The Holly chieftain., 1916-12-01

-Ready-preseut-h
The answering volley broke like 0
crack Of thunder on the stiffness. and
when the smoke cleared q dozen
saddles in the foremost ranks Of the
enemy were empty. Taken utterly by
surprise. the troop swung round In dis
order and burst into Q short. headlOng
retreat.
But II was the panic of 4 moment
Fanatic. splendid. they swept on into
the teeth OF . withering death which
left no trace. They raced one another
for the gates of paradise: they bore
down upon an enemy fighting only
instinctively for q life that was al
ready worthless. Farquhar glanced
anxiously along bis little line OF men.
They were firing recklessly hopelessly.
He called to them. and they responded
with patient, Aoglike obedience, but he
knew that for them the fight was al
ready over. fhis was the agony Of
death. Someone touched him. he
turned. 1t was Destinn. They took
aim together like men engaged In
mimic warfare. Goetz dragged him
self up alongside. He was smiling
pleasantly with a cartridge between
his teeth.
Il like dying in good company" he
shouted, as the impediment was
jammed into the smoking breech Of
his rife. That's the new prophet
Ali-Mahomed-in the front there. II
We could bring him down it might
break their backbone"
The Arabs were now within four
hundred yards. Their pace had not
slackened for an instant Farquhar
sprang to his feet.
Cease fring-fx bayonetsy'
He raced out alone to meet the en-
emy. The rain of bullets had been a
spur to their fanatic daring-the sud
den silence checked them. They wa
vered. suspecting trap in this strange
lull. seeing in the lonely figure the one
thing they feared-the supernatural.
the unknown. Not a shot was fred
For an intinitesimal second of indeci-
sion both sides waited. Goetz. with
his rife against his cheek. his finger on
the trigger, kept up soft how Of
good expletive.
"Mad-mad as Englishmen, but oh.
gods of my fathers. what sublime
methodw
Farquhar had covered flfty yards
before the enemy had grasped his pur-
pose. Then with a sort of delirious
triumph their leader burst through the
ranks of his followers and thundered
down upon the doomed man with the
superb arrogance Of his race. dlsdain-
ing peril that seemed contemplate.
Those watching for the end saw the
fash of bayonet-heard the jarring
rasp Of steel against steel. and then
Ali-Mahomed's horse swept on rider
less. simultaneously flame burst from
hundred rifles. Destinn led the
charge, and behind him raced a hum
dred cheeriag men who an hour be-
fore had clamored for his life. he
ran like boy. waving a smoking. use
less rife. shouting madly. while Goetz
thundered at his side. 1t was two
to one. exhausted infantry against
cavalry In full course But the mir
acle had been performed. The incal-
culable element in all battle. the su-
perstition Of mems hearts. had fallen
In the scale. The whirlwind died
down. Within few feet of their
fallen leader the heroic Arab host fal
tered, broke and fed.
They picked up Farquhar from be
meath the dead body of his opponent
and as his eyes opened they rested on
Destinn's face. The elder man knelt
| down and touched his hand almost
tenderly.
THAT was good fight" he said In
English. We've won. Ali-Mahomed
is dead. You've saved lot of trouble
for us ALL l am proud Of you"
Thanks, sir. am glad you're sat
isfied."
They looked at each other. Behind
their careless, Indifferent composure
there had rung note OF emotion