Argosy, Vol. 1 (December 9, 1882) — page 193: what you’re looking at

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

“The password, stranger!” commanded orre of the pickets again. “ On thy life give it, or by the Mahdi’s God, thou diest rf thou shalt attempt to pass.” ‘El Mahdi ef Muntazar!” repeated the prince savagely. “True,” said the guard. “The Mahdi is the messiah; but what has that to do with the password, without which no man can advance here? Come, out with it!” Bardoff beckoned to him. “ I will whisper it to thee, son of the faithful,” he said. As the savage approached he slipped a sovereign into his hand. Unfortunately the coin dropped with a ring on the skull of a camel, which stood upright in the white path. The two other guards say it. The camel boy grabbed the gold piece and restored it to Bardoff. “ You are our prisoners!” cried all three at once. “ Quick! Dismount— both of you!” In silence the refugees dismounted. “It’s all up!” moaned Bardoff to poor Dorothy. “ We are prisoners of war, right on the threshold of victory. That scoundrel of a picket back there took my money and then lied tome. God hefp us!” A sob escaped from the folds of the disguising cloak. CHaprtER XXXII.—THE Encuisny Forces HEAR STRANGE NEws. THE British lion was aroused at the death of Gordon. A great expedition was immediately despatched to take Suakim and punish. the dervish forces. One evening, after a terrific engagement with the natives, in which they were put to flight, the British forces had withdrawn into the protecting circle of a zereba stockade for the night. Ambulances and nurses had gone out on the battlefteld to bring in the wounded. With the hospital corps were two brothers just out from thre old country, and new to all the sights of the Nile region. As the two worked over the wounded one of them chanced to spy a vul- ture among the dead. He jumped up and called out: “Say, fer the love 9’ heaving, wot’s these birds flyin’ around us and squawkin’ like fishwomen?” “Them? Why, you blasted hidjut, them ts wultures.” “What?” | “ Bloody wultures, yer fool. Don’t fet nobody hear you arsk any such ignorant questions. Whew! but the lean buzzards must be mighty hen- gry 99 “ Hello, Tom, ef ’ere ain’t a wulture with his leg done up in a red rag, as ef he’d been just discharged from a bloomin’ wulture ‘orspital.” “ Aw, g’on!” The skeptical brother was turning over a lancer and look- ing earnestly into his face for a sign of life. “Fact, and I’ll prove it,” said the other doggedly, as if his word had been impeached. The vultur was famished, and suffered the inquisitive man to draw near. Then came a pistol shot, and the big bird fell to the grotnd. Gs ry Peeng *? Down 7im: conn ClOOO UN ceo nn |