The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-27
stood upon the highest point of the
rocks watching usi

turned to Sakina--she lay trembling on |
the ground, with her face hidden in her
hands.
Then, down over the piled-up rocks, |
this mysterious and onineus being
came leaping. Old man though he was.
he descended with the agility of a
mountain goat-and Sometimes. in the
difficult places. he scent on all tours.
Crossing the Intervening strip of
sand, he stood before me- You have
| seen the reproach in the eyes of
faithful dog whose master has struck
him unjustly? Such a reproaeh shene
| out from the yellow eyes of this desert
wanderer. I cannot account for it;
can say no more.
1t was impossible for me to speak:
I trembled violently; such fear and
such a madness of sorrow possessed
me that I would have welcomed any
| death-to have freed me from that in
tolerable reproach.
He suddenly pointed toward the
horizon where against the curtain of
the dawn black figures appeared
I fell upon my knees beside Sakina.
was poor, pitiable thing; the mad
ness of my passion had left me, and
already 1 was within the great Shadow;
I could not even weep. I knew that I
had brought Sakina out into that desc
late place-to die.
And now the man whose ways were
unlike human ways began TO babble
insanely, gesticuiating and plucking
at me. 1 cannot hope to make you
feel one little part of the emotion with
which those instants were laden.
Sakina clung to me. trembling in a
way I can never forget-never, never
forget. And the look in her eyesi Even
now 1 cannot bear to think of 1t,
cannot bear
Those almost colorless lizards which
dart about in the desert place with in
credible swiftness were now coming
forth from their nests; and all the
while the black figures. unheard as yet.
| were approaching along the path of the
| sun.
My mad folly grew more apparent
| to me every moment. realized that
this which SO rapidly was oveFtaking
me had been inevitable from the first.
The strange wild man stood watching
me with that intolerable glare so that
my trembling companion shrank from
him in horror.
But evidently he was Seeking to con-
vey some idea to me. He gesticulated
constantly, pointing to the approach
ing Arabs and then over his shoulder
to the frowning rock behind.
How I cursed the delay which had
enabled the Arabs to come up with us!
know, now, of course, that even had
I not delayed, our ultimate capture was
certain. But at the moment, in my
despair, I thought otherwise.
The pursuing party, numbering four.
and led by Said Mehammed. was no
more than five hundred yards awav
| when came to my senses. The hermit
now was tugging at my arm with
frightful insistence; his eyes were glar-
ing i11sanely, and he chartered in an
almost pitiable manner.
"Quick." I cried. throwing my arm
about Sakina, "up to the rocks. This
man can hide us!"
"No. mot" She whispered, 81 dare
mot"
But I lifted her, and signing to the
singular being to lead the way. followed
| The distance was greater than it ap-
peared and very difficult.
Her terror of the man and of the
place to which he was leading us
mor11entarily increased. When the man
paused before an opening IN the rocks
not more than fifteen OF sixteen inches
in height, and wildly waving his arms
in the air. his elf1n locks flying about
his shoulder, his eyes CLASSY, intimated
that we were to crawl in-~akiEia
writhed free of my grasp and bounded
back some three or four PAGES.
| mot in tferet"' she cried holding
out her little hands to me pitifully.
'I dare not! He would devour usi"
At the foot of the slope. Said Mo-
harnmed, who had disnounted from his
horse, and who, far ahead of the others.
was advancing toward US. at that
/ HI Gun a nd
1t is more years ago than 1 care to
count, but it is fresher in my mind
than the things Of yesterday. A lonely
old age is before me-for have been
a solitary man since that shot was
fired. For me it changed the face of
the world, for me it ended youth, re-
vealing me to myself for what was.
Something more nearly resembling
human speech than any sound he had
yet uttered burst from the lips Of the
| wild man as the report Of Said Mo-
hammed's shot whispered in echoes
through the mysterious labyrinths be-
meath us.
With little soft cry-1 hear 1t now.
gentle, but having in it world of
agony-Sakina sank at my feet. :.
and her blood began to trickle over
the blocks on which she lay.
The man who processes to describe
to you his emotions at such a frightful
moment is an impostor. The world
grew black before my eyes; every emo
| ton of which my being was capable
became paralyzed.
| I heard nothing, I saw nothing but
the little huddled figure. that red
stream upon the black rock. and the
agonized love in the blazing eyes of
akina- Groaning.s I threw myself
down beside her, and as she sighed cut
her life upon my breast. 1 knew--God |
help me-that what had been but
! youthful amour. was now Efe's traE- |
| edy; that for me the light of the world /
had gone out, that I should never again |
know the warmth OF the sun and the
kgiadness of the morning
! The cave man. with a dog-fke
fidelity, sought now to drag me from |
daad fo--a 10 drag mo into that .