The Highland monthly - National Library of Scotland

A Treacherous Frieiid. 265
like a statue, from the moment that .\rthur had made liim-
self known, now attempted to raise his e\-es to where Miss
iMurrax- stood, but suddenK- turned his faee awa\-, and stood
for a moment irresokite : then, with trembh'ni;- hmbs and
downcast eyes, he made an attempt to pass throui^h the
crowd towards the church door. Arthur turned to tlie two
officers, and shouted in a tone of command, " Detain that
man for the present." The}- immediately obe\ed, and,
seizin^r him, each b\- an arm, brought him back face to face
with Arthur. " I have." resumed Arthur, " a few minutes
ago accused this man of murder. I repeat the charge. His
cowardly hand fired the shot which was intended to put me
out of existence, and though I escaped death b\- a miracle,
he is as much a murderer as if my bones la)- bleaching upon
the sands of Kg)-pt." He then told them \\hat the reader
already knows up tc) the moment the shot was fired, and
then continued, " I will now briefly relate how I escaped.
The helmets worn b\- 11s in Egj-pt were fastened by a strap
composed of a strip of leather, overlaid with metal links,
closel}- interwo\-en. When he fired his revolver, which was
only a small pocket one, the bullet struck this strap, driving
it into the flesh, but the strap prevented the bullet lodging
in or fracturing the bcMie, and. though stunned at the time,
I escaped with a se\-ere flesh wound. The four mounted
Arabs, as soon as the}- saw my companion had gone off,
came forward, as is their usual custom, to rob me; but>
finding that I was not dead, for by this time I had recovered
consciousness, and fearing the return of the British, they
threw me across a horse, in front of one of their number,
and conveyed me away to their Commander, who happened
to be a Lieutenant of the Mhadi, and a Chief of one of the
tribes. He questioned me closel}- about the strength and
intentions of the British. I gave evasive answers to most of
his questions, but in the end he ga\-e orders that I was to be
permitted to live amongst them as a prisoner at large. The
party into whose hands I had fallen, instead of going on to
Khartoum, as I anticipated, took their abode in Berber, and