The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1916-08-18
CHAPTER XVI.
In the Teeth Of the Storm.

w tHG tNNhV w sFft 0toEfts
nurin. the first night Of that great
march southwark they had sung lus.
lilly. Now they were silent No man
spoke even 10 his neighhnr From
time TO time they exchanged g,ances---
lightning. s,ealthy glances. which
passed nnno,lcsd. But that was all,
Ii wss the oaly sign that they WEIR
still men.
The last village lay behind them,
Two hundred miles away there was
Sidi-hel- Abbes In those two hundred
miles there bad hcen many things
and esgh; days. Eieh, tSys, They
had ceased 90 count, The miiestonea
had disappeared. Their memories
were hlaas. Mechanically ~ each die,
tancc OF ten kilometers Was forced bc.
hind them they dropped stupidity into
the burning sand and i've minutes
later mechanically rose and went On
again. At night their white camps
stretched like string Of pearls into
the darkness. and the hivounc Ares
shone brightly. hui they did not sleep,
They sat. hudded together for shelter
against the blasting cold Of the des-
ert night. and stared in front OF them.
or at one another, Before the dawn
broke they marched ON again. Their
eyes were red-rImmcd and bloodshot
with the sand and the glare Of the sun.
But they neither cursed nor COM
planned Only from time 90 time they
glanced at one another and always
with that smolderlng, searching inter.
rogatIon. "Is Il yetT'
The day was clondless Since dawn
no shadow had crossed the brnEcn
monotony OF witherei azure. Yet there
was darkness In the air Al though light
had burned up light itself and tire
great ball Of the sun had sunk behind
yellow. transparent veil Of smolder.
Ing, scorching ruin. Suddenly Ia the
southeast the darkness gathered; the
formless gloom lowering above tho
slow moving line swept together 10
one stupendous shadow which rushed
down upon them. Colonel Destinn ral'
lnped furiousy along the waverinG
stricken line OF men.
"Campez. campez' Each man foe
himself"
Then II was upon them. The sun
was hosted out The sand was every.
where. II came Ike bias. out II
heii's furnace and crept into their eyes.
their mouths. their lungs, their very
hearts. 1t eddied round their feet,
mounting steadily 20 their knees, aud
around them there shricked the hurr-
cane itself. an awful army OF articn.
late, destroying myrlaas. :.sa s-u........
In that frst moment FaruubHr r~ea~e
forward. instinctlyely lighting the gall
Ing storm with the fierce physical mad
ness Of body goaded by intoicrablt
torture. then he dropped quietly 10 h's
knees and waited for the end. He
heard the scream Of horse In terror.
and thud as OF something falling
close beside him but he remained IN.
different. Stnbboruly. doggediy, no
awaited the haaI consummation OF In
release
Then something touched him. He
aw0ke with a curse Of rcsentful agony.
A hand had CROPPED through the dark.
ness. II gripred bin. and he dragged
himself TO bis feet, lifting the heavy.
invisible body with hln The sand
beat down upon them. He turned his
back 10 the storm. He stamped tina
shifting whrling mass under his feet.
and with a woman's generous tender
ness sheltered the m0tionless unknown
man against his shoulders No word
was spoken, Eternities Of suffering.
IN which each moment was the last,
bore Down upon him. There was no
time In that hideous, revolving obseur.
lty--ail the landmarks % NE bad b4~e
swept away, aud he WIS piised against
the full force OF death l,relg He
dropped back. WITH an effort he gath.
cred the upconsclous man clover. keep
Ing his face uppeymost. Then he lay
stiIl. wondering II this were death