The Desert Drum 1905

** "The Desert Drum" by Robert Hichens is a story set in the heart of the Sahara Desert that combines mystery with local superstitions. It follows a European traveler meeting a French soldier, or Spahi, and his prisoner M'hammed Bouaziz, who has been convicted of murder. The remote and bleak location is a stark contrast to the drum beats that echo warnings of death. A spooky evening unfolds, and the traveler awakes to discover the soldier slain and his prisoner missing. This sets off a chain of events that highlight a strong sense of destiny where the murderer cannot escape his fate in a land where love and longing intersect with the haunting mysteries of the Sahara. **