A WONDERFUL ESCAPE.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Issue 117, 27 February 1895, Page 4

A WONDERFUL ESCAPE.

The splendid fidelity of the Arabs to their word is i'lustrated anew by th acn ant just published of Father :• A' e . api? ! pom : >mdi ma . A certain faithful Abdallah, commissioned by Major Wingate to r.:-s----cuethe captive, performed the service at the peril of his life. Every peril had its duplicate. Abdallah had to penetrate to the depths of the Soudan to Omdurman, which is perilously near, to find the unhappy priest, and then to bring him back again. lie had been engaged in this task for eight months. He had hair bivadth escapes on the journey out and on the journey home. He had bis own way of escaping from them. In one instance, when under arrest as a spy he established his character as a good citizen of the desert by taking a wife. At length ho reached the end of the world, being, in point of distance from civilisation, about as far as Khartoum, which it almost touches. His new difficulty was to find the man ho had come to seek. At length he discovered that a little, careworn, grey haired waiter in a cafe, with nothingbright about liim but his blue eyes, was no other than the missioDar) priest. He slipped a card into the waiter's band, written in speecu with which he was familiar, and the p'an of escape was soon arranged. It was not, however, easily carried out. The waiter got ''sick leave" for o visit to Khartoum, aud finally, in diegui;><? of a slave of ti>e faithful Abdallan, he made his dash for freedom across the almost trackless wilds. The rest iuure 'Arabian N'ghts' as to the incidents, but-very sober truth as t-> the narrative. Abdullah was well supplied with money, and he had a ready tongue, ami, between bribery and bullying, ho worried his way through with his terrified charge Deoth would probably have been the instant penally of discovery for both of them, and in many a terrible quarter of an hour they mutt have felt the very touch of his wing fta he passed, All's well that ends well. The Daily News Cairo correspondent gives these details of' the rescue —"Abdallah set out for Berber in June la-1, and arrived there on the 13th of that month. He was srized on a charge cf being a spy, but he succeeded iu averting suspicion by marrying, and after two months stay in Berber he contrived to escape. He made bis way to Omdurman on a donkey, and there began his search for Father llossignoli, whom he had great difficulty iu finding, since the latter was known amongst the Der vishes under the Arab name of Sabal-el-Kheir. When a plan had been agreed upon Father Rossiguoli went with Abdallah, disguised as his slave to a place a iew tunea ou'ieiue Oujuuruian, wiiere tiiey concealed' themselves dur ing ihe daytime in some ruins, On arriving near llerber they found there was no possibility of avoiding the ferry across the river. They succeded in acrossi -1 g the ferry without molestation, and Abdallah conveyed the priest to a place of hiding. He was, however, immediately arrested on a charge of concealing a Christian, !father Kossignoli having been recognised as such on beard the ferry boat. Abdallah was thrown into prison, and the town wa-s scourged for the priest, bul without success, so ikilfully had his hiding place been chosen. By bribing his gaolers the Arab regained his freedom. Five days later Abdallah bought another camel, and on the night of the fhh JN'ovember Father Eossignoli, accompanied by his faithful guide, got clear away from Berber. The fugitives experienced great hardships, in their-journey across the desert, dates aud dultra beiug : their only food. Throughout his trying and perilous journey Abdallah displayed the utmost heroism. At several pointe op the we».ry march the priest's strength gave way, and it was only by supporling hitn in Ins arms lon the camel'•« back that the devoted guide succeeded in conveying him to l h s destii atiou,"