Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-17
IA Night in the Desert.
by Srinie Annie Dunnex.
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moon u Al began To howl. In the
warm desert night his thin body
hhitered as tho long cry, plaintiye
and sad. cut the white stiffness.
Such a pitifui little dog IL was,
pleading TO the moon. He held his
trembling attitude a while longer,
then. whining, turned aud began to
paw gently at huddied something
In The shadow OF a sand dune. He
worried and fretted at 1t until 1t
stirred and moaned. dislodging, as it
did so, some of the drifted sand
The closed eyelids never quivered
when, with hard, dry tongue, the dog
gently kissed them, then lay down.
fore paws resting on the quiet breast,
muZzle between them.
Suddenly he raised his head tense
ly still and listened, Far, far on in
the night there came to him a cry.
Instantly with a long, quivering
call OF question he answered. Ears
forward and nose pointing eagerly
alert, he stood. Again 1t came. voice
less to all but the savage instinct
within him.
Another quick call of answer, an
other touch on the mans unCon-
seious face, and with nose close to
the half buried form and loped away
in the direction of that mystic call.
Slowly at first, then faster. over
the uneven stretches, with never
sign to show that man had marked
a way from life, through barren
waste. to life again. The sand storm,
just passed, had obliterated all that.
uIerringly he sped on; now paus-
ing an instant, head in air, then on,
faster, even, as he took up the call
once more, until, slipping. sliding.
his legs trembling under him, he
came within sound of voices, strange
and far Off but humanity tangible,
the quick, sharp cries Of Arab driY-
ers, the creaking Of saddle trappings;
and thus quickly does sound travel
in the desert, looming up through
the white, barren world there came
the vague outlines OF q desert ship.
growing larger and clearer as the
painting dog sped towards 1t.
To the woman perched high up on
one OF the swaying camels it seemed
that the pictured horror OF this glar-
ing night would forever haunt her
the white, shrouded heads and dusky
Arab faces. the lurching camels, and,
above all, the dreadful, yawning des-
ert~ clutching, hiding the dearest
life on earth. In a dun, agoni1ed
way her mind reviewed the past ter
rifle wind storm when the whole
world seemed swallowed up in
fighting blackness of wind and sand,
ending day Of such sadness she
wished her heart would really break
and end it all the agony Of causing
another's death. All day they had
hunted, hunted and called were
hunting still--all that hot, dry day;
but SO tre1cherCus is the desert that
no trace could b. found of hor bro h
er's chum, the man She had played
with. and, just the night before re-
fused SO peryersely He had wan
dered off in land whence no
stranger returns, even SO had her lit
tie dog
Dulled with misery she did not no.
tice the sudden commotion among
the drivers Even the stopping of
the caravan failed to rouse her, her
brothers. excited voice and the
Arabs crowding down upon her, so
suddenly quiet, their great eyes star
Ing from awed faces down upon
Something crawling at her camePs
feet.
A low, plaintiye whine struck a
chord of memory and drew her eyes
to the moonlit sand.
One quick command and she had
swung from the lneeling camel and
caught an exhausted, but joyous lit
tie dog in tremulous arms.
"Curfew; oh, Curfew!"
She turned a quiyeripg face to-
ward the silent group as her brother
tenderly examined the blistered feet.
He sprang up, choking back cry,
He's utterly exhausted - must
have travelled long way. Perhaps
then grew silent, looking at her
with fearful eyes.
The woman nodded without speak
ing. and turned to the frightened
group with gesture of command.
Silently they watched the dog hur-
r.edly eat and drink, feeling of
some awful thing barking behind
them in the desert; before them
they know not what.
For a little while the faithful dog
rested, then started up and away,
coaxing them to follow, and fearfully
the caravan once more took up its
journey.
On through the desert night the
dog held his way, stopping every
now and then to rest and assure him
self of their coming, impatient and
Wistful.
BY and by the moon began to pale,
the stars to fade, and the dog grew
more and more exhausted after each
short rest, more frequent now.
Just as the moon disappeared
from the circling desert and dark
settled down the dog spurred ahead
and began to toll a feeble call that in
his puppy days had earned his name
The woman caught her brothers.