monoplane
monoplane
[Illustration: THE APPROACH OF THE MONOPLANE]
[Illustration: THE APPROACH OF THE MONOPLANE]
With a painful effort the correspondent turned his head and looked. At a good five hundred feet above the palm-tops a mono-plane was passing swiftly in an easterly direction. Reeves could distinctly see two men, one sitting behind the other. As for the Arabs, they were too astonished even to utter a sound. The spectacle of a giant bird with motionless wings bodily carrying off two men was too marvellous for words.
Presently the monoplane tilted slightly, and changed its course in the direction of the encampment. The lads gave a stifled exclamation of joy, but the correspondent knew that a fresh danger was in store for them.
"Lie down flat!" he exclaimed, throwing himself upon the ground.
Seeing the gigantic monster swooping towards them, the Arabs—men, women, and children—took to flight. Even the spearman who was in charge of the captives took to his heels and ran for the scanty shelter of the palm trees.
"Stand by to run for it!" exclaimed Mr. Reeves. "But don't move till I give the word."
The correspondent still kept his eyes fixed upon the rapidly approaching monoplane. One of the men in it did exactly what Reeves expected he would do—he leaned sideways and dropped a small bomb.
Five seconds later the missile struck the ground, and burst with a deafening report, throwing showers of sand in all directions. Two of the rearmost Arabs fell, and several of the sheep and cattle were literally blown to atoms; but, although small pieces of iron and plenty of sand swept over the prostrate captives, Reeves and the two lads escaped unscathed.
"Now, run for it!" shouted the correspondent, for the monoplane was skimming over the palm trees, its crew evidently thinking that one bomb was enough.
Hampered though they were by their arms being tied by the camel rope, the fugitives made good progress. Could they but gain the shelter of that part of the oasis lying to the north of the camp, chances would be in their favour, since the Arabs had taken refuge on the southernmost side. But just as they were on the verge of the thick scrub Hugh stumbled and, unable to break his fall, crashed heavily upon the ground. This brought the others up, and as Mr. Reeves stooped to help the lad, as well as the hampered condition of his arms would allow, a loud shout told them that their flight had been discovered.
Escape was now out of the question. Surrounded by twenty Arabs, whose rage had been increased by the slaughter of much of their stock, and who imagined that that was part of an attempt by the Italians to free the three Kafirs, they were dragged back to the encampment, where they were beaten and kicked till the two lads, who barely knew what bodily pain was, were almost dead. As for Mr. Reeves, he took his punishment gamely, knowing that any resistance or sign of fear would make their captors take a keener zest in their work.
The attack upon the encampment made things worse for the three prisoners, for the Arabs, finding that they were still within range of their foes, immediately struck their tents, and before sunset the diminished followers of the Sheikh Wadherim were on their way southward to the distant oasis of Wadi Tlat.
It was with some semblance of military order that the caravan set out. Twenty or thirty white-robed Arabs, armed with modern rifles, led the way, perched in high-peaked and backed saddles upon the backs of ambling and rolling camels. Next followed the cattle and sheep, under the care of a body of men who—though Arabs by birth, religion, manners, and customs—were undoubtedly of negro descent. After them came the women and children, some seated on mules and horses, some afoot, with a sprinkling of men armed with long matchlocks as a bodyguard. Next more camels—not the swift hieries of the warriors, but those commonly used as beasts of burden—each with a large net-like sack slung on either side. Behind these came the three prisoners, on foot, while a guard of about fifty half-naked spearmen and flintlock-men brought up the rear.
Hugh and Gerald were already almost worn out by fatigue, pain, and despair. They realized that every step was taking them farther and farther from the sea, but whither they had no idea. Possibly it was better for them to remain in ignorance. At least, so thought the correspondent, who did his utmost to cheer his young companions, although he himself was filled with vague fears. "Poor, pampered youngsters!" he thought. "It's hard lines. But, if ever they get out of this mess, it will be the making of them."
After the going down of the sun the burning heat lasted for about an hour, while the sand was radiating; but soon the intense warmth gave place to a chilling coldness, till the three captives, but partly clad, shivered in the darkness. Yet at a steady pace of about three miles an hour the caravan continued on its way, steering its course by the stars. A distance equal to twenty-four English miles had to be covered before the next of the long chain of oases could be reached, and it was Sheikh Wadherim's intention to accomplish this part of the journey ere dawn.
Reeves pondered deeply as he trudged painfully on his way. His greatest anxiety was concerning his two young friends. What would happen if they were to be separated? Had he been alone he would not have hesitated to make a dash for freedom at the first opportunity. The farther the Arabs were away from the sea, the more lax would become their vigilance. A swift hierie, his automatic pistol, and half an hour's start, and he would back himself against the whole tribe. But with the lads this was not to be thought of. He was in honour bound to keep by them as long as was humanly possible.
In any case, the correspondent made up his mind that he would give no sign that he had a smattering of Arabic. A few unguarded words from his savage captors would doubtless prove of immense benefit to him in the future.
At about two in the morning a halt was called and a meal served out. The captives were given a small quantity of water in a gourd, a handful of maize, and a few dates—exactly the same as their captors, save that their portion was considerably smaller. In a quarter of an hour the sheikh gave the order to resume the march, and after the enforced rest the agonies of their worn bodies made the Englishmen wish that the halt had never been made.
"I say, Rags, isn't this fearful?" said Gerald in a low voice. "Only fancy, last night we were sleeping in comfort on the floor of Lieutenant Riefi's cabin. Now we——"
And, unable to complete his sentence, the lad manfully tried to swallow a lump that would rise in his throat.
"I can't go on much farther, Rags," he continued, after a lengthy pause. "My ankle's giving out."
"Lean on me if you can," replied Hugh; "I'm fairly fit." But even as he spoke his knees momentarily gave way under him.
"What's that? Can't keep up?" asked Mr. Reeves. "Here, let me give you a hand," and, adding to his difficulties by having to twist his bound hands, the elder of the two gripped Hugh by the arm.
"What will happen if we can't keep up?" asked Hugh. "Will they kill us?"
"I think not," replied the correspondent. "But don't talk about giving up. These fellows will rest all day."
Just then Hugh stumbled again, this time on his knees. His companions halted.
Out of the darkness sprang a gigantic Arab, and, using the octagonal butt of his musket with no sparing hand, he prodded the unfortunate lad with it till Mr. Reeves interposed his own body. Then the man slung his piece across his back, and, grasping Hugh in his sinewy, powerful grip, set him on his feet. But the lad, in spite of his efforts to walk, fell once more.
Meanwhile the rest of the caravan, avoiding the halting group, was passing by. Calling to one of his fellows, the Arab drew his knife—a keen, two-edged weapon, with a short wooden handle. Even in the starlight Reeves recognized the kind of knife; it was similar to those the Arabs used to hamstring the chargers of the 21st Lancers at Omdurman.
The blade glittered, flashed in the dull light, and sank—not in the lad's back, but through the thong that bound his arms; then, lifting Hugh like a sack, the man threw him into the high-pommelled saddle of a horse that another Arab had brought up.
Hugh's two comrades were still attached to him by the camel rope, one on either side; but this proved to be a blessing in disguise, as the two footsore captives were able to aid themselves by the tension of the cord.
Just before dawn the few trees that comprised the oasis of El Khor loomed up against the paling stars. Suddenly the men at the head of the column checked the camels, and brought their rifles to the ready. Reeves could hear the metallic click of the bolts.
Then the tense silence was broken by a voice exclaiming in Arabic: "Peace be between us!" to which Sheikh Wadherim replied: "There is peace between us." Instantly the Arabs discharged their rifles in the air, and urged their camels forward to mingle with the tribes already in possession of the oasis.
Utterly worn out, Hugh was lifted from his horse, and the three comrades in distress threw themselves upon the hard ground. In spite of the cramped position of their arms—for Hugh was again secured—they slept the sleep of utter exhaustion.
The correspondent was the first to awake. It was broad daylight, but the sun was not yet high enough to cause discomfort.
Standing in front of the three English captives were the Sheikh Wadherim and another Arab, evidently a person of importance.
"These, then, my brother, are the tokens of our victory over the unbelieving dogs?" asked the stranger.
"Aye, thanks be to Allah and Mohammed his prophet. We drove them even into the sea. Few escaped to tell the tale, and they were taken up by the houses that float upon the deep."
"'Tis a pity, brother, that more were not brought hither," remarked the stranger meditatively. "One, in truth, seems well able to do a day's work at the salt pans. As for the others, they are beardless boys. Are most of the men of the Kafir host thus?"
"Nevertheless, they are worth a good price, Abdullah. In a few moons they will be as strong and as willing to toil as the white unbeliever who was brought from the south. Take them at the price I ask——"
"Nay, Wadherim, I will have the man, and not the hairless youths. As you say, they will fetch a good price at Tlat——"
"But——" The sheikhs moved on, still talking volubly. Reeves grasped enough to know the meaning of their conversation, even though he had the presence of mind to affect utter ignorance. He was to be separated from his two young companions.
THE Englishman looked at his sleeping comrades. The lads were slumbering deeply, too fatigued even to dream of their tribulations, which, indeed, were hardly begun. Separation was one of the worst things that might befall them, and, if possible, Reeves meant to prevent it. But how? He racked his brains to think of a plan. Scheme after scheme rapidly suggested itself, only as rapidly to be passed by as impracticable. He strove to remember what rituals the Arabs observed when they swore blood-brotherhood. He would willingly claim relationship with the lowest of the tribe, could he by so doing keep the lads with him. At last a dim recollection of bygone days, a tale he had heard in his youth, flashed across his mind. "Give me the chance," he muttered to himself, "and I'll risk it!"
Presently Hugh opened his eyes, and groaned as the pain of his thong-tied arms recalled the desperate situation in which he and his companions were placed.
Without hesitation, and as if the action was perfectly natural to him, the lad moved till his body shielded his chum's face from the now strengthening rays of the sun.
"The youngster's learning his lesson, poor chap!" thought Mr. Reeves. "I remember him at home as a selfish, unthinking little prig. Already he's beginning to think of others."
The camp was soon astir. The camels, horses, and cattle were taken out to the wells—mere dipping holes of brackish water—and afterwards allowed to graze upon the scanty pasturage of sun-scorched grass. Ere the disturbed water had been given time to settle, a fierce-looking Baggara, armed with spear, short knife, and circular shield of hide, made the captives go to the wells and drink. Both lads remembered how careful Mr. Frazer had been to warn them about drinking unfiltered water. The fountain water of Naples was perfect nectar to this muddy liquid, but thirst compelled them to drink deeply in spite of their qualms.
"I wish we could place our hands in the pool," said Gerald.
"You'd be sorry if you did, my boy," replied Mr. Reeves. "The moisture would cause the leathern thongs to shrink, and they are quite tight enough already."
"Are we going to be kept long in this place?" asked Hugh.
"That I cannot say," replied the correspondent. "Perhaps only a day. The Arabs will make another march to-night, I believe."
Thoughts of the impending separation were still uppermost in his mind. He was torn by the vital question: Ought he to warn the lads? On the one hand, being prepared is forearmed; on the other, he was adding to their miseries by suggesting a situation that might not, after all, come off. It was like meeting trouble half-way. Then he recalled the sheikh's words, "the white unbeliever who was brought from the south". The south? What European was likely to have traversed the vast, trackless desert of Sahara from the south? Nigeria, the Cameroons, French Congo—all lie to the south; but was it possible that a white man could make that fearsome journey? But perhaps the south was a term used in a vague, elastic sense, and the captive referred to was a survivor of the prisoners of the Mahdi? Reeves determined to keep his ears open, and for the present he would say nothing to his young comrades about the conversation he had heard between the Sheikhs Wadherim and Abdullah.
"Look here, boys!" he exclaimed; "I may want you to do something. What it is I won't tell you at present, but you must act immediately I give the word. You understand?"
For a wonder, Reeves remarked, neither of the lads asked why. Both signified their readiness to comply with their friend's instructions.
On being brought back to the encampment, which was separated from the following of the Sheikh Abdullah by about a hundred paces, the captives were permitted to lie down under the shade of a tree. Their bonds were cut, and save for the camel rope they were comparatively free. But not for long. An old Arab, his face wizened into a thousand wrinkles, came up with a brazier full of burning charcoal, and a bag of tools slung at his left hip. Setting down the brazier, he fanned the flame into a fierce heat, chanting the while a doleful kind of tune. Presently he clapped his hands, and three other Arabs appeared, bearing light iron chains in their hands.
Each of the three captives was in turn fastened by the wrist, the gyves being riveted by means of bolts made red-hot in the brazier, the smith flattening out the rivets to the accompaniment of his dolorous chant.
"Well, this is better than a hide rope," said Mr. Reeves, after the man had taken his departure. "It gives us a certain amount of freedom, and the chains are not heavy. And, if the opportunity occurs, I believe I can snap them with very little effort."
"They seem rather strong," remarked Gerald.
"But still, I can manage it," replied his elder comrade confidently. "Now, be ready, for I think something is going to happen."
At that moment four armed men came up to the place where the captives were resting, and by suggestive signs made it clear that they were wanted.
Reeves set his jaw tightly as he arose and, with one of the lads on either side, accompanied the guards through a part of the encampment to the tent of the Sheikh Wadherim.
The chief was sitting on the ground, with the Sheikh Abdullah on his right hand and a mop-haired Baggara on his left. In front of them were spread the remains of a meal—a bowl containing a sticky mess of boiled flour, honey, and dates, in which the men had apparently dipped their fingers in common; small brass cups containing strong coffee; and an earthenware basin half-filled with a brown substance which the correspondent recognized as salt. Having finished their meal, the Arabs were smoking.
At a sign from their captor the three Englishmen were made to stand in front of the sheikhs, about five yards from them. For a considerable time the Arabs regarded the captives in silence, as if taking stock of their physical condition.
"As you say, brother, the two beardless unbelievers look the better for their rest," remarked Abdullah, removing the stem of his hookah from his lips, and speaking in a low, guttural voice. "I do not gainsay you on that point, but still——"
He paused, and spread out the palms of his hands with a deprecatory gesture.
"There is no time to be lost," replied Wadherim. "I have sworn by the Prophet to reach the oasis of El Keifa ere to-morrow's dawn, otherwise I would be content to abide here and bargain with you. Not that it would make any difference. The full-grown infidel I will not sell without the others; perchance the two beardless ones would droop if taken from the one who, it seems, is their father."
"I have no work meet for these," said Abdullah, pointing to Hugh and Gerald. "Toiling in the salt lakes of El Sog would turn their brains, even as it did that of the unbeliever from the South. Nevertheless, Wadherim, I am indifferent. Either the man or none."
The other sheikh paused ere replying.
"Then I must ask half a score sacks of dates besides the gunpowder we agreed upon," he replied. "Abdullah, you were ever a hard man, but in this matter I must have my way, since you will have the best of the three."
The bargaining proceeded with considerable vehemence. Reeves realized that unless something were done the dreaded separation would become an accomplished fact, for the Sheikh Wadherim was wavering in his demands.
"Boys," he said in a low voice, "eat what I give you;" and ere the lads could comprehend the meaning of his words, the correspondent bounded forward, dragging Hugh and Gerald with him. The guards raised their spears and tried to intervene, thinking that the Kafirs were about to throw themselves upon the sheikhs; but, ere they could prevent it, Reeves had thrust his hand into the bowl of salt.
"Eat!" he exclaimed; and, to his satisfaction, both lads obeyed without hesitation, placing the salt to their lips, while he did the same.
Abdullah gave a shout of rage, and called to the attendant Arabs to secure the unbelievers; but the Sheikh Wadherim silenced him by holding up his hand.
"Peace be with you, brethren!" he exclaimed. "These Kafirs, even though they be the sons of Shaitan, have shown no little courage and cunning. They have partaken of my salt."
"Without your leave," muttered Abdullah.
"But they have claimed a right, notwithstanding, and I must acknowledge it."
The correspondent could hardly conceal his satisfaction. His ruse had succeeded. By partaking of the sheikh's salt he and his companions had, according to the custom of the Arabs from time immemorial, secured his protection, and nothing short of the shedding of blood by those who were under this protection could release the chief from his obligations.
As for the lads, unable to understand the significance of their action, they were beginning to feel the effects of the salt.
"Swallow it!" said Mr. Reeves sternly. "Swallow it! For Heaven's sake don't spit it out! I'll tell you why later."
Striving to conceal his bad temper, the Sheikh Abdullah stood up, grimly saluted the imperturbable Wadherim, and strode back to his encampment, followed by the Baggara, while the now more friendly chief clapped his hands as a signal for the three Kafirs to be removed.
"You see, Hugh, I heard we were to be separated," explained Mr. Reeves.
"Separated!" exclaimed both lads, in dismay. "When?"
"We were to have been, I ought to have said. But sneaking the sheikh's salt altered the case. I don't think we shall be now. We may also be better treated, being sort of inferior guests of the sheikh. I only hope he won't put us under too much of an obligation, or it would be rather low-down to give him the slip."
"If we do, where can we make for?" asked Gerald. "There are miles of sand, and not a thing to guide us."
"Except the sun and the stars," replied Mr. Reeves. "But the time is hardly ripe to make an attempt yet. When we do, we must have a good chance of success. Failure would be worse than death."
As Arthur Reeves had predicted, the captives were now better treated by their Arab masters. The camel's rope was cut off, although the iron chains still secured their wrists; and when the camp was struck, and the march southwards was resumed, they were allowed to take turns at riding upon one of the baggage camels.
The two tribes parted peaceably at the oasis, with many shouts of farewell and firing of guns; but there was no doubt that had the followers of the Sheikh Abdullah been the more numerous, the disappointed bargainer would not have hesitated to take the desired Kafir from the Sheikh Wadherim's possession by force.
True to his vow, the latter reached El Keifa ere morning. This stage of the journey was not so tedious as the first day's, the distance being shorter, while there were two small intervening oases where halts were made under the light of the stars.
Here the Arabs rested for the following day, for the next stage, crossing a waterless tract of desert, where the only guide posts were the bleached bones of camels that had fallen out by the way, required at least forty hours to complete.
Just after sunset the laborious task commenced. The three captives had each been provided with a dirty, raggedburnous, which during the heat of the day protected not only the head but also the back. Already the upper parts of their bodies were getting accustomed to the sun. At first the skin burned a vivid red, but it soon acquired a deep bronze tint. Well it was that the captives at this stage were unable to make use of water for washing purposes, or their flesh would have been raw with the effect of the fierce heat.
Throughout the long night the march continued, and long before morning the lads, in spite of having a camel to ride between them—for Reeves firmly refused to avail himself of the animal—were almost crippled. Even the slow, measured, ungainly gait of the ship of the desert caused their bones to ache, till the alternate rests seemed to try them far more than tramping through the sand.
During the day the terrors of the march were intensified. Even some of the Arabs—hardy sons of the desert—had to fall out, although in every case a camel-man would chivalrously give up his beast to the sufferer and trudge patiently on foot. Many of the camels also sank upon the burning sand, never again to rise, while in the rear of the column gaunt vultures hovered in dreadful expectancy of a feast. The sheep and cattle, too, died in large quantities, till the Sheikh Wadherim began to think that he would arrive at his journey's end far poorer than when he set out for the seacoast to enrich himself with the spoils of the Kafir invaders. Strangely enough, the horses came off best. They were thoroughly seasoned, and could stand the hardships of a day's journey better than the camels, although had the distance been greater the conditions would have been reversed.
Before the sun was low in the heavens, the camel that the lads had been provided with was taken to assist a helpless Arab, and the Englishmen had perforce to complete the journey afoot—if they could. Mile after mile they trudged despairingly, without the heart to speak a word. To them there seemed no end to their trials. Ahead was the gently undulating desert, with its gruesome monuments of sun-bleached bones, but nothing to indicate the oasis for which the caravan was making.
Suddenly a warning shout came from the head of the column. Men began to dismount from their lofty steeds, and to run towards the baggage animals and the camels on which the women and children were seated. Others, with frantic cries, urged the already quivering animals to their knees.
"Cover your faces, boys!" gasped the correspondent, as he led them to the side of a prostrate hierie. "It's a sandstorm!"
The lads had barely time to grasp the situation. The air around them, almost motionless, was hot and oppressive; but less than three hundred yards away, and momentarily drawing nearer, was a dark-brown pillar of sand, trailing away into a seething, ill-defined cloud.
Already the Arabs, drawing theirhaiksover their faces, were kneeling beside their steeds. The deathly silence was broken only by the startled cries of some of the younger children and the ever-increasing hiss of the wind.
Then the sandstorm burst. If one has ever had the experience of standing in the midst of a continuous shower of spray, and gasping salt-laden air into the lungs, the sensation can be faintly realized—only instead of spray it was sand-laden, burning, suffocating vapour.
For just half a minute the lads stood the terrible ordeal; then, in their desperation, they rose to their feet, only to be forced to the ground by the strong grasp of Arthur Reeves. There they lay, gasping like stranded fishes, for a space of nearly five minutes, till the correspondent's detaining grip was relaxed.
When the mist cleared from before their throbbing, blood-shot eyes, a strange sight met their gaze.
Some of the horses, half-buried in sand, were plunging wildly and snorting with terror.
Those of the Arabs who had managed to extricate themselves from the hot sand were endeavouring to release their less-fortunate comrades; while the half-buried camels remained in a kneeling position, with their long-lashed eyelids drooping over their large dark eyes, as if absolutely indifferent to the peril they had undergone.
Fortunately the storm had been of comparatively short duration, and the loss of life was in consequence confined to the cattle and horses. Some of the latter, in their terror, had fled wildly from the hot blast, and, being overtaken by it, had perished miserably, a few hummocks of drifted sand marking the places where they fell.
Ere the march could be resumed, a prolonged halt was called, and a fairly liberal amount of water given to men and cattle. Much of the baggage had to be abandoned, for want of sufficient means of transport.
At length the wearied men arrived at the oasis of El Tebat, where two more days were spent ere the march was resumed. Thence, after thirty days, following a widely-spaced chain of oases, the Sheikh Wadherim brought his tribe back to their native haunts of Wadi Tlat. With his men, and their wives and families, flocks, herds, and other possessions, he had journeyed to the sea in the belief that the followers of Mohammed would gain an easy victory over the unbelievers, and, rich in booty, would live at their ease in the fertile oases by the coast till the call of the desert would once again have to be obeyed. If his faith in the Prophet had been rudely shaken, the sheikh gave no sign of his bad fortune.
Wadi Tlat, situated on the southern border of the great Plateau of Ahaggar, was the name given by the Tlat River to the surrounding valley. The country, though rugged, abounded with coarse herbage, and nearly ten thousand nomads found means of subsistence in the district watered by the river and two of its tributaries.
What lay to the southward of the plateau none of the Arabs knew. To them it was a broad, trackless desert, peopled by the jinns or spirits of an evil world; and although the Tlat—usually little more than a series of shallow pools, connected at certain points of the river by a narrow stream fed by a lake up in the mountains—flowed in a south-westerly direction, none of the Arabs had the courage to follow its course beyond Bab-el-Jinn—the Gate of Evil Spirits—two bleak and massive rocks standing like giant pinnacles in the middle of a narrow gorge.
Here, at Wadi Tlat, full six hundred miles from the sea, Arthur Reeves, Hugh, and Gerald entered into a new phase of their captivity, far beyond the help of any European influence, and doomed, apparently, to lifelong slavery!
FOR several days the captives' lot, though hard, was not oppressive. Save for the fetters on their wrists, they were not subjected to bonds, nor were their movements restricted, within certain limits. Their work consisted in having to tend and water the camels, horses, and cattle, and to cultivate a strip of land on the banks of the river. Although, generally speaking, the Arabs are a nomadic race, and do not take kindly to husbandry, this fertile strip of ground offered too good an opportunity of cultivating maize to be ignored; and the work was delegated to the slaves, most of whom were of negro descent, while some were Arabs who, through offences committed against the tribal laws and customs, were reduced to compulsory servitude.
The Englishmen's clothing, long since in rags, was now barely enough to cover them; but, hardened to the sun's rays, the discomfort was less than they had anticipated. Reeves's chief source of anxiety on this account was concerning his automatic pistol and ammunition, till, fearing that the ragged state of his clothing would reveal the precious treasure, he stealthily wrapped the weapon and cartridges in a fragment of sheepskin, and hid them under a rock at some distance from the camp.
The man's indomitable spirit seemed to buoy up the flagging energies of his two young companions; but although many plans were brought forward when the question of escaping was discussed, it was deemed prudent to wait events. The correspondent kept a marvellous control over himself, never once by word or gesture allowing the Arabs to suspect that he was fairly conversant with their tongue. Yet he failed to overhear any reliable information relating to the land that lay to the south of the Plateau of Ahaggar: to the Arabs it was almost a forbidden subject.
"It seems to me," he once remarked, "that our only chance of escape lies in making a dash to the south. This river must lead somewhere, unless it is lost in the sand. The fact that the country in that direction seems to be in disfavour with the Arabs is in our favour. Returning by the way we came is a physical impossibility. To the dangers of crossing the desert is added the likelihood of falling into the hands of another tribe, in which case our position would be far worse than it is at present."
"But where do you think the river leads to?" asked Hugh.
"I can only conjecture. Since we are on the highest ground of the great Sahara, it may be that the river flows into Nigerian territory. If we make the attempt, it will be no light task."
"Anything will be better than dragging out a miserable existence here," replied Gerald.
"As I have said before, we must not spoil everything by being premature," rejoined Mr. Reeves. "Still, we must not be content with discussing the matter; we must act."
By denying themselves a portion of their already scanty fare, the captives contrived to collect a store of provisions least likely to be spoiled by age. Two goatskin water bottles were also set aside by stealth, and, taking advantage of their daily excursions to the river, the Englishmen managed without detection to secrete their prizes in a small cave not far from the place where the pistol and ammunition were hidden.
One afternoon, as the three comrades were returning from their toil at the maize field, they perceived a tall, white-robed Arab approaching. He was bareheaded and his hair was shaved, denoting that he was animam, or holy man. In utter ignorance of whom he was, Gerald incautiously allowed his shadow to fall athwart the stranger's path.
Theimamstopped and cursed the unbeliever in the strongest terms he could lay tongue to; but the lad, not knowing what was being said, continued on his way with his companions.
"We've done it!" remarked Reeves. "That fellow is one of the priests of the tribe, and in some way we've offended him. Ten to one he'll make it hot for us with the sheikh."
The words were hardly out of his mouth when the rapid pattering of footsteps in the sand caused the captives to look behind them.
The "imam", considering himself deliberately abused by a son of Shaitan, was running towards his supposed insulter, knife in hand. The blade flashed in the air. In another moment it would have been buried in Gerald's shoulder had not Reeves, by throwing himself on the ground, caught the Arab by the ankles, capsizing him very neatly on the soft soil.
"Take the knife away from him, Hugh," shouted the prostrate Englishman. Ere the lad could seize theimam'swrist, however, the man kicked himself free, and rushed at the unbeliever who had thwarted him.
But the correspondent was not going to allow himself to be knifed if he could help it. Bringing his wrists together, he struck at the Arab with the bight of the iron chain. Theimamattempted to parry the blow, but the supple links, falling upon his bare skull, brought him to the ground, this time with a thud. In tumbling, the unfortunate wretch fell upon his own knife, and, ere the Englishman could realize what had occurred, the Arab was dead.
"Look sharp, lads; scoop a hole in the sand and cover him up. If this is discovered we are as good as done for. I hope no one else saw this business.... Too late, by Jove! Look over there!"
Reeves pointed to the opposite side of the river, where three or four Baggaras were making for the encampment. They had seen the affair, and, taking to their heels, ran swiftly to carry the news to the sheikh. Fortunately the river at this point widened out to a fair-sized pond, and the men had to go some distance upstream ere they came to the ford.
"We must make a dash for it," continued Reeves, giving a swift glance around. "Make for the hieries—they are behind those rocks."
All three broke into a run, stopping a moment at the hiding-place to retrieve the empty water skins, provisions, pistol, and ammunition. As luck would have it, four of the beasts were saddled, having been made ready to bear the sheikh and three of the principal members of his family on a short journey to a neighbouring tribe.
The black slaves gasped with astonishment to see the three Kafirs running towards them, when they ought to have been in the fields. Still more were they astonished when they beheld Reeves unbuckle the girths of one of the animals and, with the saddle under his arm, climb into the saddle of another kneeling camel; and ere they could recover from their surprise, the three white men were urging their willing but unwieldy steeds towards the desert.
The fugitives could rely upon half an hour's start—five miles at the outside—and as the distance between them and the encampment of Sheikh Wadherim increased, they saw with intense satisfaction that there were as yet no signs of pursuit.
"Why are we going into the desert?" asked Hugh, after a while. "I thought you meant to follow the river?"
"So I should have, had we not settled the hash of that shaven-headed rascal," replied Reeves. "No doubt the Arabs, in their desire to avenge the death of theirimam, will brave the terrors of the jinn-infested country. That's somewhat unfortunate for us but it cannot be helped. I mean to strike into the desert till just before dawn, then bear away to the south-west and rejoin the stream."
"We are without water," observed Gerald.
"True! Had we gone deliberately to work we should have taken steps to procure a supply. That makes us dependent upon the river in any case. I wish there was a breeze to cover up our tracks," and the correspondent pointed to six distinct, furrow-like lines in the soft, yielding sand.
On and on they rode, keeping their direction solely by the position of the now setting sun. At length the fiery orb dipped behind the almost level horizon, but still there was no sign of the expected pursuit.
"Perhaps they are still afraid of the jinns," said Hugh.
"Or it is quite likely that we are outstripping them," added Reeves. "We've taken the best hieries, and they are comparatively fresh. We've more than a fighting chance, lads."
It was soon night. The stars shone forth with fiery brilliancy, while the air was sharp, though not so piercingly cold as on the low-lying deserts to the north. For several hours hardly a word was spoken, and only the soft footfalls of the camels broke the silence.
"How shall we get rid of these beastly things?" asked Hugh at last, rattling his chain as he spoke.
"We must be content to wear the bracelets," replied Reeves. "When it is daylight I mean to try a few shots with the pistol on them. The only thing is that ammunition is scarce."
"I've a file," announced Gerald. "I saw one lying outside the tent of Azuf the blacksmith this morning, and so I picked it up. I meant to have told you before."
"Good!" replied Reeves emphatically. "As soon as we call a halt we'll begin operations."
"Haven't we gone far enough?" asked Hugh.
"Far enough?" repeated Reeves fiercely. "Not by any means. We'll be seen at daybreak, if not before, if we stay here."
On they plodded, keeping resolutely to the south-east. Once or twice Hugh fancied that he could distinguish the sounds of distant voices, but neither Gerald nor Reeves could detect any noises that could be put down to their pursuers.
At length, just before dawn, an intense blackness brooded over the desert. The stars withheld their light, and for nearly an hour the three fugitives were riding blindly, unable to ascertain in which direction they were going, but trusting to Providence to guide them from their taskmasters.
"Look here," exclaimed Reeves, pulling his hierie and turning towards his almost invisible companions, "this won't do! Goodness only knows where we are heading for. We'll make a halt till dawn, or until the stars are visible again. I only wish we had a watch. It can't be far off sunrise."
Descending from their lofty perches, the fugitives hobbled the camels and waited, the correspondent making good use of his time by filing away at one of the wristlets to which was secured Gerald's chain.
"Now then, Rags, you have a shot at it," he said, handing Hugh the file, and wiping the moisture from his brow, for even in the cold night air the exertion was trying and tedious. The lad took the file, and while Reeves steadied Gerald's wrist, Hugh worked manfully at the stubborn metal.
So engrossed were they by their task that the dawn began to glimmer ere the fugitives were aware of it. Suddenly Reeves looked up.
"By Jove! we've been making a mess of it," he exclaimed, pointing to the glow in the sky. Instead of pointing to his left, he pointed in exactly the opposite direction. During the period of darkness they had completed a semicircle, and were making as nearly as possible straight for the direction whence they had come.
"Up with you!" he continued, as he set the example by unhobbling his hierie and climbing into the high-peaked saddle.
From his lofty perch upon the camel's back he glanced anxiously in a northerly direction. The sun was just appearing above the horizon, and in its ruddy light the Englishman saw a sight that made him mutter under his breath.
Less than a mile distant were their pursuers!
URGING their steeds to the utmost, the three fugitives rode with set faces, resolving either to escape or to fight to the end. Recapture would mean far worse than death.
Grasping his pistol tightly in his right hand, and steadying himself with his left, Reeves turned in his saddle and took a swift yet comprehensive view of the pursuing Arabs. There were five of them, all fully clad in white, showing that they were the chief men of the tribe. Each had a gun slung across his shoulder, and by the length of the barrels the Englishman knew, to his satisfaction, that they were smooth-bore flintlocks, and not the modern rifles used by the Arabs on the coast. Gun flints are practically indestructible, and gunpowder can be manufactured by the Arabs under the most rough-and-ready conditions; but cartridges are comparatively scarce. Consequently, for all ordinary purposes—except in inter-tribal fights, when rapid firing is essential to success—the denizens of the desert prefer to husband their supplies of modern ammunition, and prefer to use flint.
"They are gaining slightly, I fear," remarked Reeves. "Still, we have a fighting chance. I wish we could take aim."
On they tore, pursuers and pursued, till at length one of the Arabs took a flying shot. The bullet fell short, knocking up a shower of sand barely forty yards behind the Englishmen. This was a certain sign that the intervening distance was diminishing.
"What's that ahead?" exclaimed Gerald, pointing to a small, black, pillar-like object in the sand a full mile away.
"It's a rock," replied Hugh.
"That's a blessing!" ejaculated Reeves, for his camel was beginning to show signs of having over-exerted himself. "I only hope there are no more of the brutes in ambush," he muttered.
There were two alternatives—either halting and making a stand in the open, or taking the risks that the rock already concealed more of the Arabs, and, if not, enjoying the advantages of fighting with their backs against a wall.
Reeves chose the latter. It was evident that flight was now out of the question, for, in addition to his hierie showing signs of fatigue, the lads' camels were almost at the end of their stride.
At length the fugitives drew up at the place they had selected, to make their desperate defence. It was, on closer acquaintance, a large mass of rock, sheer on three sides, and sloping steeply on the remaining front. The most active climber in the world could not hope, without climbing implements, to scale the perpendicular sides, which were quite twenty feet in height, and worn smooth by the action of sandstorms through countless ages. At the base of the fourth side there was a fairly wide trench, partly filled with drifting sand, a low wall of irregularly-shaped rock forming a breastwork about two feet in height.
"Couldn't be better!" exclaimed Reeves, as he slipped from his camel. "Be sharp; make these brutes lie down. Never mind that; it's over." This last remark was addressed to Gerald, who ducked his head as a bullet flattened itself out upon the rock a good six feet from the ground.
The camels, fortunately tractable and docile, were made to lie in the trench, while, to be perfectly sure that they would not stampede and leave the fugitives in the lurch, Hugh fastened their halters together.
"Now we're fairly comfortable," continued the correspondent, as he placed his reserve of cartridges by his side. "Those fellows won't keep firing long, I fancy. When they make a rush for it, wait till they are the length of a cricket pitch off, then let them have it with some of these stones. Ah! That was a close one!"
A bullet clipped the edge of hisburnous, while two others knocked chips off the rock behind which the three fugitives were sheltering.
"We can stand plenty of that," continued Reeves. "I only hope they won't wait till the sun gets up, or we'll be baked in this hole."
Suddenly there was a dull thud, like that of a stone striking a sack of corn. One of the camels had incautiously raised its head, and had received a shot in the throat. It gave a strange sort of cry—half-groan, half-shriek—stretched its long neck on the ground, and closed its patient-looking eyes.
"That's awkward," remarked Reeves. "If this goes on, it will end in our having to tramp to the river." He spoke calmly, unwilling to alarm his charges, but the loss of a hierie could not be too highly taken into account.
For quite a quarter of an hour the Arabs maintained a desultory fire, holding their antiquated weapons with the utmost deliberation, and firing from a distance of less than one hundred yards. Reeves particularly noticed that the "missfires" were few and far between, the great breadth of the Arabs' flints emitting such a large spark that the priming rarely failed to take fire.
All this while the defenders lay low within their natural fortress. Reeves was unwilling to fire a shot in reply, lest the Arabs should fear to close, and instead ride off for additional assistance. That would have been fatal for the Englishmen. Stern necessity decreed that it should be a fight to the death for one side.
Presently the Arabs dismounted, and, leaving their camels without any attempt to secure them, worked their way round behind the rock.
Reeves gave a low whistle—a thing he always did when annoyed.
"They'll be able to rush us easier that way," he exclaimed; "but it can't be helped. Got plenty of stones? Good! Now, look out!"
The Arabs, still maintaining a respectful distance, continued firing, their bullets whizzing by the side of the rock, as if they meant to frighten the Kafirs before rushing in upon them. Cautiously Reeves and the two lads crept close to the base of their towering shelter.
"They'll close after the next volley," said the correspondent calmly. "See that fellow with the red belt? You tackle him, Rags. Gerald, you must have a shot at that amiable-looking gentleman with the grey beard. His spear looks particularly annoying. Now, keep cool; imagine you're bowling with your first eleven."
Three of the Arabs had divested themselves of the upper part of their clothing, and had accomplished what is termed in Scripture the girding up of their loins. The others made no preparations for the rush whatever.
Reeves was perfectly correct in his surmise. The Arabs do not take readily to the use of firearms, and the primitive instinct to close with their adversaries is still strong within them.
"Here they come!"
A volley, sounding almost like a single shot, whistled over the defenders' heads, or else the bullets flattened against the rock. Dropping their firearms, the men picked up their spears or swords, and, with a fierce yell, rushed with incredible velocity upon the apparently defenceless unbelievers.
Reeves let them come to within thirty yards of the rock.
"Not yet," he cautioned hurriedly, as the lads bravely stood up to meet their savage foes.
Steadying the muzzle of his pistol in the hollow of his left arm, the correspondent took careful aim full at the heaving chest of the foremost Arab, a mop-haired Baggara, who was brandishing a long, double-handed sword.
The pistol flashed; there was a report like the crack of a whip; but still the Arabs bounded towards the defenders.
Crack! Another shot. An Arab immediately behind the swordsman sprang up in the air and fell, and a second later the Baggara faltered, turned twice round, and dropped, still grasping his gleaming weapon.
Then the lads hurled their missiles. Hugh's stone caught one of the assailants full in the forehead, toppling him over like a second Goliath; but Gerald's aim was faulty, and his stone whizzed handsomely by a tall, lithe spearman.
The next moment the two surviving Arabs, reckless in the heat of the fight, were upon them. Even as one leapt in order to deliver a fierce thrust with his keen, broad-bladed spear, Reeves fired full in his face. The man was killed instantly, but the impetus of his rush made him fall on top of Gerald, who was preparing to throw another stone. Unable to check his speed, the last Arab tripped over the body of his comrade; and before he could recover himself, Reeves shot him also through the head.
Exhausted by their efforts, it was some time before the victors could utter a sound. Now the fight was over, thirst began to assert itself.
"It turned out better than I thought," remarked Reeves, as he recharged his pistol. "It was a pretty close shave at the end. When I have time I must flatten the heads of these bullets. Beyond ten yards they are almost useless for stopping a man."
"We won't be hard up for arms now," said Hugh, "and camels as well."
"Water is what we most require at present," replied the correspondent. "No doubt there are a few skinfuls with the camels, and perhaps some of these beauties have a small supply on them. Let's see!"
A search of the bodies of the two men who had been shot at close range revealed nothing in the shape of water bottles. One man had, however, hampered himself with a small bag of dates, of which the victors took possession.
"You dropped that fellow pretty neatly with that stone, Rags," observed Gerald, as they made their way over to where the first three Arabs had fallen.
"Be careful!" cautioned Reeves, as the two lads approached the motionless body of the Arab whom Hugh had brought down.
Hugh was just on the point of asking why, when there was a general commotion as the Arab staggered to his feet and hurled his spear full at Gerald, who was leading.
Taken completely by surprise, Gerald stood stockstill. He would have been transfixed by the hurtling weapon had not Hugh pulled him violently on one side.
With a snarl the Arab drew his short knife and ran in upon the lads, who promptly took to their heels.
Finding that pursuit was impossible, the half-dazed man directed his attention to Reeves, who unwillingly, though actuated by stern necessity, was compelled to shoot him as he ran.
"That's an old trick," remarked the correspondent. "Many of our men lost their lives in the Sudan through Arabs feigning death. Now, let's look at these two. I am rather curious to see what happened." So saying, he led the way to where the Baggara swordsman and the second Arab were shot.
The Baggara lay on his back. Just below the left shoulder blade was a small puncture, while another was visible barely three inches lower down. Both shots had taken effect, but owing to their high velocity had failed to stop the man instantly. But the strange part was that the second shot, after passing clean through the man's body, and losing some of its rate of speed, had struck the Arab who was behind him in the forehead, causing instant death.
This man was carrying a small goatskin water bottle, but in his fall he had burst it, and the precious liquid was utterly wasted.
"Hard lines!" ejaculated Hugh, rolling his tongue in his parched mouth.
"We must see what the camels have on them," said the correspondent. "Be careful how you approach them; they might run."
"They are used to us," replied Hugh. "We've taken them to be watered many a time;" and uttering the Arab cry of "Lu-lu-lu", the lad made his way towards the spot where the five camels were standing.
"They won't move, you see," he continued, hastening his pace. "Look! two of them have water bottles slung from the saddles."
"Wait till I bring our two beasts out," called Reeves from a distance.
Either it was sheer obstinacy on Hugh's part, or else he failed to hear his elder comrade's warning, for without waiting for the already tractable camels to be brought out to entice the others, he advanced boldly towards the masterless animals.
Suddenly the five camels bolted, and in a cloud of sand were soon lost to sight.
Reeves bit his lip and said nothing. Hugh also was silent, but Gerald gave an exclamation of despair. The same fact was apparent to each of them. They were stranded in the desert, with only two hieries between them, and not a drop of water to drink.
"IT'S no use staying here all day," remarked Reeves at length. "Gather up the provisions, and take a musket and ammunition apiece, and we'll make a dash for the river; it can't be much more than twenty miles off."
He spoke as naturally as he could, but twenty miles across a trackless desert in the full heat of the blazing sun was no light journey, especially when one must be afoot. Besides, the presence of the river might be purely conjectural; it might make a sudden bend to the west, and instead of tramping twenty miles, the travellers might stagger on till they dropped, and still not find water.
However, it was a course for actions, not words; and, having armed themselves, Hugh and Gerald mounted the two remaining hieries, while Reeves walked between the animals.
But before they had traversed a hundred yards the correspondent stopped.
"Hand me that goatskin!" he exclaimed, and without a word as to his intentions he retraced his steps to the rock.
The lads gazed at him in astonishment, yet both were too utterly exhausted and parched to speak.
In less than five minutes the correspondent returned, staggering under the load of a distended water bottle.
"Drink" he said, holding up the skin for Gerald to take, "but be careful not to spill a drop."
Longingly Hugh watched his companion take a deep draught of the life-giving fluid, but patiently he waited his turn.
"And you, Mr. Reeves?" asked Gerald, as the correspondent carefully retied the mouth of the goatskin when Hugh had drunk.
"I've had some already. I had what was over; it was not much, but enough."
Both lads knew where the water had been obtained, although the idea had not previously entered their heads. Nature has provided the camel with unique means of carrying a large supply of water, which, until required, remains as fresh as can be expected; and, with the knowledge of this peculiarity, Reeves had deftly drawn the precious fluid from the dead hierie.
Then the tedious, anxious journey was resumed. The sun, now high in the heavens, beat fiercely upon the whiteburnousesof the travellers, while the sand underfoot was so hot that Reeves could scarce place his feet to the ground, in spite of the fact that his well-made boots still stood the wear and tear of days in the desert. Yet uncomplainingly he tramped full five weary miles before Gerald insisted on giving up his camel to his elder.
Hour after hour passed without any sign of the hoped-for river. At length the ground, still sandy, though dotted here and there with masses of smooth, rounded rock, began to slope upwards, apparently without a break, for nearly five miles.
Reeves looked grave when he saw this. They were heading at right angles the supposed direction of the river, and the land was rising. The river could not possibly run uphill. Perhaps beyond—if not, the disappointment would be enough to crush even his powers of resolution.
Once again the agonies of thirst began to assert themselves, in spite of a frugal meal of dried dates, and soon it was with the greatest difficulty that they could move their swollen tongues in their parched mouths.
Shortly after noon Gerald was on the point of collapse. Only by passing a rope round the two raised portions of the saddle was Reeves able to keep his young charge from reeling and falling to the ground.
"We must halt for a while," he exclaimed. "Make for that rock over there, Hugh."
He pointed to a mass of stone that, leaning slightly, might possibly afford some shelter from the sun. The rock, resembling a Druidical pillar, stood about two hundred yards to the right of the direction in which they were travelling; but being the only object likely to throw a reasonable shade, the turning aside was advisable.
Gerald, on one camel, was leading, with Reeves walking slightly to the left flank, while Hugh's hierie ambled at some ten paces in the rear.
Suddenly Gerald stiffened himself in the saddle, and in a loud, croaking voice shouted, "Water!"
Hugh replied with a feeble cry of delight, but Reeves, although his hopes ran high at the announcement, thought that Gerald's exclamation was the outcome of a disordered imagination. In order to soothe the lad, however, he asked: "Where, Gerald?"
For answer the lad pointed to a long, low ridge of sand through which the rock protruded. Beyond was a dip, but from his level Reeves could not see over the crest as well as did the lad on the camel. From even a very short distance the radiation of the sand caused every outline to appear blurred and wavy, and the depression beyond the ridge was in consequence hitherto unnoticed.
"Why, it's the river!" exclaimed Gerald.
Reeves waited no longer, but, breaking into a stumbling run, pressed on ahead and gained the side of the rock. Gerald was right. In a narrow khor, or valley, flowed the stream. True, it was little better than a chain of shallow lakes connected by a mere trickle of yellowish water, but to the almost exhausted fugitives it meant life.
Forgetting their fatigue, the lads slipped from their saddles and staggered towards the nearest pool, while Reeves, stopping only to hobble the camels, made haste to follow them. Half a minute later the three were on their knees, plunging their heads into the tepid water, and taking copious draughts of the invigorating liquid.
"Steady, boys!" cautioned Reeves, knowing that an excess would be almost as bad as a lack of water; "there's plenty of time. Here we stay for the rest of the day."
"Are we safe?" asked Hugh.
"As safe as we can reasonably hope to be," replied the correspondent. "I'll bring the camels down, and while they are drinking we'll have a meal."
"Is this the same river as at Wadi Tlat?" asked Gerald.
"As far as I can judge, but it has made a fairly wide sweep to the south-west. I believe that had we kept due south from the spot where we were at sunrise, we should have struck the river within an hour or so."
"Perhaps it turned out for the best."
"That I do not doubt. We might not have found such an admirable spot to hold our own against the Arabs, and had those fellows caught us in the open, it would have gone hard with us. That reminds me—do you know how to load these guns?"
The lads shook their heads. They had both used rook rifles before, but these long-barrelled flintlocks were beyond them.
"I can't see the place for the caps," said Gerald.
"For the simple reason that percussion caps are not used," replied Reeves, taking up one of the muskets. "See this piece of steel on a hinge? I throw it back, and you see a shallow bowl underneath it. That is the pan. You've heard of the expression, 'a flash in the pan'? Now, first load the barrel with powder and ball, not forgetting the wads, and ram the charge hard home, so. Next half-cock the hammer, place powder in the pan, and cover it up again by the steel. To fire, full-cock the musket, take aim, and pull the trigger. The flint will draw fire from the steel, and at the same time throw open the pan. The spark ignites the priming powder in the pan, which in turn communicates, by means of a small hole, with the charge in the barrel. It's somewhat unreliable, for the flint may spark without igniting the priming, or the priming may flash in the pan without exploding the charge."
"How cumbersome!" remarked Hugh.
"But we are lucky to have them at all," replied the correspondent. "For nearly a hundred and fifty years our forefathers fought and won their battles with weapons acting in precisely the same manner as this. Consequently, if ever we are compelled to use these weapons in self-defence, we must remember their maxim: 'Never fire till you can see the whites of your enemy's eyes'. Now, boys, you had better snatch a few hours' sleep in the shade of the rock. I can hold out a good while, so I'll keep watch."
Both Hugh and Gerald protested that they were quite capable of taking the first watch, and that their elder was more in need of rest than they were; but Reeves sternly ordered them to obey.
In less than three minutes both lads were fast asleep, while the correspondent took up a position as much in the shade as possible, keeping a vigilant lookout across the seemingly interminable waste of sand.
Once more he reviewed the situation. Here they were on the banks of a small, unknown river, with a vast tract of country, hitherto unvisited by Europeans, stretching southward—whither? Without proper equipment, ill-provisioned, and already weak with fatigue and meagre fare, how could he, let alone the two lads, hope to traverse the great, unknown desert? The river might prove to be one of those that eventually lose themselves in the sand or periodically dry up, or it might wax greater and stronger and join one of the immense tributaries of the Niger; but to return was out of the question. They must proceed, overcome their great difficulties, or in turn be overcome by them.
At length Hugh awoke, feeling considerably refreshed, and, after being warned that strict vigilance was imperative, took the correspondent's place while the latter snatched a brief but well-earned rest.
Presently Hugh was joined by his chum, and not until the sun was low in the heavens did they cease to maintain a careful and anxious lookout. But there was no sign of human beings. The Arabs, their fear of the jinns increased considerably by the non-return of their comrades, attempted no further pursuit.
All that night Reeves kept watch, lying with his serviceable ear near the sand in order the more readily to detect the soft footfalls of approaching camels, or standing at intervals to stretch his aching frame and to gaze into the starlit desert.
At daybreak the journey by the banks of the river began. In order to guard against possible surprise, the fugitives kept upon the ridge of hard-baked earth that followed the course of the stream at less than fifty yards from it. Without much exertion a steady pace could be maintained by the one who chanced to be afoot, while by taking turns at riding the camels a much greater distance could be covered.
For four days the course of the river was followed, without signs of any other human beings. Occasionally a small patch of scrub would be seen, but beyond that there was no herbage upon which the camels could feed. For their masters there was as yet sufficient for their needs; but Reeves, though outwardly sanguine, could not ignore the fact that the supply would last but three days more.
At the end of the fourth day, just as the fugitives were preparing to camp out for the night, Hugh pointed to a dark-brown object lying on the side of one of the sandhills.
"Is that a man?" he asked.
"It certainly looks like one," replied Reeves; "but if it is, he is certainly not attempting to conceal himself. Bring your muskets, lads, and we'll see what it really is."
They had to traverse a distance of nearly four hundred yards before the correspondent, who was leading, breasted the slope of the last hillock that lay between them and the object of their search.
"It was a man," announced Reeves. "The poor fellow has died, apparently from hunger and thirst."
The three Englishmen raised their head-coverings as they stopped by the side of the luckless traveller, of whom only a bleached skeleton remained. To the lads' surprise, the body, which was lying face downwards, was encased in a hauberk of chain armour, while at a short distance from the head was a steel helmet, with a short guard for the nose. Both helm and hauberk were slightly eaten away by rust.
"Why, it's the body of a mediaeval knight!" exclaimed Gerald. "I've——"
"Not so fast!" interposed Reeves. "The poor fellow was doubtless an Arab emir. As late as fifteen years ago we had Sudanese clad in mail, which, if not exactly that worn by the Crusader, was a good copy of it. It is commonly supposed that the Arabs obtained the use of chain mail from their Saracen ancestors, who, of course, adapted their Christian enemies' arms and mail to their own purpose. I'll turn the man over. Perhaps he may have something on of service to us."
So saying, the correspondent gently placed his hands under the hauberk and turned the skeleton on its back. As he did so he gave a grunt of surprise, for to the right breast of the rusty coat of mail was affixed a metal cross, made apparently of copper, but green with exposure to the air.
"It strikes me pretty forcibly that you are right after all, Gerald," he exclaimed. "But at the same time I cannot believe it possible, even taking into consideration the dryness of the atmosphere, that armour could withstand the ravages of the weather for seven or eight hundred years."
"There is a dagger," said Hugh, pointing to the hilt of a weapon that hung at the right side of the skeleton, the remaining portion being buried in the sand.
"It certainly looks like a misericord," remarked Reeves, drawing the rusty steel from its mouldy sheath. "See! the man wears a rich leathern baldrick. At one time he carried a sword—here are the fragments of a sheath; and, stranger still, he does not appear to have had firearms!"
"Why is it strange?" asked Hugh.
"Because an emir, even though clad in chain mail, almost invariably carries a pistol and powder-horn with him. This man has none. However, the mystery must remain a mystery, I fear. We can, at any rate, cover the skeleton with sand."
This was accordingly done; but as the Englishmen were about to return to where the camels were left, Reeves stooped and picked up the dagger.
"Every additional weight hampers us," he remarked, "but I think I will take this. It will be a memento, in case we return to civilization in safety."
"I wonder if the man rode a horse or a camel?" asked Hugh. "If so, are there any traces of it?"
"We may as well look around," replied Reeves. "Another thing that puzzles me is, why did the man die in the sand, instead of making his way to the river, which is less than a hundred yards off, and quite visible from here? However, carry on. You, Hugh, go ahead for a hundred paces; Gerald, you go to your left, but no farther than yonder hillock; I'll explore the rocks by the river."
Reeves had barely taken thirty steps when a shout from Gerald arrested his attention. "There's a cross stuck up on a sandhill," announced the lad.
Making his way in the direction indicated, Hugh having rejoined him, the correspondent found that the cross was in reality a big, cross-hilted sword, planted point downwards in a cleft in the rocks, which were covered to a depth of about a foot with drifting sand.
Pulling out the weapon, Reeves examined the blade. It was rusty, but not in such a bad state as the hauberk and helm, the frequent friction of the sand having kept the steel from being badly eaten away. The blade was about three feet six inches in length, perfectly straight except for three inches from the end, where it tapered sharply to a point. The hilt was of iron, devoid of ornamentation.
"It looks as if it were placed here for a purpose," remarked Hugh.
"It does," replied Reeves, "—as a symbol of faith. See! the cross shows towards the east. But we must be getting back. It will be dark in a few minutes."
And, bearing the sword with him, the correspondent led the way back to the bivouac by the river.