Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-12-07

was an hour before dawn, then,
wnen 1 stood besides the white
watching and listening; 1t
was an hour before dawn when she
Aor whom my great scheme was for
sotten' for whom was about to risk
so Ahger.2 the just anger Of men
among the most fierce in the known
.' came running Aeetly over the
ks Down ipto the little valley,
ana threw herself into my arms. 80
"heh dawn burst In gloomy SPLEEN
aor over the desert, we were still Ave
nours' ride. from the spot where had
pfoposed temporarily to conceal my
seif' with perhaps an hours start of
the Arabs. I knew the desert ways
wen enough. but the ghostly and
oosoiate place in which now found
myself nevertheless filed me with
foreboding.
seam Of black volcanic rock split
the sands for q great distance, form
ing kind OF natural wall of forbid
Jung aspect. In places this wall was
pierced by tunnel-ike openings; I
mink they may have been prehistoric
tombs.
Seated before me in tho saddle
Sakina looked up into my face with
never-changing confidence, having her
little brown fingers interlocked about
my neck. But her strength was fall
Ing. A short rest was imperative.
Thus far had detected no evidence
OF pursuit and. descending from the
saddle MA cod 49,, ~.,ao -, ~ -, ~ ., any,
upon rock over which had laid q
rugs and poured out for her . ,draught
Of cool water.
Bread and dates were our breakfast
fare; but bread and dates and water
are nectar ana ambroiia when they
are sweetened with 5l<isses. Oh! the
glorious madness Of youth!
So we remained awhile, deliriously
happy. though death might terminate
our Joys ere we again saw the sun,
when something 80 something
spoke to me-
Understand me. did not say that
some one spoke; did not say that
anything audible spoke: But know
that, unlocking those velvet arms
which chung to me. stood up slowly
and, still slowly. turned and looked
back at the frowning black rocks.
Merciful God! My heart beats wild
ly now when recall that moment.
Motionless as a statue, but in q
crouching attitude, as If about to leap
down, he who had warned me so truly
stood upon the highest point of the
rocks watching usi
How long did remain thus?
cannot pretend to say; but when
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 ominous being
came leaping. Old man though he
was. he descended with the agility of
. mountain Eoat--and sometimes, In
tho difficult places. he went on all
fours.
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 reproach shone
out from the yellow eyes Of this des-
-ert wandsrer. cannot account for
It; can say no more. : -
It was impossible for mo to speak:
trembled violently; such a fear and
such madness Of sorrow possessed
me that would have welcomed any
death--to have freed me from that In
tolersbse reproacir
He suddenly pointed toward the
horison where, against the curtain of
the dawn. black figures appeared.
fell upon my knees beside Sakina.
was = poor. pitiAbls thing; the mad
ness Of my passion had left me, ana
already was within the great shad-
ow: corld not even weep: / knew
that had brought Sakina out into
that dssolate place--to die.
And now the man whose ways were
unlike human ways began to babble
insAnely. gesticulating and plucking
ut me. cannot hope to make you
feel one little part Of this emotion
with which those instants were Ia
den. Eakina chung to me, trembling
in Z way can never forget-never,
never forget, And the lock in her
eyes! Even now / cannot bear to
think Of 1t, cannot bear
Those almost coloriess lizards which
dart about in the desert place with IN