Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 189: what you’re looking at

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

182 THE ARGOSY, Three minutes later, with the three camels and ample provisions now to their credit, the fugitives renewed their flight over the white trail at double speed. They kept steadily on mile after mile and hour after haur until it was very nearly nightfall, when, to their great gratification, the sand storm sub- sided, and they entered the bleak raves and dreary passes of the Kahreb Mountains. With the dying light of day, the two paused and looked back upon the awful plain. “ If those two sheiks do not find a surprise when they wake, I cannot prophesy,” said Bardoff at last. “ Then-—then you did not feel compelled ——” Dorothy paused, but the prmce understood her. No; I never take life unless in self defense. The tired sheiks slept like stone. I even cut the girdle from one of them, and found this message to the commander of the forces of the east. Let us hear what the emir has to say to his superior.” Seating himself on a sand mound the prince unfolded the dacument with care, translating as he read: “In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate, and the Faith of Islam. Amen ! ‘‘From the servant of his Lord, the Mahdi—the emir Mamud el Fiki, midway between the Nile and the Red Sea, to the commander of the Arsar in the East, Defender of Madien, Osman Digna. The greetings of a servant to his master. God be with thee! ‘* Know that there arrived in camp this night a man who proclaims himself one of the bodyguard of the holy Imam, the Mahdi, from Omdurman. He claims to bear tidings to. thee, O, Osman the Blest, from the Khalifa Abdulla, to the effect that the Great Mahdi is dead, and that the Khalifa Abdulla has been appointed his successor. The guard has with him a white slave captured from Khartoum, which he claims that the Khalifat sent thee as a present and token of esteem. ‘* Noble commander, I fear that what he tells is the truth—that our glorious Imam is removed-——but I wait here for messengers to bear me the confirming tidings from Berber, upon receiving which J shall send the messengers on tothee. Inthe mean time I shall hold the alleged ‘ guard of the Mahdi,’ whom I strongty suspect of being a European infidel escaping from Qmdurman in the disguise of a Baggara warrior, m which case, put no trust in these rumors. I fear, however, that what he speaks is the truth, for he could never have escaped hither with a slave of the Imam, the Master, without doing so while the excitement of such a great calamity was filling every mind. He isa crafty scoundrel, and I fear to allow him to proceed. I shall, therefore, hold him prisouer till I have tidings confirming or refuting his intelligence. ‘‘ Noble commander, we pray the most high God, to whom he praise, to bring us soon to thy reinforcement that the siege of Suakim may be an accomplished fact, to the glory of Allah and the increased dominion of the Mahdi. ‘Allah yebarek!’ ‘God be with thee |’ ‘** Dated, 8 Sha’abam, 1302. (Signed) Mamup EL FIKI, ** Postseript.—The white slave of the Mahdi is young and very beautiful.”’ A short, ringing laugh—the very first that had cheered poor Bardoff for many dark days—greeted the closing words of the grave message to the com- mander of the eastern forces. “I must indeed have looked beautiful,” said Dorothy, “ after the frightful days and days of toil through the desert, pallid with terror and apprehension as we came into the presence of the emir. J wonder that he was so favorably impressed.” The prince gave her a glance. Could it be that even the barbarian savage could look through that cloud of dust and those lines of suffering and see what a beautiful soul lay within, even as he himself had seen day by day on this GONG OOO ceo