct sense Of what ,
was going on round him. The sand, ,
fine and mutable. formed a couch CON-
under his aching body; and
ne fell asleep, exhausted. Already the
mpalpable dust, which had risen and
followed the caravan all through the
night, had powdered his clothes, and
his face was stained and streaked.
His head lay In the sand, his soft Fe-
dora crushed under his shoulders.
What with the bruises visible, the
rents In his coat, the open shirt,
soiled, crumpled. collarless, he in.
vited pity; only none came from the
busy Arabs. AS he slept, a frown
gathered upon his face and remained