A THRILLING TWO MINUTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2356, 20 April 1899, Page 61

A THRILLING TWO MINUTES.

(By Captain B. de Sales La Terriere, in the Wide World Magazine.) The following exciting little incident occurred in the Bayuda Desert, in the month of February, 1885. Our little army was just then in a very poor plight. Herbert Stewart had just been killed afc Metemneh. Khartoum had fallen. Gordon was dead. The game was up, and after pitching most of the stores into the river, Buller had succeeded in bringing back to our half-way camp at Jakdool Wells the gallant little band tint had hurried across the desert full of the hope that they would be in time to pave Gordon. All our troops were then collected at Jakdool, and we really knew nothing at all of what was going on around us, or whether the Mahdi's forces were coming after us or not, and the waterless state of tho desert was really our only safeguard. Kvery one was very sore and disheartened at the turn of events, and though it would palpably have beer madness to go on, the idea of turning back was anything but pleasant.*. It was just when things were at their worst that I received an order one evening to proceed at once from Jakdool with despatches to Lord Wolseley, afc Korti, a distance of about 120 miles. I was delighted at the chance. I had a good camel, which I had ridden all the way from Korosko, which was the headquarters of the Ababdeli frontier force, of which curious army 1 had been acting as second in command to Bundle, and in which I had picked up a considerable experience of Arab life and Arabs by the way. To give you some idea of the downhearted state of "everyone at the moment, as I was leaving a man who was known as perhaps the most absolutely fearless man in the army (since dead, [*m sorry to say), said to me, '"Well, good-bye, old cLap ; you'll get home all right, but 1 don't think wo shall." 1 dined that evening with Sir Evelyn, and started off on my lonely ride at about 10 p.m. It was a fairly light night, and th© great masses of rock, yellow in the daylight, now .stood out black against the sky as I passed the little " God's acre " where Herbert Stewart had just been laid, and came out on to the undulating plain to the north bide of the wells and struck into the ti ack. This track was fairly discernible, but I have always found in desert travelling by night that, given a good general knowledge of one's direction, it is very easy to steer by the stars, so that finding one's way by night over anything like a flat country is by no means us difficult as it would seem to be. I made, altogether, five journeys across the Bayuda Desert with despatches, and though in the darkness I nearly always got off the track, I never had any difficulty in finding it again when daylight came. On this occasion I jogged on till about 2 a.m., and then, more for my camel's sake than my own, 1 began to look about foi a place to lie down in till daylight. One learns in desert travelling with Arabs never to " camp " on a track, but always a bit away from it. One also learns to look upon every livhjg thing one sees in the desert as a possible enemy, and as such to be given a wide berth. 1 hit upon a place where there were two or three- km bu&lies and some rough halfa grass, about 30 yards from the track, unsaddled and hobbled my camel, spread my carpet, and using the saddle for a.pillow (aud a very uncomfortable one it made), settled myself down to get a few winks of sleep. 1 don't think it could have been very long when, in a drowsy sort of way, I found myself listening to a sort of shuilling and mun.bling, which seemed to be coming nearer to me. Half asleep, for a second I lay still. Suddenly, in a moment of time, I realised what it meant. The noises I heard were the voices of Arabs talking, and the shuffling was the noise ujado by their footsteps in the sandy soil ! The moon had got up, ami the light, to my startled imagination, heemed as bright, as day. As 1 caught bight of tho Arabs they were just corning round a bend in the track, where it crossed a little khor. One's brain works quickly at such times, and it dawned on me in a flash that, as I was absolutely helpless, my one charicf was to lie as still as a mouse and trubt to luck. Then a horrible thought came : Had they camels? If so, my own biutc would certainly begin to make unearthly noises, and I should be given away at once. Mercifully it turned out that they were all on foot. They were now quite close to me, and I could see the glint of the irconbeams on their great broad spear-blades and cross-handled swords, and then skins shone like black marble against the moonlit sky. They seemed in no particular hurry, but just shambled on about 20 yards away from me. I counted 15 of them. I expected every instant to bo discovered, in which event no power on eurth could have | saved me. Nevei have I felt so absolutely helpless. The sweat poured off me, and, mv heart thumped so loudly against my ribs ; that it seemed to my distorted nerves they must oven hear that. I dared scarcely bieathe, let alone fumble foi my pistol, which was on the other sido of me, and all the time I was expecting my camel to give off one of his unearthly grunts, which would, of course, mean "the end." Every horror that I had ever read or heard about as to the Mahdi's treatment of those who fell into his hands rushed into my despairing mind. ; Stones of horrible mutilation ro.se up before | me, and I saw myself, perhaps, a footless, handless horror ; perhaps with lips and eyelids torn away ; and left to linger in tho j burning sunrays till wished-for, slow-coming death should put an end to my torture. I ; would not be taken alive — I would compel them to kill me. Howevei, for once, luck camo to my aid, and with it, I'm afraid, comes bathos tc my story. The camel didn't grunt, the Arabs didn't see me, and in what seemed to me abou J two lifetimes, but what I suppose wat really about as many minutes, the Arabs had passed me and were soon out of sight. I breathed again .' Now this perhaps may noc seem a very terrible incident, especially as it carna to nothing ; and certainly, sitting in a comfortable armchan, with one's toes on the fendei, things have a rather different aspect. But just try to realise my position. Alone in the desert, miles from help, just woke up in thi middle of the night, and my only chance of life to lie absolutely still, with a aeaa&l for a cpaiDaniQa. wlu might "five

me away "at any moment. Realise these things, I say, and you will perhaps agree that under the circumstances I need not be ashamed to confess to a condition of absolute " blue funk." I'm sure I can speak to the fact that I never experienced such an alarming two minutes, and I sincerely hope I never shall again. I think the only reason the Arabs did not see me was that I and my camel were lyfng in a little depression on the shady side of some small bushes, and the deep shadow hid me ; whereas they were standing up in the full glare of the moonlight, and I could see every hair on their heads. Even after they were gone I found my nerves (pretty good "in those days) were so shaky that I could hardly saddle the c?mel ; but I managed it somehow, and then, giving the track a wide berth, I continued my journey to Korti. I soon found the track again when day broke, and made the welis of El Howayat (which the men, of couise, called "Isle of Wight") about noon. I lay down under a tree till 3 p.m. to rest my camel, and then rode on till a little after dark, when I halted for the night.