The Tragedy of the Korosko

y fell upon the black, anxious face of Tippy Tilly, the old Egyptian gunner. His crooked finger was laid u

I will lie here beside you, and they cannot tell me

ou will ta

n this black man, Mansoor. I had ra

ave you

another hour we shall be called to evening prayer. First of all,

int of a percussion cap upon the nipple, and knew that it was lo

"speak slowly, so that

y the Emirs. There are guards upon watch, but they are scattered in all directions. The twelve camels are close beside us here-those twelve behind the acacia tree. If we can only get mounted and started, I do no

rible day had left its mark in his livid face and his hair, which was turning rapidly to grey. He might have been the father of

his shoulders. "Mefeesh!" said he. "One of them is old, and in any case there are plenty more women if we

olonel sternly. "We shall take our wom

ask my companions and me to do that which must end in failure? For years we have waited for such a chance

you if we come back to

nd promotion in the army-all u

dred each if you can make some new plan b

hed his woolly hea

we to get the women upon them?-and if we had them upon them, we know very well that they would fall off when they began to gallop. I fear that you men will fall off, for it is no easy matter t

own as if to sleep once more. He knew that with Orientals

mrades, Mehemet Ali, who had charge of the camels. The two argued for some little time-for those thre

three more of the camels. But it is foolishness, and we are all going to

rtion to avoid it, and shivered in all his long, thin limbs. Then he pulled out his Baedeker and began to write his will upon the flyleaf, but his hand twitched so that he was hardly legible. By some strange gymnastic of the legal mind a death, even by violence, if

ot where the women were lying. Sadie and her aunt lay with their arms round each other, the girl's head

Miss Adams earnestly. "What do

ou think it!" cried the girl. "You've got to come stra

e," said the Colonel roughly. "Our lives all depend upon you

will fa

d the cummerbund which I lent poor Stuart. Now

h a disconsolate face out over the desert,

comes of all your foolish talking! You ha

lue lid. They were travelling fast, and waved their rifles as they came. An instant later the bugle sounded an alarm, and the camp was up with a buzz like an overturned bee-hive. The

no end to it, then? Are we never to come o

in an acid voice. "You seem to be altering your opinions.

agazine, and in an instant the Frenchman was dancing in front of him with a broken torrent of angry

for your grey

pudence!" cri

gentlemen, and not like so many corn

nsieur Fardet has learned something fr

t do you want to aggrav

shm

t yourself! I do not permit peopl

k after your ow

y catching thing, ill-temper, for even Stephens began to be angry at their anger, and to scowl at them as they passed him. Here they were at a crisis in their fate, with the shadow of death above them

osed, were listening to a voluble report from the leader of the patrol. The prisoners noticed that, though the fierce, old man stood like a graven ima

said Belmont. "Not very far off either

it. Something h

What can it be? Here, Man

up with the light of hope

fill the water-skins, and be ready for a start when the darkness comes. But I am ordered to gather you together, for the M

is head, which marked him as a Mecca pilgrim. In one hand he carried a small brown carpet, and in the other a parchment copy of the Koran. Laying his carpet upon the ground, he motioned Mansoor to his side, and then gave a circular sweep of his arm to signify that the prisoners should gather round him, and a downward wave which meant that they should be seated. So they grouped themselves round him, sitting on the short green sward under the

ed in the Book of the Camel? For what says the chosen one?"-and he broke away into one of those dogmatic texts which pass in every creed as an argument. "Besides, is it not clear that God is with us, since from the beginning, when we had but sticks against the rifles

that they might soon be called upon to fight. The two Emirs were conferring together with grave faces, and the leader of the patrol pointed, as he spoke to them, in the direction of Egypt. It was evident that there was at leas

" said he. "I believe we have a chance if we can o

t sat moodily with his back against the palm-tree, and his black brows draw

We depend upon y

do it," the Frenchma

upon himself this

actious child. "I am quite sure that the Colonel will express his regre

of the sort," sna

. "It is for the good of the whole party that we wish you to speak with

ugged his shoulders and re

ression began to fade away from his large, baggy face. His

said he to the dragoman. "Why is it that they ta

"Perhaps I had better do what I can, Belmont, si

t of a woman sav

erefore a man of gallantry and honour, would not permit your own wounded feelings to in

in an instant, with h

y. I will do all that I can in this matter. Now, Mansoor, you may tell the holy m

revented his absolute acceptance of the faith of Islam. And his questions were all so mixed up with personal compliments to the priest and self-congratulations that they should have come under the teachings of so wise a man and so profound a theologian, that the hanging pouches under the

of Allah. Some stars have tails, oh my sweet lamb, and some have not; but what does it profit us to know which are which? For God made them all, and they are very safe in His hands. Therefore, my friend, be not puffed up by the foolish learning of the West, and understand that there is only one wisdom, which consists in following the wil

ruction," said the Frenchman, "for, indeed, it is a pleasure to hear your c

and a gleam of suspicion t

e walked over to the fire, and stooping down, with the pompous slowness of a stout man, he returned with two half-charred sticks, which he laid cross-wise upon the ground. The Dervishes came cl

ve made out of two sticks the foolish and superstitious symbol of your former creed. You will trample upon it, as a sign that you renounce it,

ch that symbol upon the earth represented. But there was the European pride, the pride of the white race which swelled within them, and held them to the faith of their countrymen. It was a sinful, human, un-Christian motive, and yet it was about to make them publi

ed Cochrane. "Try and stave them of

of his uninjured arm, and the air of a man who

st any possible doubts which may remain in our hearts. Every true religion can be told by the miracles which those who profess it can bring about. Even I who am but a humble Christian, can, by virtue of my religio

curiosity. The hush among the listening Arabs showed how the w

It is not for us to disturb His laws. But if you have yours

of obvious palming might be the point upon which all their fates would hang. A deep hum of surprise rose from the ring of Arabs, and deepened as the Frenchman drew another date from the nostril of a camel and tossed it into the air, from which, apparently, it never descended. That gaping sleeve was obvious enough to his companions, but the dim light was all in favour of the performer. So delighted and interested was the audience that they paid l

e we men or babes, that you should try to impose upon us in t

lplessly round a

r five minutes. You have had th

gh," the soldier answer

prisoners. Bigots and barbarians, they were none the less two most majestic men, as they advanced through the twilight of the palm grove. The fierce old greybeard raised his hand and spoke swiftly in short, abrupt sentences, and his savage followers yelped to him like hounds to a huntsman. The fire that smouldered in

embraced the true fa

king at them wit

to preserve, and it was not fo

bout to embr

l sprang for their camels. The Emir Wad Ibrahim filed off at once with nearly

pened?" ask

eorge, I think we are going to come through all r

o you

could have

ey seemed incapable of any acute sensation, but now this sudden return of hope brought agony with it like the recovery of a frost-bitten limb. Even the strong, s

come very weak," he

come weak, he should

ing, Irish voice. "Kneel down with me, John, dear, if it's the l

, for the two Roman Catholics had dropped upon their knees and crossed themselves. A spasm of fury passed over the face of th

ur life's sake, stand up! He is as

stinate Irishman; "we will rise when ou

s. Then he gave one or two rapid orders, and four camels were brought forward. The baggage

rything depends upon our humouring them. Do get up,

ch impracticable people? Voila!" he added, with a shriek, as the two American ladies fell upon their

e in his long, thin hands. Only the Colonel and Monsieur Fardet remaine

he goodness of Providence." He dropped upon his knees with a rigid, military back, but his grizzled, unshaven chin upon his ches

ious sign of the cross, he took his place upon his knees beside the others. Foul, bedraggled, and wret

rder, and in an instant the four men were seized. A couple of deft turns with a camel-halter secured each of their wri

uined me also!" cried Mansoor, wringing his hands

" He plunged madly, but he was weak from privat

ied her towards the camel. "No harm shall come t

this. Sadie and her aunt appeared to be half senseless from fear. Only Mrs. Belmont kept a brave face. Wh

ocket," said Belmont,

soul to be able t

s if our guardian angels had their wings round us." She was like a guardian angel herself as

had Joined the Emir and the Moolah; the three consulted together, with occa

n?" said the dragoman. His fingers were twitching with nervou

sh to know?" as

not

ardet. "He wishes to know which is th

id the Colonel. "It's really for you to decide, Stephen

d; "but in any case, I have no wish to be pl

gain in his hars

beast left which can keep up. It is ready now for one of you, and you have to decide among y

t we are all

you are to choose at once w

the o

shrugged hi

scape, I think you fellows will agree with me that i

be Monsieur Belm

also," sai

hman would n

he cried. "All sink or all swim,

s struggle of unselfishness. Some one had said that the Colonel shou

genarian," he cried. "These re

Belmont, "let us

ds! Here are the ladies being carried off alone. Surely it would

aid was obviously true, but how could one of them deser

you cannot settle who is to go, you had

" said the Colonel, and his thre

em with four splinters of palm-bark

raws the longest has t

tely by this," said Cochrane,

he Emir was standing with his back to it, and his fierce face towards the prisoners. Behind the four men was a line of guards, and behind them again the three women, who looked down fro

way in his hand. Then it was the Frenchman's turn, and his was half an inch longer than Belmont's. Then came Colonel Cochrane, whose piece

"I've neither wife nor child, and hardly a frien

agreement. It's all fair play,

," said Mansoor, and an Arab dragged the Col

rearguard," said the

the women wi

s dragom

with th

d t

m all to