The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1915-07-16

barked; then he was off again close to
his masters heels and not too soon,
He did not know the blow that struck
Sabron, but he saw him fall, and then
and there came into his canine heart
some knowledge of the Importance of
his day. He had raced himself weary.
Every bone in his little body ached
with fatigue.
Sabron lay his length on the bed of
dried-up river, one of those phantom
like channels of a desert stream whose
course runs watery only certain times
of the year Sabron, wounded in the
abdomen, lay on his side Pitchoune
smelled him from head to foot, adj
dressed himself to his restoration in
his own way. He licked his face and
hands and ears, sat sentinel at the be-
loved head where the forehead was
covered with sweat and blood. He
barked feverishly and to his attentive
ears there came no answer whatso
ever, either from the wounded man in
the bed of the African river or from
the silent plains.
and not been missed and his regiment,
routed by the Arabs, had been driven
into retreat Finally the little dog,
who knew by instinct that life re-
manned in his masters body, set him
self at work vigorously to awaken
| sign of life. He attacked Sabron's
shoulder as though it were prey; he
worried him, barked in his ear, struck
him lightly with his pay, and finally.
| awakening to dreadful pain, to fever
and to isolation, awakening perhaps
| to the battle for life, to the attentions
of his friend, the spahi opened his
eyes.
| Sabron's wound was serious, but his
body was vigorous, strong and healthy,
and his mind more SO. There was a
| film over 1t just now. He raised him
self with great effort, and in a moment
realized where he was and that to
linger there was a horrible death. On
each side of the river rose an inclined
bank, not very high and thickly grown
with mimosa bush. This meant to him
that beyond it and probably within
easy reach, there would be shade from
the intense and dreadful glare beat
ing down upon him, with death in
every ray. He groaned and Pitchoune's
voice answered him. Sabron paid no
attention to his dog, did not even call
his name. His mind, accustomed to
quick decisions and to a matter-of-fact
consideration of life, instantly took its
proper course. He must get out of the
river bed or die there, rot there.
What there was before him to do
was so stupendous an undertaking that
it made him almost unconscious of the
pain in his loins. He could not stand,
could not thoroughly raise himself;
but by great and painful effort, bleed
ing at every move, he could crawl; he
did so, and the sun beat down upon
him. Pitchoune walked by his side
whining, talking to him, encouraging
him, and the spahi, ashen pale, his
bright gray uniform ripped and stained
all alone in the desert, with deatf
above him and death on every hand
crawled, dragged, hitched along out Of
the river to the bank, cheered, en-
couraged by his little dog.
For a drop of water he would have
4 given-oh, what had he to give? Fol
little shade he would have given
about all he had to give had beer
given to his duty in this engagement
which could never bring him glory, oil
distinction or any renown. The work
of a spahi with native regiment is
not a very glorious affair. He was
simply an officer who fell doing his
daily work
Pitchoune barked and cried out tt
him: COURAGE"
Il shall die here at the foot of the
mimosa." Sabron thought; and his
hands hardly had the courage oil
strength to grasp the first bushes by
which he meant to pull himself up or
the bank. The little dog was close tc
him, leaping, springing near him, and
Sabron did not know how tired an6
thirsty and exhausted his brave little
companion was, or that perhaps il
that heroic little body there was az
much of soldiers soul as in his owl
human form.
The sun was so hot that it seemed
to sing in the bushes Its torrid fever
! struck on his brown, struck on his
chest; why did it not kill him? H,
was not even delirious, and yet tn,
bushes sang dry and cracking. What
: was their melody? He knew it. Jus
: one melody haunted him always. anC
, now he knew the words: they were !;
} prayer for safety.
(TO BE CONTINUED9
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