Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 28, 1928 — page 136: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

566 from tearing the baggage with their strong yellow teeth, to get at the straw within. Most of the poor beasts had sores because their loads were badly packed by the tired, despairing men. One had an unhealed bite on its shoulder as the result of an argument with a hasty-tempered naga—female camel. Another bore a nasty cut on its foot, while a third was with foal. The intolerable heat by day alter- nated with bitter winds by night, and many of the men had rheumatism as well as bleeding feet, sores, fever, headaches from the constant glare, and an ever-torturing thirst. The seventh night came—a clear night at last—and the caravan dragged on until the great red moon rose over the desert, and then one of the camels lay down and refused to get up again. It died within an hour of its collapse, and, spent by their efforts to restore it, the leaders decided to make camp for the night. There was no brushwood and con- sequently no fires, but as there was nothing to put in the cooking pots it did not matter very much, except that fires would have served to keep at bay the appalling loneliness that closed in around the three white men as they sat huddled in their blankets, while men and beasts snored and grunted around them. “We can only do one more day— if that.”” Durning’s voice was flat and expressionless. “ The only suggestion the Arabs make is to trust in Allah!’ “They are justified by results more often than not,” replied Montgomery. “Our guide has failed us,” Cardell put in. ‘“ Our maps and compass have proved utterly unreliable, as we were warned they would. Now there’s only the element of chance to reckon on! We'll toss up for our direction when morning comes.” They poked their heads out of their ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. sleeping bags in the shivering gray dawn, to see Omar waving his un- bound turban frantically—the dull lan- guor gone from his face, his dark eyes keen and flashing as he pointed. “Land—land! By the’ mercy of Allah, it is land!’’* They scrambled out and _ looked. There was a solid black ridge on the horizon, and as they stared with blood- shot, smarting eyes, the three travelers realized how great their despair of yes- terday had been. Handfuls of dates were distributed and double rations of the brackish water before the caravan set out with hopes which ignored all pain and weak- ness. Seven—eight—nine hours they toiled on. The flat, monotonous sand gave place first to black, uneven rocks with green patches where the camels fought greedily, and later to rolling dunes. As they approached it, the black - ridge on the horizon was hidden from view by intervening dunes; but, late in the afternoon, from the crest of a co- lossal wave of sand, Omar was the first to get a real glimpse of their ob- jective, He came running back with a fright- ened face, and safd a word at which the waiting Arabs raised their voices in a positive howl of terror, and began to beat their breasts and call on Allah. “Zem-Zem!” repeated Cardell. “What is Zem-Zem? Why are they all having hysterics like this?” “May Allah guard us! Maleish, this is an evil hour in which mine eyes gaze on that very evil city! Zem-Zem is a place forsaken by Allah, and altogether given over to devils!’ wailed Omar, and the camel men and boys wailed with him. Montgomery, whose sense of the ridiculous nothing could quench, struck an attitude before them, and began beating time with an imaginary baton. “ Miserere in A minor! All together *Arab expression for a landmark, when traveling over unknown country. EOMMICGLOOOLK< (E@)