Storyteller. A TALE OF THE SOUDAN.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 11122, 14 January 1899, Page 5

Storyteller. A TALE OF THE SOUDAN.

(Conc'uded.) Sterner and Forrest, having lain o,uite stilt for half an hour, and the firing having ceased— though it was ov?deu't. a close look out was being ke\H on the land side — comiSon^ed to ihjve steadily towards the boat. It was ati arduous taß&, for they Were up to their loiru in i mud and sogged vegetation, aud the rivet banks were clogged frith tr'fiulrs ti trees and ma'saea of debWs freight down . by the swollen stteftin at this season oF ] tie yefci\ I But, though their movements were stealthy, a crafty Soudanese who lial been moving along the banks on his hands and kneos detected them. Toe nexS momert ho brought hia gun to hiß shoulder, and> taking aim through ths reeds, fired. A sharp 'cry ,o5 pain from Forrest Cold that ho had Kuan struck, but fortaufttely the wound was Blight. £ho ballet had grazad his oheak and i leEt him tiDgline, but not seriously hurt. 'You dog!' cried Sterner, as the native, flushed with his suocess, rose to his feet and came crashing through the rushes toward them. ' I^t that pay off the score. 1 He levelled his revolver ; there was a sharp 'ping,* and the man flinging up his arms, sank to,the ground wlth/iut a cry. Tire pfttsUere, however, had now scented their quarry, and half-a-dczsn came hurrying to the scene. Sterner and Forrest kept to their ambush, and as one after the otafer appeared in the opening cr,s'3e by the illfated Soudanese warrior, he was met by a bullet, One, two, three, four men fell in that narrow gap, but the firing pnly Betted to attract the whole feo*de in pursuit. Across the op?n space, between their covert and ttte iilty wall, the Englishmen couia distinguish the white fardas oE numbers of Soudanese making their way toward the river, and it was evident that the fight could cot 'fes 'continued longer. Sterner et ot'oa resolved upon a new plsn> 'We shall have to swim for it,' he Baid. '(Jive the scoundrels the full benefit of your revolver and then follow me.' Already several men had picked tbeir way over the bodies of their dead comrades and were making a passage somewhat ointionsly through the blackness of f ho water's edge. 'Now's jour Hmte,' whispered Sterner ; ' fire every chamber, and then into the river. Once in, dive ; the ' current mill do the reßt.' Both men aotea upon this. ' Click, click,' went tho triggers of their revolvers, anS at each resounding ' ping ' a. swalrhy Soudanese rolled oVet to block the way for his followers. Their weapons were now exhausted. Turning, they waded, further out through the sedge, and as they approached the open water fearlosaly P"Vuged into the black and swiftly flowing river. Their hoads reappeared five yards down the stream, and as they rose to tho surface their pursuers, who had by this time crowded to the water's tidge, Bred wildly at the darker spots upon the dark water. The bullets hissed and pattered around the swimmers like a shower of hail. ' DiVe for your life,' shouted Sterner, The injunction was needles?, the bullets had been hint enough for Forrest, and filling his lungs with a mighty gulp of air he allowed himself to Bink like a stone. Sterner was obeying his own command when he felt himself suddenly grasped from behind. A pair of sturdy arms gripped him like bars of steel, and, looking over his shoulder, he saw two gleaming balls of white set in a black and hideous countenance. A Bazinger bad leaped into the stream,' and with clenched teeth and a fiendish purpose gleaming from his eyes, had evidently set himself to the task of either dragging hla prisoner to tho bank or drowning him in the attempt. Then commenced one of the moßt remarkable duels ever fought by mortal man. The black had the advantage at the outset, but Sterner waß perfectly at homo in the water, and was bo active aod resourceful that he could have wagered himself aa able to gain release from the grip of anything less tenacious than an octopu*. j For a few seconds the water waa lashed to foam aa the men writhed and struggled. Tdose on the bank could see little or nothing of the struggle, but knowing what was going on, forbore to fire for fear of injuring thoir comrade, and though they endeavoured to keep level with tho combatants, yet the mud and reeds caused them to nan's c circuitous dotours, and they were soon left behind. "Forreer, who bad by bis dive put himself 50 yards down the river, was unable to stem the current to wait on the tide till the two ram reached him, and was therefore obliged to listen to the noise of tbe struggle without being able to lend bis friend a hand. The negro soldier was an expert swimmer, and with all Sterners effort's he could not free himself from that death grip. The Englishman sank, he rolled in the water, he twisted and writhed to get face to face with his enemy, but the hold was not relaxed, and the net rceult of all his efforts waa a loss of breath and strength. Suddenly ho remembered an old dodge taught by hii swimming master at Harrow. Hia hsods were fortunately free, and, instead of pulling with might and main at the negro's swarthy arm*, he gently Blid his fingers »long them until he reached the fourth finger of either hand. These he immediately seized, and with a sudden wrench tore them backward. Tae result waa as he had anticipated. With a yell of pain hia opponent immediately released his hold, and with a sudden twirl, Sterner faced him. In another moment eaoh was locked in th« other's arms. It was a fair fight to tho death now. Using all hla strenOth the Soudanese again and again endeavoured to riso in tho water and forca his antagonist's bead beneath the surface. Sterner, on the other hand, struggled to get his right hacd beneath his enemy's chin, and by olutching his throat to besr his head back into the water until he choked. Twioo he nearly succeeded in this*, but each time the giant strength of the black man prevailed. He was fighting now like the B&vage ho waß by nature, and taking advantage of the increasing weakness of the Englishman, he adopted a new tactic. The brute element in him rose uppermost, and, seizing the Englishman's chin in his teeth, ho held on in this fashion with tho tenacity of a buldon. Never was a man put to sorrier strait than was Sterner at that moment. The fangs of tbiß desert beast sank into the very bone, and all the struggles of hia victim could not forca him to relinquish his hold. The worst of bis diabolical effort waa that it gave tho lUzirtKor all the advantage of position, and thrlco in succession he managed to get Sterner's head under water and held it there for sbvi ral seconds. Wpnkor and weaker grew the Englishman's efforts, and ho fouaht now merely with the desire to prolong bis life as far as possible, feeling that all hope of vanquishing his enemy I was at an end. But in his extremity his presence of mind did not leave him. A uwlft thought of one last chance tUshod into hi* brain. Releasing his right hnnd for a morneut, ho felt at his bait. Yes, hia revolver was still tbore. Tho Icree of habit had caused him automatically to roplaco it in its accustomed position after discharging its contents nt hia pursuers, aud prior to looping into tho water. In another second he had extracted it from his belt, and with a struggle he succeoded in forcing his head and shoulders well above the surface. His right arm was momentarily tree, and with a mighty effort ho brought it up oloar of the water. 1 You hoi) hound,' he gasped, ' take that,' and the revolver came down with a crash upon the negro's temple. For the matter of 10 Bcccmds, which ! seemed as many minutts to Sternor, tho blow npjie.irpd to havu had no elleot. Tho uegr >'s teeth wero still Bet tenaciously vi tha Kiiglishmii.u'a flash, the grip of thoaa powerful arms did not relax. But gradually tlio JinKtnger'ti sonsea stole from him ; ho became unconscious, hia mouth opened aud ho released his bloody hold of tho other's jiw. In another iiialant Sterner hud disentangled himself from th« deatbiv ombraco uf tho black. Tho piaut 1 warrior fVll ba<;lt , thiio wao v lant \nvoluntary cliilcliinj: ot tlju fiuto ; tlm eyoa xollocl ppatiruodiually ; foam burst from Mb Ips ; then with », hutf-escaped

cry tbat waa stifled by a gurgling of the ; waters, he threw up nils arias and siiak like a. atonf» I For 9?m6 minutes Sterner was conscions of nothing only a fierca bsttlin<? for breath, as the sweeping riVer whirled V.ia helplessly along. Then lie roj laatnbored being seized from above ; j voices sounded in his gars, lie felt hiitlZo\i draj*£Bd 6Ver tbe gunwale of a bo»t, And after that came darkness of both sight and mind; , • , . , The, sun was tisib'p; two dftya lator, when be awoke, b find himself lying on his back in the bottom of a boat which waa stationary, and surrounded by high reeda. At the atem he could jnat ace, throoghtho mist of dawn, the Arab, solemnly smotkipft* Forr^tt^Bsemugfeteruer awake, was at his side in an Instant. 1 Better, old man 1 ' he Baid. 1 Yes, thanka,' replied Sterner. ' But where are we ? What are we doing here 1 What's npP I dcn't understand.' 'Ob, it's all right, you knew. V?e luckily found you after your fight with the £a2inger. and puMadjyon, out iiuat in time. Xhb Arab had a oiiange of olothea So we rigged you out in his. We drifted and rowed all last night, but it ii safer to lie by and hide in the daytime. Shendl lies jast below us. To-night we shall pass the town, and by daybreak we Bball be at the rendezvous where the oamels await us. Once mounted on the camels our journey to Assouan is a safe one.' Then for the ftrat MmQ a thought of the black girl, whose sltatageffl had I given tb'eoi their freedom', crossed Sterner's rtiind, ' Bat Mima ! where is she P ' he asked. 'We waited, far two hours lit the ap. pointed plaoe,' Forrest anßweted, ' but therS were no signs of her. The Arab says he fancied he heard a woman's 'cry jast before we pulled you aboard, and and I fear she was discovered mabiog her way to the rivet, aftd, siispeoted of assistbf; 'dp, has been knecked on the head by one of those ebony-fscei rasoalß,' Sterner groaned. 'It was a big sacrifice,' he aaid. ' God help her.' That night Shendl Was tiassed without detsotion 1 , fetid b^ c&ybrisftk the polrife at which the Href was to be left for the desert was readied. The awkward outlines of four oamels stood in heavy relief against the early morning light, and the boat was headed for the shore. In another moment the three had leaped out, and with the assistance of the two men who had arrived with the camels, the provisions were quickly unloaded and transferred to the animals' backs. Forrest was stooping lo raise the last burden, when lie suddenly paused. Sotßßthing in the river had attracted his attention, and he shaded his eyes with hla hand to concentrate bis attention iipon the floating object. It was a human body, and the third they had seen, during their yoyaga. . ' Halloa;' he, saidi 'lodl piny again, I'll warrant,. $he bloodthirsty demons in those regions are always murdering somebody.' Forrest's observation would probably have gone unheeded had not Sterner at tbat instant returned to the waterside. 1 Good heavens ! ' he exclaimed, when Forrest had pointed out the object to him. 'I know the Egyptian shawl. Yes, it must be Mima's. I gave it to her myself. I should know it among a thousand. The Arab's objections to defiling himself by touching the dead body of an unbeliever, and a black one to boot, were removed by an additional bribe. In a few tnomonta he had towed tbe objeot ashore. Sterner was right. It was the shawl of Mima, and it was wrapped tightly round the dead body of its owner. The men gszed solemnly at the lifeless girl, whoee placid features and well developed form had not been robbed by death of their beauty. Then the quick eye of the Arab detected something the Englishmen had not noticed. Tightly twisted in the folds of the shawl was a small strip of parchment. He un- | fastened it. It had evidently done duty as the sheep-skin covering to some soldier's noggara or war drum ; for though it had been in the water for some time, apparently, it was yet tough and hardened as a piece of shoe leather. 1 Well, what of it P ' said Sterner, taking it from the hands of the Arab, 'I see nothing extraordinary about it.' ' The Pasha has not the eye Of the eagle,' tho man replied. ' See,' he con-< tinned, 'it is a message. The dead speaks.' And as he spoke he traced with bis finger certain eoratohes upon the akin which evidently had some definite indication. Sterner grasped the parchment ; he was .conversant with many of the dialects of the Soudan, and had himself taught Mima (o write in the language of the Jaalin tongue : — ' To my love, the White Paaba. ' Amakku was stubborn, and would not be tempted with presents unless I consented to wed him* Forgive me, bat I lied and said I loved him and would marry him. With that I beguiled him into leaving his guard, and when he was drunken tbe sound of gnus were heard. Then we both started out, but Amakku was arrested as a traitor, I should have got free, but I was struck down by one of the Mulazomip, who claimed me as his reward, and took me to his house. But-to night I escape, I cannot live without the love of my heart. He is dead, they tell me— drowned in the river. Dead or alive it is now aliko to Mima — darkness only, death always. To-night Igo to seek my love. I! he be alive I take this scroll \ that ha may learn how thingi fared after he left, and that Mima was faithful. Tho Nile will bear me to him, and I Bball be content, for then only does Mima's happiness begin.' The men, deeply moved, gaz?d upon the body. Sterner broke tho silence. 'God blesa your loving heart,' he said. ' Would that thore wero more like it.' An oar served to gouge out a grave, and there, they burled her, two feet deep in the sand, with the tall halfa grass waving overhead. Then, silently mounting tb'eir camels, the Englishmen with their guides, struck out across tho deaert. Only the Arab boatman remaiaed. Silently ho sat. with face bent to the earth, but when tbe cavalcade had passed out of sight he rose to his feet, ' and turning himself toward Mecca, prayed long and earnestly. Refreshed by these holy devotions, he, for tha third time, counted over tho Egyptian dollars which were tho reward for hie service ; having done whioh he fixed his RBK3 upon the ' newly-made grave. Deliberately, and with disgußt writter upon every line of his countenanob, he spat upon it. 'Ugh!' he remarked, as he turned and made for his boat. ' TUeso dozs oi unbelievers ! May the curse of Allab reat heavily upon them ! '