Passage of the Desert.All the young people who have read Peter Parley’s Annual for the last fifteen years, know well enough what the Desert is. Some of them also may have heard, now-and-then, of its dangers. They are, of course, varied. There is the danger by heat, the danger by thirst, and the danger from the wild robbers, who prowl about like wolves upon its arid bosom. It was in the year 1850, that Edwin Keet, a traveller of great enterprise, who had not only mounted the Nile and Pyramids, and smoked a pipe with the famous Mehemet Ali, but, what is of far greater consequence, had spent many a happy day with Peter Parley, made the journey. Keet was not to be overcome by trifles. He had proceeded across the desert to Aleppo, and met with no serious molestation until he was within fifteen miles of Bassora, when early one morning he perceived himself followed by a party of about thirty Arabs, mounted on camels, who soon overtook him. As they approached, he, by his interpreter, directed them either to advance or halt. Keet was not alone—he had half-a-dozen Englishmen with him, two of whom were Lieutenants in the Navy, one a rough old sailor, and the remaining three his servants. He again called upon the Arabs to halt, or toremove to the right or left of him, for he choose to travel by himself. They answered they would not interfere with him, and went on at a brisk rate. Keet then suspected them of some design, and kept himself upon his guard. The twolieutenants prepared their pistols, and the sailors drew their cutlasses. The Arab party proceeded only a few miles, and slunk behind some rising ground in the distance:—this move, however, did not escape the quick eye of Jim Crank, one of sailors, who had been boatswain’s-mate on board the “Fairy,” and knew how to keep a good look out a-head. As the party proceeded, they came to the range of little hillocks behind which the Arabs had crouched, like so many tigers, to spring on their prey. Keet and his companions were well mounted. It is true that the lieutenants nor the sailors sat on their horses to the best advantage. All had got their stirrups too high, and looked more like old women on horseback than men, with the exception of Keet, who rode firm, slowly, and high on his saddle. “Now my lads,” said he, “we have only to sell our lives as dearly as possible—if we must die, let us die like Englishmen—if we falter or flee, our destruction is certain—if we dare the rascals, and give them two or three good volleys, they may chance to quail, and we must trust to our good horses to get us out of the fray. Here are eight of us, and we must be prepared to form a square—to make a round, or to make an angle, if necessary. So stand to your arms, my lads, and let me go in advance. Don’t give way, nor attempt to flee while you can fight, for it is fighting alone can save us.” So Keet placed himself at the head of his little army of seven, and advanced.GiraffesHe had not marched far before he saw the caps of the Arabs dodging behind some of the loose stones, topping hillocks before them. And, from what he could observe, it was clear that the foe was in ambuscade, and preparing to let fly at them as they passed. Keet’s mind was made up in aminute as to the best course to pursue; so calling to his people to follow him, and do as he did, as the only course they had, he rode quietly forward at a slow pace, but just as he got abreast of the stone-work of the hillocks, he made a sharpdetour to the right, and passing round the hillocks, attacked the Arabs suddenly in flank on the other side. Bang! bang! bang! bang! from four of the double-barreled muskets, and four of the Arabs fell from their camels. Keet spurred on, and attacked the leader sword in hand, but he was speedily unhorsed by the thrust of a spear into his back. At the very moment of his falling, however, he took out one of his pistols, and blew out the chieftain’s brains. The boatswain’s mate, at the same time, cut down the lance-man who had thus intruded on Keet’s rear quarters. The two lieutenants had adroitly jumped off their horses, and, from a secure embrasure of the rocks above the hillocks, kept loading and firing their pieces with the utmost expedition, and eleven or twelve of the Arabs were soon prostrate. The remainder, observing the warm reception, and perceiving Keet, although on the ground, valiantly and deliberately loading his rifle and pistols, and feeling the “peppering” of the other sailor and the lieutenants, and being not a little astonished at the conduct of Jim Crank—who kept leaping, hollowing, firing, and shouting like a wild demon, and calling them all the wicked names of which the English tongue is so capable—began to sheer off, and, in a very short time, nothing was seen of them but a small cloud of dust far away in the desert. The remainder of the journey was passed without molestation, and Keet and his companions arrived safe at Bassora.Elephant
All the young people who have read Peter Parley’s Annual for the last fifteen years, know well enough what the Desert is. Some of them also may have heard, now-and-then, of its dangers. They are, of course, varied. There is the danger by heat, the danger by thirst, and the danger from the wild robbers, who prowl about like wolves upon its arid bosom. It was in the year 1850, that Edwin Keet, a traveller of great enterprise, who had not only mounted the Nile and Pyramids, and smoked a pipe with the famous Mehemet Ali, but, what is of far greater consequence, had spent many a happy day with Peter Parley, made the journey. Keet was not to be overcome by trifles. He had proceeded across the desert to Aleppo, and met with no serious molestation until he was within fifteen miles of Bassora, when early one morning he perceived himself followed by a party of about thirty Arabs, mounted on camels, who soon overtook him. As they approached, he, by his interpreter, directed them either to advance or halt. Keet was not alone—he had half-a-dozen Englishmen with him, two of whom were Lieutenants in the Navy, one a rough old sailor, and the remaining three his servants. He again called upon the Arabs to halt, or toremove to the right or left of him, for he choose to travel by himself. They answered they would not interfere with him, and went on at a brisk rate. Keet then suspected them of some design, and kept himself upon his guard. The twolieutenants prepared their pistols, and the sailors drew their cutlasses. The Arab party proceeded only a few miles, and slunk behind some rising ground in the distance:—this move, however, did not escape the quick eye of Jim Crank, one of sailors, who had been boatswain’s-mate on board the “Fairy,” and knew how to keep a good look out a-head. As the party proceeded, they came to the range of little hillocks behind which the Arabs had crouched, like so many tigers, to spring on their prey. Keet and his companions were well mounted. It is true that the lieutenants nor the sailors sat on their horses to the best advantage. All had got their stirrups too high, and looked more like old women on horseback than men, with the exception of Keet, who rode firm, slowly, and high on his saddle. “Now my lads,” said he, “we have only to sell our lives as dearly as possible—if we must die, let us die like Englishmen—if we falter or flee, our destruction is certain—if we dare the rascals, and give them two or three good volleys, they may chance to quail, and we must trust to our good horses to get us out of the fray. Here are eight of us, and we must be prepared to form a square—to make a round, or to make an angle, if necessary. So stand to your arms, my lads, and let me go in advance. Don’t give way, nor attempt to flee while you can fight, for it is fighting alone can save us.” So Keet placed himself at the head of his little army of seven, and advanced.
Giraffes
He had not marched far before he saw the caps of the Arabs dodging behind some of the loose stones, topping hillocks before them. And, from what he could observe, it was clear that the foe was in ambuscade, and preparing to let fly at them as they passed. Keet’s mind was made up in aminute as to the best course to pursue; so calling to his people to follow him, and do as he did, as the only course they had, he rode quietly forward at a slow pace, but just as he got abreast of the stone-work of the hillocks, he made a sharpdetour to the right, and passing round the hillocks, attacked the Arabs suddenly in flank on the other side. Bang! bang! bang! bang! from four of the double-barreled muskets, and four of the Arabs fell from their camels. Keet spurred on, and attacked the leader sword in hand, but he was speedily unhorsed by the thrust of a spear into his back. At the very moment of his falling, however, he took out one of his pistols, and blew out the chieftain’s brains. The boatswain’s mate, at the same time, cut down the lance-man who had thus intruded on Keet’s rear quarters. The two lieutenants had adroitly jumped off their horses, and, from a secure embrasure of the rocks above the hillocks, kept loading and firing their pieces with the utmost expedition, and eleven or twelve of the Arabs were soon prostrate. The remainder, observing the warm reception, and perceiving Keet, although on the ground, valiantly and deliberately loading his rifle and pistols, and feeling the “peppering” of the other sailor and the lieutenants, and being not a little astonished at the conduct of Jim Crank—who kept leaping, hollowing, firing, and shouting like a wild demon, and calling them all the wicked names of which the English tongue is so capable—began to sheer off, and, in a very short time, nothing was seen of them but a small cloud of dust far away in the desert. The remainder of the journey was passed without molestation, and Keet and his companions arrived safe at Bassora.
Elephant