Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-18

in Q corner OF . good-sized cave and q large
fire near by. Then while I settled for the night
he retreated hastily, glancing fearfully around
him.
couch was soft and the nearby fire radiated q
comfortable warmth. laid my head on my
cloak. which had been rolled into an imprO-
vised pillow, and instantly fell asleep. do NOS
know how long had been sleeping. but of 3
sudden, dream ag1tated me. I felt that o
menacing presence near me. Suddenly I
awakened.
The FIRE still burned and from the blazing
branches piled on top of it arose thick watts
of white. smoky substance which smeIed
like powerful drug I felt strangely torpid.
almost spent Something moved in one Of tho
shadowy corners of the cave Partly
quering, by a desperate effort, the drowsiness
that benumbed my limbs, propped myself in
a sitting position. I dmly saw a long white
shape dart crouching from one nook to an
other. Then the pungent smell coming from
the IRE envelOped me.
Strange to say, felt keenly that something
was menacing me, but instead Of being wOr-
Tied. felt curiouSly exhilarated. Although my
limbs were heavy and growing almost sense
less by the second, all my mental faculties
seemed relieved Of every human care '''
I thought of MenhedS and the Sbehas sng-
gestions that the cave haunted. Perhaps
it was. but that made no difference. found
myself waiting for o ghostly manifestation:
I wanted to keep in touch with the beyond and
enjoy its vagarieS, whatever they could be. I
realized that my ideas were not those Of q
sane man; was going insane, perhaps, but
did not care. My eyes were growing glazed
and all the sensations of drunkenness were
taking hold of me- Then, from that nook
where it had disappeared, the eerie wrath
seemed to emerge and advance toward me. I
saw . pair OF glaring eyes staring ferociouSy
at me; q curved, beakke nose q shaggy gray
beard It was an Arab, and he came stealthily
re knif in
right hand.
He is the ghost of one of the dead SbehaS.
and he wants to kill mel" thought in the
riddle of crazed ideas racking my brain. I
tried to grasp the automatic that had placed
under the cloak pillow before retiring. sue
ceeded in doing so, but, drugged as 1 was
lost my balance and fell on my side. without
knowing what was doing, pressed the trigger
and fired q round; then, nauseated and faint,
I let the gun fall among the loose grass of my
couch. s..s..
For a few moments following the crash Of
the report and the echoes it had awakened,
heard no other sound. Then the Shuffling nOisS
of approaching footStep echoed in the deep
silence of the cave. My reasoning power had
been botted out, but the instinct rooted In ms
by years of experience as an African fighter
was only Slumbering and came to my help. My
nervous fingers were unable to trace the gun.
which had sunk into the grass, but. With .
desperate effort I shook my head and man
aged to stumble all fours. go.
With knife lifted high to strike, the old
Arab had approached within my reach. He
had moved slowly because he wanted to get
by surprise and had shufied carefully to
avoid the noise of his steps that would alarm
me. He was thin, yet muscular, and his face
disclosed an insane wrath. s.. FAX
did not know If he was living being or
something beyond my comprehension. but my
fighting experience made me perceive the second
when he sprang. and drunken and unsteady
;, It Il @t:tJ. $3.50. Ia u , a.bA SO s.aGrv