davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

boulder Of granite seemed out of place in
those leagues Of dry dunes that were
ruffled by every wind that prowled across
the desert
The Bronze IlathOr CrGuched upon her
hnecs. her wonderful eyes fixed upon the
Pillar. and behind her the Senegambian
woman sObbed violently. her great bosom
heaviag up and down a. her tears washed
the coating OF sand from her black face.
The blind kabyle showed a desire to crawl
forward, but Sundance held him with n
grip of steel. and with wonder in our
hearts we watched the beams of the dying
sun redden the great stone that was in
accessible on account of the surrounding
quagmre.
1t was then that the Kabyle lifted up his
voice and thrilled us with a chant about
that place. II was a wonderful chant
When Sundance Halliday recited it to the
little doctor of the Foreign Legion, the
doctor cried with joy. | cannot remember
all of that chant now, but | will write here
what | do recall. ! think it is the ham
mering of the cOppersmith and the shuf-
fling of the veiled woman that is smoothing
my brains and making me forget things.
Here, then, is what | remember of that
chant:
They prayed and their prayer was
answered.
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

as hashish smokers Some one said to
wait till dawn before making the attempt
TO float across that quicksand to the stone
that stood up black and ugly in the moon
light, but the suggestion was howled down.
We couldn't wait moment now that the
means Of getting there were in our posses
sion, and staggering under the weight, nf
the broad board We carried it forward and
pushed il out till il rested on the quag-
mire. The moist sand made mouthinG
noises as it sucked at it, hut the width of
the board resisted the suction.
I'VE must cling to it and work II forward
with our feet and hands, cried Halliday.
at is our only hope. 1t wont support us
if We sit on it, and sitting on it would pre-
vent us from pushing. it on. We must use
it as a life buoy. Get rope from the
camel saddle and bind yourself to 1t"
did as Sundance ordered, and then with
fear at my heart ! slipped from the plank
into that treacherous quagmire and started
to help Sundance work the plank in the
direction of the granite rock.
We had forgotten the blind Kabyle for
a moment, but the moment that Sundance
and pushed of. the sightless one, who had
been kneeling near the Bronze HathOr,
sprang to his feet and rushed toward Us.
stop him!" shouted Halliday. Stop
him!"
Great Britain Rights Reserved.
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

"Ay, well get there" | stammered. I'VE
must see what is there!"
We crOuched there like stone figures,
and the dusk crept down upon us. Near
US the Bronze Hathor, and behind her was
the slave woman With the two camels.
And over and over again the blind kabyle
chanted that verse which ! have just writ
ten here. Again and again he Chanted il.
and our longing 10 see that thing grew as
we listened. That verse and many other
lines that ! cannot put down here he cried
into the night. and our brains thrilled with
the mystery that was close to us.
All the wonder of Africa was in that
night. The moon came up and licked the
sands with silvered tongue, and still we
sat there and listened to the shrill voice
of the Kabyle that shattered the great
silence. He told the story of the flight of
the Red Priests from FL Aliel Ahmed and
the pursuit by the Roman legionaries. My,
oh, my, what a thrill that blind mans
words sent through us as We crOuched
there in the moonlight and listened to him.
1t was the Bronze HathOr that reused
us from the stupOr which the words of the
Kabyle brought upon us. She had made
discovery. Sticking out of the sand few
yards from where we were crouching was
the end of a great plank of cedar, and Sun
dance whooped like a madmap as we
Copyright, 1918, by Star COmpan
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

"Quicksands! And there is the Red Pillar
that the marabout told of"
That place hypnotized me as I sat there.
1t hypnotized all of us, all except the blind
Kabyle. His sightless eyes could not see
that stretch of white, fiat sand that came
between us and the Pillar, the Red Pillar
upon which the marabout had told us
rested the Flaming Lizard of Death that
had brought worshipping pilgrims to Ell
Aliel centuries before Genseric the Van
dal flung his wild followers upon the coast
of Africa.
But the blind Kabyle knew that he was
close to that thing. Now, as ] write. | can
give no explanation of that Kabyle's un-
canny knowledge which led him to that
spot. The low murmuring of running
water that seemed to come up from be-
meath the strange pillar of red granite
could not be heard at a greater distance
than one hundred yards, yet the girl had
asserted that the old man had been listen
ing for three days to noise that came out
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

The girl sprang forward to intercept
the Kabyle, but bhe was too late. He
sprang for the raft. guided by Hallidays
voice. and We watched him with throats
dry with horror. His leap was too short
and he landed in the quicksand that
gurgled noisily as his bare legs drove
down into it as If II was water. But Sun
dance was alert. He flung himself fat
upon the plank, grabbed the upraised arms
of the blind man, and by his great strength
he dragged him slowly up and placed him
on the board
LET him come" | cried. "He brought
us to 1t. so he has a right to be in at the
finish"
La Ilaha lila Tlahu!'" screamed the
Kabyle. ia Ilaha lila Ilahu!'"
Sometimes ] wake from my sleep. wet
with fear perspiration. because an imp OF
hell has convinced my sleeping brain that
| am again on shat raft in the quicksand.
A hundred times / have awakened with
that fear clutching at my soul. 1t will
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

come 10 me tonight. because the writing
Of this story brings back all the terrifying
fears that seized me on that moonlight
night. No rushing torrent could inspire
the dread that came TO us from the Surgl-
ing sand. II was snaky, weird ana cruel.
The writhing Of the moist mass that trled
to- get from under that raft as we clawed
and wrestled to bring the plank toward
the pillar is something | will never forget.
Nearer and nearer We drltted TO the
rock that rose out of that place. and
thousand strange feelings gripped Us. AND
the wonder of it was that the blind man
senSed that we were close to the supposed
resting place of the Lizard Of Death.
Sensed it, mind you. The Kabyle knew.
Sundance could hardly restrain him from
!eaping from the raft in an effort to reach
the prize that We desired.
Inch IJy inch. with the sand dragging at
our weary feet, We houndered through that
place the blind man chanting upon the
board, the Bronze HathoT and the slave
woman following us with their eyes. It
WAS devil OF struggle, a struggle made
10y two men who had been driven insane
ht the stories that we had heard.
The hoard touched the Red Pillar at
last, and SUndancs let out 4 crOak of JOY.
tnd that crOak stirred the kabyle. He
knew the cause Of il. and before Sundance
or 7 could scramble onto the plank TO
reach up 10 the top of the granite stone
that wa not more than six feet above the
Level Of the guagmire. the blind man had
sprung to his feet and was cropping madE
with long lean fingers upon the upper sur
face of the rock,
We breathed heavily as we clutched the
base of the pillar and watched the search
iup hands Wa mo
CARDS thought and action at that moment.
We could only stare up where the long,
thin hands of the Kabyle swept along the
top of the rock. God alone knows what he
expected to find. We were crazy men, our
minds rioting with the stories that we had
heard of the Flaming Lizard-the Lizard
that brought sudden death to the unclean
of heart that dared to touch il!
'Oh. gee!' Gasped SundanCe. III it's
there, If IFS
Halliday stopped and looked at the
The Washington times., 1918-08-18
Continued from Preceding Paee)

"Yes, yes" answered. and | walloped
the camel as I noticed the wonder that
was on the face of the Bronze HathOr.
Her eyes were fixed on the blind man, and
as / looked at her the Kabyle broke into
a run. Ay, he started to run full speed
across the desert!
That was hell! Faster and faster raced
the Kabyle, his hands outstretched toward
the west, and in his track rolled the camel
OF the Bronze Hathor and the galloping
Senegambian slave. Mother o me,
couldn't that woman run!
Our sick camel was stumbling badly.
and Sundance Halliday cursed him fuently
as we endeavored to keep up with the
three. That KabyIe was running like
musk deer. He was running into the eye
OF the sun that was slipping down the sky
like great orange disc.
Gee, they will get away from u.s." cried
Halliday. Cant we leave the camel?
Can't we leave the swine?"
mol no." | cried "The water! We
must have the water!"
"F1og him!" roared Sundance. 'Flog
himl'
The Senegambian woman tripped and
fell, and we heard the cry of rage that
came from the girl on the camel But the
slave was on her feet in an instant, racing
forward as the rider screamed to her to
make the beast go faster. Our eyes we're
blinded by the sand and the glare of the
sun, but we hung on to the flank of the
Hathor's camel and prayed to the gods for
strength. That was a little fOretaste OF
Sheol, but we were willing to suffer any
torture in an effort to keep up with the
running Kabyle And our brains were riot
ing as we ran. Ay, ay, ay!
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

Kabyle. The blind mans body had stin-
ened with expectancy as his fingers
touched something on the top Of the rock
above his head. For a moment he stood
still, his lean frame tense and upright.
then he sprang backward with a shrek of
horror. Then We sawi Ay. we saw, The
blind man pulled his hand from the top of
the rock-may the good Lord keep the
sight away from my dreamsl Sundance
and yelled together. BY the head OF
Horus, we Yelled Twisted round the hand
Of the Kabyle. its bloated body showing
clearly in the moonlight. was a Gaboon-
viper. whose fangs were buried in the
blind mans wrist
The Kabyle lurched toward me. the hor.
rid death clinging to his hand He hung
out his arms as II to shake the thing from
him, and as | stopped to dodge his swing
the hanging tail OF the serpent Hicked me
In the face And yelled with fear as that
thing touched me. We were crazed with
all that We had heard, and the sight of the
The Washington times., 1918-08-18


We we're three hours or more lighting
our way to the spot we started from. The
Bronze Hathor helped US to solid ground.
and then with dry lips we stammered out
the story.
1T was the Flaming Mzardi" cried the
girl. His heart was unclean, and it was
death for him to touch it. Take me out
tomorrow. l am pure at heart and you
can turn your heads while put my hands
upon it. viii you, will your"
Sundance Halliday looked at her for .
moment, then he staggered back to the
edge of the quicksand. He lifted one end
Of the great plank, and then, using all his
tremendous strength, he thrust it forward
so that the other end was driven into the
sand. The girl screamed and rushed at him
with clawing fingers, but it was too late.
The sands had got chance to bite at the
board, whose fat surface had defied them
Sundance reeled away from it, and we
watched with wide eyes the gurgling quick
sand that. like an enormous python, slowly
swallowed the plank.
No one will go uDon it tomorrow" NUT
tered Sundance. There is nothing out
there but death"
The Bronze Hathor cursed in a tongue
that was strange to US, but a great weari-
ness came upon US, and we fell asleep
while she was still Faving.
1t was long after daylight when we
opened our eyes. A feeling OF loneliness
gripped US as we looked around. The
desert was bare-bare as a naked blade,
and We stared at it with mouths agape
Great Cod" cried Halliday, they've
bolted with the camels while we sleptI
They've bolted with the camels and the
water. The Jade got mad because we
wouldn't again risk death in that devilish
quicksand
May Allah send Sundance back to me,
In the four days that followed that morn
ing following the fight OF the Bronze
Hathor, it was Halliday that kept me on
my feet. He would never give in. Time
and time again when | would fall with a
fixed resolve that | would never get to my
feet again. he would coax me forward, and
on the afternoon of the fourth day We fell
in with five Berbers who brought us to
this plare
curse on the French doctor. 1t was
he that nursed us back TO life, and it was
to him that Sundance told the story of the
Flowing Sands in the little cafe OF the
Three Winds of Good Fortune. And the
little Legionnaire coaxed him out again
amongst the Djinns and the sand devils to
show him the uncanny spot in the desert
That is all that have to tell. Another
month will wait here, then will travel
northward. Perhaps the doctor and Sun
dance fell in with a caravan going to the
north, and even now he may be waiting
for me in the cool courtyard Of the Hotel
de France.
Who knows? But | have written down
this story as | told him | would if he did
not return inside six months, and now, as
the sun goes flaming down the west, sit
and stare at the heliotrope wastes over
which he went when said goodbye to
him and the little doctor outside the mud
walls.
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

VI lllt uCSClA.
He had a delu-
sion bout the
noise" said Halli-
day, "but he got
us here somehow
or other. What do
you think about
the business ?"
81 can't think"
I muttered. I'm
stupid. This place
is devilish."
And that place
was devilish. The
stretch of moist
quicksand with
t h e mysterious
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

lOOl VIC SdlACu Ol
the running Kabyle, whose bare legs we're
moving up and down like pistons.
And it was then that the girl upon the
camel thrilled US through and through.
She let out a cry that went out over the
desert, and she thrust her head forward
in the manner of the Kabyle. She screamed
to the slave woman to hurry the tired
camel, and her cries awoke the echoes
of that place of desolatiOn.
The blind Kabyle was running like a
mailman over the sand, and the slave
woman and / were walloping our stagger-
ing camels. And we seemed to be the only
persons in the world just then. We five
the blind Kabyle, the girl with the eyes of
Circe, the slave woman, Sundance and my
self
Sitting here on the roof and looking out
over the desert have tried hard to calcu-
late the time that elapsed between the
moment the girl gave that cry and the
moment that Sundance, sitting on The
blind Kabyle. tripped me neatly as | stag
gered by Tripped me Just in time. By
the beard of the Prophet yes,
II must have been more than three
hours. It was early afternoon when she
cried out. and the sun was plunging be
hind the horizon. when the grip Of Halli-
days fingers on my ankle brought me to
nv senses. And all that time | was run
ming. running like crazy man. blinded by
the sand and the glare, yet staggering for
ward in that direction that the others were
racing in. My brain was numbed by the
mysterious happenings of the day and the
heat of the orangecolored sun that licked
the desert.
And it was Sundance that saved me
That is why curse the little French doc
for for taking him back along that hellish
path. Ay. l do, Ay, do! Sundance
gripped my ankle as ] staggered forward
with unseeing eyes. and he pulled me on
nv hands and knees.
Easy boy" he cried, "easy now; you've
gone far enough"
where am H." | cried.
open your eyes and look" said Sun
dance.
wet rag, Anything"
I think it was the Senegambian slave
thai thrust a wet rag into my hand, and |
dabbeG frantically at my burning eyes.
For a full minute | was afraid 10 oDen
them TO the sight that knew was in front.
Then | mustered out my courage and
looked.
am still sane in spite of the hammer
ing of the coppersmith and the odOrs that
come from the Souk-el-Attarine, but at the
moment ! opened my eyes in that desert
I thought that my brain had been turned
by the heat Holy St. Agnesi Yes! A
hundred yards in front of the spot where
was kneeling there rose a red pillar OF
stone. redder than the blood Pillar at
Kairouan, and the sand for thirty yards
around that pillar was as smooth as bill
lizard table, smooth and devilish looking
And from beneath that stone came a sound
of falling water, a sound so faint that it
was impossible for me to hear it a hun
dred yards away!
looked at Halliday and tried to speak
"Quicksands!" he cried, pointing to the
stretch of sand Immediately in front
The Washington times., 1918-08-18


US completely. Sum
dance and | clung to
the plank, but the
blind man made a
great Jump out into
the quagmire and the
hungry sands sval-
lowed him.
! have a shadowy
mental film of the
minutes that followed
that happening. As
we stared at the spot
where the Kabyle dis
appeared, We saw his
turban appear above
the surface then as 1t
slowly sank again, we
saw that bloated hor-
rOr crawl upon it to be
sucked down with It
as it slipped from our
view!
Terror had Us in its
clutch as we fought
with that quieksand in
an effort to get back
to the solid ground
where the figures of
the Bronze Hathor and
the slave woman stood
up like black statues
in the moonlight.
Hand over hand we
fought our way. our
throats dry and our
souls sick with that
business. We had
bought the Kabyle to
his doom, and we per-
spired at the thoughts
Of our own nearness
to the death that hai
overtaksn him.
Tit couldn't have
been that?" gurgled
Halliday.
mo, no." | cried.
that thing has been
taken years ago. Per-
haps - perhaps the
ones who brought this
plank here got it"
The Washington times., 1918-08-18

hS6p IL up,
erie d Sundance,
keep it upi We're
gaining on them"
/ walloped the
groaning C a m e ]
and we spurted
like madmen. Glory
be, what a run it
was! On and on
and on, and still in
front of us, like a
black patch against
the bloody sky, was
the running Ka
byle, and painting
and groaning be-
side us ran the
ave wo m a n g.
swinging on the
nose rope of the
camel that carried
the Bronze Hathor.
Faster" gasped
Sundance, faster"
We spurted like
runners on the last
lap. Inch by inch
we drew ahead of
the Senegambian
and the camel that
carried the girl,
Body o. me! it was
a grind. Foot by
foot we gained on
Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
MARKET REPORT
MINNEAPOLIS GRAIN

w ,eat-Dark northern, s2.23M to
s2.2. No. / Northern s2.21A @s2.22:
No. Dark Northern, s2.2oh@s2.22:
No. Northern, s2.1sAa @s2.19; No. 8
oarl Northern, s2.16h @s2.1s; No. 8
Nort ern, $2.15; No, 1 Amber Durum.
5 2.24As; No. 2. Amber nurum, s2.21h
No. 3 Amber Durrm. s2.l7M.
CORNING. 3 white 1.s0@1.s5; No. 3
yellow 1.30m1.35; arrive a.24; No. 4
yellow i.22@f.sSs No. 3 yellow i.17mI.-
%; No. 3 mixed 1.a2@1.27; other grades
S2@1.17.
oATS-No. . Mont. white .70@.71;
standard.6S@.6 go; arrive .6S@.6sA, No.
3 .67M @.68h; arrive .671z@ q .68; No. A
81 Y @.87A.
RARLEY-Choice a2ee as; ordinary
IS @.92.
RYE-1.59@1.eO so, arrive. Same.
FLAx-S. 79@3.sa, arrive 3.77@3.79.
NOVEMBER BARLEY-.95M.
DECEMBER BARLEY-.95Ms
JANUARY BARLEY-.95N.
NOVEMBER CATS.69M,
DEcEMBER OATS-.6SW @.66M.
JANUARY oATs-.eGM.
NOVEMBER RYE--I.59k.
DECEMBER R~YE-1.60.
JANUARY RYEi.G1hs.
Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
THE KAISER
lRlunPHAL EN-
Try INHOLIAND
How lie Former German Emperor
Entered Holland Only %
Be Jeered al.

Amsterdam, Nov. 14.-The former
German emperor made an inglorious
entry into Holland, according to re-
ports from Eysden, at 1880 O'Clock Sun.
day morning, Ten travelstained an
tomobiles, driven by Prussian Officers,
We're seen coming slowly through the
fog along the Vise.Maastricht high
road. The last Belgian village. Mou,
land, which is almost on the border
line. was stiil asleep. The noise OF the
motors brought out a crowd Of cur,
ious villagers,
The former ruler Of Germany was
dressed in the uniform Of q general
with an officers cape and carried .
sword, The esrtwhile martial figure
was huddled and bent on a walking
stick. while his eyes stared straight
ahead. The Dutch frontier guards
stopped the cortege. After some brief
forInalities the automobiles we're con.
Quoted to the railway station at EYs,
den. Dutch cavalry and military eye.
lists formed accordion about the station.
Refugees Rail at Wilhelm
Crowds OF Belgian refugees swarned
around h station, crying:
"Abas Gnillaumel Assassin
An imperial train arrived at the sta,
ton an hour later. 1t consisted Of II
cars and William Hohenzollern, who
had walked up and down the railway
platform, entered the train and chang.
ed to civilian clothes.
Arrangements for the reception Of
the Germans Were made by General
van Deutz, aid de camp to Queen Will
helnina, who went to German head
quarters last week.
Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
S. ID. RURAL CREDITS
National Prominence Given 1t at
Washington, ID. G.

Pierre, s. D. Nov. 1.-THE South Da-
Sota Rural Credit system came into ma
ional prominence again when the sy.
stem was brought before the national
convention of the Associations of Com
%nissioners Of Agriculture at Washing
ton, ID G., Monday. Every states in
the union is represented at the con
ference. Charles McAfree, commits
sioner Of immigration for South Dako-
ia, will present the South Dakota plan
in detail I the conference. Others on
the program are: DIR r.. Z. Ely ct
Wisconsin, p. g. Packer Of Wisconsin,
Herbert Quick Of the Farm Labor
board, pr. Elwood Mead, and Secre.
tary Franklin X Lane OF the Depart
ment Of the interior.
Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
BROWN BROTHERS HELP
BUILD MERCHANT FLEET
By United Press

!. Washington, Nov. A.-out in the
Philippine Islands. the natives are busy
tdding ships to the mighty allied nler-
chant fleet that is doing SO much tc
seat the Hun.
The department OF commerce has an.
,ounced that splendid work in ship.
building is being accomplished in the
Stands. Most Of the vessels are de.
igned for inter,island trade. They
nave relieved many vessels that have
,een Withdrawn for oversee service.
sfipbuilding in the Philippines is the
revival OF IN art that had become al.
most extinct in these possessions. Back
n the old days. however, when Spain's
srmada was the mightiest afloat, many
splendid galleon was launched in Phil.
ppine waters. M
Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1918-11-14
Seven in name, bur one in aim.
United War Work Campaign.
AIRMAN
BINDS WOUNDS
and FIGHTS ON
RY United 6

Paris, NOV. A.-Lieut. James NJ.
NesycIi, ii ST. Helena, Cal, was shot
through the leg while engaged in e
.dog-fisht in HE airs in#which y Ger;
man planes attacked 5 French and
American machines To stop the rapid
flow of blood, Lieut.. Newell tore straps
from his helinetsarld made q turniquet
for his leg, while the fight went or
Continuing the fight, Newell shot
doHssl, one German i flaars.es, g
The German squadron included
the famous tango escadriIle. formerly
Richtlofen's flying circus.
Three of the Germans singled out
the American plane in which Newell
was observer for attack. When NeweIl
WAS hit; his pilot, Lieut. Clearance u.
Nelson. maneuvered I keep out Of the
Germans way while The injured man
applied his tourniquel
ANhen Newell llad DOWN one
his adversaries and the French had
dtes,~s5snllssssd HI others GefnlanSI 1ied