The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-07-08
CONTINUED From Yesterday
CHAPTER VIII.
In DaSDarafa Strait


IL was a dark night, the sky
overcast. not a star visible. The
camp fire gave feeble light, bare
ly enough to enable me to distin-
guish dimly the outlines of near
by objects.
At last, I located the herd,
picketed across the road, to the
front of the tavern. The troop
animals were punched closely to-
gether, and to endeavor to detach
even one from among them would
alarm all the others. But there
was a single animal - the cap
tain's, no doubt-tethered a few
rods away. 1 might succeed in
leading this creature unobserved
beyond sight of the sentry.
wanted two, but even one was far
better than being afoot.
"Mademoiselle, you Will wait
here until | return" | said, turn
ing my head to glance at her.
Alone, Monsieur"
Eyes, | am going to attempt
cutting out a horse for our use."
I crept out into the open
space, sinking my body into a
slight depression which dis
covered by chance, and advancing
with extreme caution. This
brought me to the road at a safe
distance from the sentry.
waited until his back was turned
then slipped across the open road
and burrowed in the glass and
weeds on the other side.
By this time 1 was we'll to the
right of the solitary animal. l
moved on hands and knees until
the body of the horse was between
me and the sentry. Then, safely
sheltered, l stood up, waited un-
til the man turned again on his
beat and walked quietly forward.
The horse turned his head and
smelt of me, but with no exhibit
ton of fear.
He was a long-lim Der rangy
animal and had on a saddle cloth,
and bride, although the bits were
not in the mouth. A strong rope
about the neck led away into the
darkness, and was, apparently, a
long bit of cord. | sawed this
through strand by strand, with my
knife blade and peered across the
animals back, figuring out the
safer course of action.
/ could see the camp fire now,
and the men sleeping about it..
The man on guard came to the
end of his beat; cast a careless
glance out into the darkness,
shifted his gun, and wheeled
about. To all Appearances he had
no thought of danger-his trick
at sentry a mere routine.
My mind grasped instantly the
chance offered by such careless
ness. If there was no noise the
probability was he would never
miss this horse. Even il he did,
he would most likely imagine the
animal had wandered to the end
of the picket rope, or laid down
in the long grass.
Impressed by the truth of this,
l stepped backward, the horse fol-
lowing to my grip on the rope.
l watched closely the movements
of the guard. AS he wheeled to
retrace his beat we waited mo-
tionless, but the moment his back
was turned we were off once
more. This second attempt
brought us well beyond his vision
and down q slight declivity where
the darkness was intense. / then
ventured to cross the road, and
seek a way back into the village.
1t was by sense of touch that
advanced, for among the huts the
gloom of the night was like a
black wall. Yet l found a pro-
jecting log, slipped the bit into
the horses mouth, and fastened
the rein securely.
To return to the point from
which I started was not an easy
tourney. but the distant glare of