The Tomahawk. [volume] (White Earth, Becker County, Minn.) 1903-192?, 1915-12-09

ana, over all, the voice OF the ESyp-
tian, bowling like demon. sprang
out of bed, thrust on my slippers,
and ran to the door. I saw Fehmet
struggling in the midst of group of
dusky figures. He knocked them down
like tenpins, turned, and bolted for
the laboratory. He rushed back, car
rying something in either hand. He
flung them to the ground, there came
the sound of splintering glass, and a
little cloud of dust arose. Next in
slant he fell beneath the impact of a
blow upon the back of his head, and
at the same moment I was seized and
overpowered.
The Arabs fastened ropes about our
bodies and dragged us up to the top
of Ell Mussuk. Bruised and bleeding,
they flung us upon the barren summit
and tied us back to back. Then the
elder of the village addressed us.
We were to be left there, without
water, until we died of thirst. We
were to freeze by night and burn by
day. The Feringhee would know
enough then to leave their women
alone. They would not kill us, be-
cause it was against the law of Eng
land, but they were not compelled to
bring us water.
The Arabs gathered about us, taunt-
ing and buffeting us. Why they in.
cluded me in the sentence I could not
understand, unless their fanaticism
famed out against me as a representa-
tive of the detested foreign rule. Dur
ing the ensuing hour they inflicted on
us every abomination of insult
Fehmet, when he had realized that
it was useless to struggle, gave them
back taunt for taunt. He was brave
II admit that. He told them that
they would all be dead men before he
died. Had they seen the bottles he
broke? In each of them was a mill
lion gods of pestilence, who would
carry death through Socotra.
They went away at last and Feb
met and I lay side by side. There
was no possibility of freeing our
selves, and there was nothing to do
but wait in the faint hope that the
"Nymph" would appear, learn of our
predicament, and rescue us. The
thought of death was repugnant
enough to me, old man though am,
but death yoked to- Fehmet was re-
pulsive. I shrank away from him,
and I think he understood my feel
ing, for presently he spoke to me.
1T is hard for you, Herr Won Els
mer," he said, with sheer, "but, after
all, if you had not been placed here
with me I should have killed you to-
morrow. You fool of an Englishman,
did you suppose that you could de-
ceive me with your letters from Ber-
lin? Why, 1 put my scheme before
Herr Won Jagow, and he told the at
tendant to put me out Of his office!
If kept you alive and amused my
self with you, it was merely because
it gratified me to do so.
I'm three days more the yacht that
brought me here will return to carry
me away" he said. II can live three
days without water, and by the end
of that time the Socotrese will all be
dead. You, too, will be dead, of the
pneumonia plague which is at this mo-
ment fastening itself upon you
And you?" questioned.
He roared his gorilla below. Il
vaccinated myself this afternoon" he
answered. "The plague cannot touch
me, as it will you, for have thou
sand million plague bacilli in my body,
which are neutralized by the virus
which l inhaled from the broken test
tubes. But you, poor wretch of
spy"
The night wore on, and Fehmet
tainted me at intervals. But cared
nothing for his words, nor yet for the
frost which gradually gave way, as
the sun arose, to suffocating heat. I
realized that the deadly plague had
me in its power, and it was not
pleasant death to die.
Toward noon the Arabs visited us
and stood around us. By this time
thirst had induced a partial delirium
in me. l remember seeing Moham-
med poke Fehmet in the abdomen
with a forked stick, and seeing my
companion struggle like wild beast
against his tormentsr Then I became
unconscious until ! was aroused by
feeling Fehmet shake me,
''Von Elsmer," he mumbled, e.
.1-how do you feel?"
Thirsty" I tried to answer, but
I found that my jaw-not my tongue
was swollen, SO that the words would
hardly come from my lips.
Fehmet looked at me, and I saw
terror in the mans eyes.
1T is the bubonic plagued" he