Evening star., 1936-01-03


pass and are no,0 erdn1ing the Ras'
many tpedpons. This is the sirth
article In the series.
BY LAWRENCE STALLINGS.
Adds ABABA (by maiD The for
ward grip Of the gun was a broom
handled affair which might be swung
through an arc of Is degrees from the
perpendicular beneath the barrel
With astonishing ease the Kenjasmaj
threw the weapon to his right shoul-
der. his enormous black arm swinging
the forward grip outward to the left.
He then shot down in flames many an
imaginary airplane from skies which
hurtled past the train window.
He swung the gun with amazing
strength, sighting with long traverse
from the horizon to the zenith and
then traversing to the opposite hori-
zon. He boasted that this would be
the end Of any airplane cunning his
troops.
That the thing was well-nigh i'm
possible, that no machine gunner
would admit the feasibility Of such
use Of the weapon was a matter diffl-
cult to communicate to the KenjaSmaj
of the Aurussis. 1t was no good ar
g,iine with him; he believed land, for
all one knew, he would be capable OF
firing the gun in such a way, clip by
clip, until either he or the gun was
exhausted) that in the Ogaden he
would, single-handed, protect his
troops from air assault.
Veteran Of Adowa.
Suddenly the general gave over the
whole proposition and laid the gun
away, again carefully casing it in its
crude cover To ones delight, ne
then said "Adowa" and with enormous
ingenuity communicated the fact that
a generation before he had fought on
the right wing Of that fateful engage
ment. being booned blessed place
in the first of the two columns which
had cut the Italians to pieces there.
One instantly pointed to his sporting
rife and demanded repetition OF his
conduct there.
The Kenjasmaj scorned the fire
arm. He drew instead from his arms
store the long, re-scabbarded sword.
He barred the naked blade and, with
great courtesy. offered 1t tc one for IN
spection.
The sword was an astonishing piece
of steel. For the first foot of its yard
and a half it was dulled and thick,
growing keener as it ran in sweeping
curve to the point. TIE last feet
of its blade could have been used for
a close shave with the greatest OF ease,
being razored fine, not merely ground,
but honed and velveted out OF mar
velous steel. Its hilt bore an inscrlp-
ton in Amharic, the reverse OF It's
blade informing that one Wilkinson
Of London had made swords for Eng
lish royalty since the flood.
Cuts Mandarin in Air,
Moulou Guetah, suddenly enrap-
t,red at the sight of the steel, seized
It back 50 quickly that only by dexter
ity one saved the half Of right hand.
He produced a mandarin then; he
tossed in the sandy air of the coupe
and with q flashing stroke split 1t
with a whining swish. He then bare
footed his way to the far corner by
the door, picked up his sun helmet
for q small round target, thrust this
upon his left fist as shield and
shouted "Adowa" in loud voice.
Whatever shenanagans might have
been employed in various sword-wav-
ings for the Emperor's benefits in the
untiring boastings Of these people,
here was ar old warrior reliving
verify, lost in his fancies, remote from
sham. His stance was curious one.
He was posed in the manner of dis
Gus thrower, the left hand high with
the shield, the curved sword in his
right hand low behind him.
As he cried "Adowa" he advanced
with the nimble footwork Of a boxer,
keeping the shield as a left lead,
the right looped back with the dread
full blade. One seized the Mauser to
give him a foil. and he tented in and
out astonishingly, warding of bayonet
thrusts or DETECTING bullets, one knew
not which In the baleful fascination OF
that glittering blade. AS he circled in
the coupe, 1t was clear that he was
seeking an opening with the sword
the way that a right-hand puncher
hopes to land a haymaker. There
was never any feinting with the blade.
Imaginary Foe Falls.
Presently he saw his opportunity.
His right hand came shoulder level,
telegraphing the punch, and the sword
whipped the dust of the coupe in
great overland loop. Presumably,
what had been an Italian lad stuffed
with imperialism now lay in two parts
upon the grimy carpet of the coupe,
head and one shoulder in one corner,
lifelesS torso in the other. Moulou
Guetah, with the gentlest Of smiles,
then sheathed the weapon and care
fully placed it in its accustomed
corner.
He waved a winning scorn toward
his firearms and stroked the bullock's
hoof handle and the boss. IN his
mind, there was no doubt, all the
impedimenta of modern warfare was
50 much hocus pocus. In the end
man lived or died by the sword.
Copyright. 1896. by the North American
Newspaper Alliance, Inc, and Fox
Moylstons NeEs2