A CLEVER RUSE
While Jim Hubbard and his friend John Margetson are hiding in the
store-hut, let us return for a few moments to the coast-line.
The reader will remember that a Somali levy had been raised and
officered by Englishmen drawn from the various line regiments, and that
this force had many months before marched into the interior by way of
Bohotle, and, dividing into two portions, had left its baggage, its
reserve ammunition and its camels, in charge of the smaller half. He
will recollect also that the cunning Mullah, aided by information given
by his spies, contrived to elude the larger force, and gloating over a
victory which he already counted as his, had thrown himself upon Captain
McNeill's zareba. Not once, but on three successive occasions was his
frantic onslaught stemmed by the few men gathered in the zareba. So
heavy, indeed, were the losses amongst the Mullah's following, that
their enthusiasm and fanatical hate had changed to dismay and secret
admiration for these men whose officers were spoken of as "infidel
dogs."
Following upon their defeat at the hands of Captain McNeill and his tiny
garrison, the Mullah's horde was split into pieces and scattered in all
directions by the larger half.
But in Somaliland a holy man has enormous powers of persuasion, and the
reader has already learned that the Mullah rapidly gathered his
following together again. Then came the action with Colonel Swayne at
Erego, where the Somali soldiers, who were enlisted by the "Sirkal,"
turned tail and bolted, leaving their comrades to their fate. From that
moment adherents had flocked to the Mullah's banner, and their
depredations becoming serious, an expedition was decided upon. Of this
General Manning was given the command, while the force itself was to
consist of Indian troops and of men from the West Coast of Africa.
Stores, rifles, ammunition, and every article that could be thought of,
or that was likely to prove of value in the coming march were collected
at Aden and then sent over to Berbera. And here, when Jim and his
following passed through the town, gigantic preparations were afoot.
Already the troops had begun to collect, and the garrison at Bohotle,
which had been in residence for some months, and which was suffering
severely from malaria and from lack of supplies, had been relieved and
replaced by fresh men, while plenty of stores and ammunition for six
months had been brought up.
This advance post having been placed in a condition of readiness, the
eyes of those who were responsible for the movements of the troops were
turned in other directions, for it is not always wise to concentrate
one's forces. A division of the fighting strength which is about to
invade an enemy's country often disconcerts the adversary, for then he,
too, must split his followers, and send some to watch and oppose one
half of the invaders, while the remainder marches to lie in wait for the
other. If this precaution were not taken, it would be a simple matter
for a well-mounted body of men to make a wide detour, and carefully
timing their arrival and attack, to fall upon the enemy in the rear,
while their comrades engaged with them in the front.
Thus was Ladysmith relieved; for when Lord Roberts, with a hastily
collected force, invaded the Orange River Colony, the Boer forces, which
up to then had been concentrated about the heights of Colenso and the
beleaguered camp, were compelled to divide, one portion hastening across
the Drakensberg Mountains to join with others about Bloemfontein, while
the remainder, seeing their hopeless condition, fled before the repeated
and gallant attacks of General Buller, leaving the flag of old England
still proudly waving upon the Town Hall of Ladysmith.
With this thought of a diversion in view, another base was looked for,
and Obbia, in the Italian Protectorate, was selected, the consent of
that nation having readily been obtained. Then an arrangement was come
to with the Abyssinians that they should also march upon the Mullah,
getting in behind him, if possible, so that, should he take alarm and
raise his camp with the intention of escaping farther into the interior
until the storm had blown over, there might still be good hope of
forcing him to fight, and of capturing him and a goodly portion of his
men.
Many weeks had been spent in making these arrangements, and so uncertain
was the mind of those who had control of the expedition, that at times
it seemed likely that it would be abandoned for a space. When Jim and
his friend left Berbera, the news of an immediate advance was in the
air, but this was contradicted a few days later. Then it was bruited
abroad again, and while he and his followers were resisting the attack
of the tribesmen at the ravine, the information became public property
that within a short space of time the forces would actually advance.
* * * * *
As the daylight increased, Jim and his friend went from side to side of
the store-hut, and taking advantage of the piled-up date-bags, quickly
arranged a convenient look-out, from which they could gather news of
their surroundings. Some few inches of space had been left between the
roof and the supporting walls, whether for the sake of ventilation, or
because it was the custom of the builders of the country, it would be
impossible to state. But there it was, and, by means of a pile of bags,
the two Englishmen found a convenient way of reaching it.
"We'll keep watch from here all day," said Jim, peering through the
opening; "then there will be no fear of a sudden surprise, while we can
make up for our long vigil by a good sleep at night."
"I agree with you, my lad," was the answer. "We are in a fix here, and
unless we keep our wits and our eyes sharply about us, we shall
certainly fall into the Mullah's hands. But here comes the sun, and with
it the life of the village will begin."
As he spoke, the street which passed from end to end of the Mullah's
stronghold was flooded with the rays of the morning sun, the edge of
which could be discerned rising in golden splendour over the crests of
the distant hills. Scarcely had it struck upon the huts and sent long
shadows slanting across the ground, when doors opened in all directions
as if by magic, and out into the clear, sparkling air came the
villagers. Children rolled from the dwellings, and began their chatter
and play, while a few minutes later the wives appeared, some with jars
upon their heads, which they carried towards the river, while others
proceeded to light fires before their huts, so as to make ready for the
morning meal.
"And now we can expect to see the men-folk," whispered John Margetson.
"How well do I know their movements, for was not I the first to be
abroad during the past three years? It was the duty of a slave, and I
carried it out without failing, for, otherwise, harsh treatment was my
reward. If you watch, you will see the warriors do not trouble
themselves to work. The few who have failed to take part in last night's
search will presently appear, strolling from their huts, and will then
exert themselves so far as to lounge about the street. There is sure to
be much talk about my escape, so they will collect together in groups.
Only then, and when they are about to meet with enemies, will you see
them roused to any energy. They will shout to one another, and discuss
the question till a quarrel seems imminent. But their anger will quickly
subside, and soon, when the Mullah has shaken the sleep from his eyes,
and climbs aloft beneath the flagstaff, they will all turn and salaam to
him, as becomes the followers of such a holy man. Then each will produce
his strip of carpet, and, turning to the east, will follow the movements
of their leader as he kneels and prays to Allah.
"It is a weird and wonderful sight, and their murmured 'Allah, Allah,'
will enchant your ears, for the faith and devotion of these Somali
warriors is very great. An infidel is an odious sight to their eyes, and
were it not that the Mullah might obtain value for my life, I should
long ago have ceased to exist. Often has this holy man condescended to
approach me, and endeavour to change my religion. When persuasion was of
no avail, he used threats, and even went so far as to starve me; but,
thank God, though I was only a poor heart-broken slave, with never a
white friend to rely upon, I remained resolute, and steadfastly kept to
the teaching of my childhood. And through all these weary months, that
alone has been my comfort. It has given me hope when all seemed
hopeless, and has taught me to look forward to this day. But here they
come."
As he finished speaking, the crowd of native women and children which
now filled the village street was added to by the appearance of some
hundred Somali warriors, who emerged in ones and twos from their
dwellings, all fully armed, for none of these men dreamed of lying down
to sleep, or even of walking about in the daylight, without his weapons.
Staring at them through his peephole, Jim had a better opportunity of
observing them than had ever occurred before, and could not but admire
their height, their fine physique, and their sturdy and independent
appearance.
Of those who lounged before him, very few possessed firearms, and these
were obviously of a poor and obsolete kind. The remainder bore shields
and spears, while double-handed swords were thrust in their
waist-cloths. A few, even, carried bows and arrows.
"They are of the Midgan tribe, which have joined the Mullah almost to a
man," said Jim's friend. "Should it ever fall out that you are wounded
by one of their missiles, be careful to withdraw the arrow at once, and
ask a comrade to apply his lips to the puncture, for it is reported that
the tips are poisoned. But your revolver should keep them at a distance,
while against a rifle their curious weapons should be absolutely
useless."
It was at once evident that the exciting incident of the previous
evening had had its effect upon the warriors, for, as John Margetson had
predicted, they gathered together in clumps, and began an animated
conversation. Then, at the suggestion of one of their number, they
suddenly started off to search the village and its surroundings again.
Fortunately, however, for the fugitives, no rain had fallen for many
days, and though the mass of men congregated just outside the store-hut
where Jim's knife had been found, even the sharpest eyes failed to
discover a trace of them, and it never occurred to the warriors that
those whom they sought so eagerly were even then listening to their
words with bated breath.
"Look at the man in the centre," whispered Margetson, touching Jim upon
the sleeve. "By the sound of his voice that is the scoundrel who
suggested that this place should be searched. But he is evidently afraid
to air his opinions again, and let us hope that the snubbing which the
Mullah gave him will keep him from further investigations. Now his head
is turned this way, and it is evident that he has still some fondness
for his own ideas."
"I confess," answered Jim, "that I do not like the appearance of the
fellow. There is no doubt that he is still suspicious, and I should not
be surprised if he came here quietly to see whether or not he was right.
If he does, he will have himself to thank for anything that may happen
to him, for we are not going to allow one man's curiosity to ruin our
hopes."
"No; nor shall fifty capture us without a struggle, my lad. Recollect
what I said about my liberty. My mind is fully made up to obtain it at
any price. But there they go, and all the better, say I, for it is an
uncanny and an uncomfortable feeling to watch a crew of desperate men,
such as they are, knowing all the while that they are searching for
one's self."
Satisfied that no good was to be obtained by remaining on the spot where
the tell-tale knife had been discovered, the Somali warriors went off to
another portion of the village, and, having peered into every likely and
unlikely place, returned to discuss the question once more. In the
middle of their conversation, however, the figure of the Mullah suddenly
appeared beside the flagstaff, and instantly each man, woman, and child
in the village turned and salaamed deeply to him. Then they scattered to
their various houses, and returning to any suitable position from which
their eyes could be fixed upon their leader, while they faced the east,
they discarded their sandals and reverently knelt down on their mats.
For long did the Mullah remain upon his knees, and when he had finished
his devotions, he rose slowly to his feet, stepped from the carpet,
donned his shoes, and then salaamed deeply. A moment later he faced
about, and lifting his hand for silence, just as he had done on the
previous night, he began to speak to his followers.
"There is no news of these infidel dogs," he cried, "but they are as
surely in our hands as are those others who have formed their zareba in
the desert. Soon I hope to see those who left us last night returning,
and meanwhile I command all who have not a duty to do here to leave the
village and go to aid them in their search. As for the other prisoner,
that one who commanded men belonging to the British Government, and who
is spoken of in his own language as a colonel, he must be removed from
the hut in which he now lies and be brought closer, so that he may be
placed under a stronger guard. Not that there is any fear of his
release, for we have taken action so early that the plans of these
impudent people who have come to release him have been altogether
upset."
In accordance with the orders which they had received, the Somalis who
still remained in the village gulped down a hasty meal, and then
mounting their ponies, set off to join their comrades. Some twenty or
more remained behind and watched them depart, then, while four of them
mounted guard over the Mullah's residence, the others proceeded down the
street, and halted before a hovel which stood at the farther end.
"They are going to fetch their prisoner," whispered Jim, keeping his
eyes fixed upon them. "Perhaps I shall be able to see him, even though
to rescue him now is impossible. Ah, they have opened the door, and some
have gone in."
"Your father is certainly there, my lad," answered his companion. "And
you must not be surprised if you find him changed to a certain extent,
for he has had a hard life of it. As I told you, he has never lost his
spirit, and, careless whether he lives or dies, has never permitted any
one of his guards to ill-treat him. Once, even, when I happened to meet
him in the street when carrying a message for the Mullah, he stopped to
converse with me, at which the warrior who was keeping watch upon him
called him an infidel and a dog, and prodded him with his spear to
induce him to move on. Your father was upon him in an instant, and
tearing the spear from his hand, snapped the shaft across his knee, and
belaboured the man till he bellowed. Never have I seen these people so
angered. Indeed, had it not been for the Mullah, who seemed always at
hand at such times to guard his possessions, they would have torn him
limb from limb, to revenge the insult. It was grand to see how the
prisoner faced them, spear-shaft in hand, smiling disdainfully at their
anger, and almost inviting them to come on to the attack. By such doings
he has created a feeling of terror amongst his guards, and now, whenever
he is abroad, not one, but five men follow him, ready to throw
themselves upon him and bear him to the ground, should he make an
attack upon them. Here they come, and you can see for yourself the truth
of what I say."
As he spoke those who had entered reappeared with their white prisoner.
Then the whole group retraced their footsteps, and marched up the centre
of the street. Soon they were so close to the store-hut that the
features of every man were visible, and with a thrill of joy Jim caught
sight of his father's face. It was thinner and more bronzed than usual,
and perhaps the hair was a trifle whiter, but the prisoner still wore
that air of resolution to which his son was accustomed. Catching sight
of the Mullah, who had again ascended to the roof of his house, Colonel
Hubbard called to him in commanding tones, and would have addressed him,
had it not been for the men who marched by his side. Hustling him
forward, and surrounding him with a hedge of spear-points, they forced
him towards a circular building, which seemed scarcely large enough to
contain a human being, and motioned to him to enter.
Longingly did Jim watch his father pass, limping slightly from the wound
which he had received. Had he dared he would have called out to him, or
made some sign so that the prisoner should know that help was at hand.
But he knew that to do so would be worse than madness.
Having carried out their orders, the group of Somali warriors separated,
and all walked away, save one, who squatted down with his spear beside
him and his sword on the ground at his feet, evidently having been told
off as sentry. A little later one of his comrades approached, bearing a
gun in his hand, which he handed over to him, together with a horn of
powder, and a goat-skin bag containing slugs.
"That shows that they are afraid of your father," whispered John
Margetson, who, like Jim, had watched the whole scene in silence. "No
doubt that man has been given orders to fire a gun on the slightest
suspicion of an attempt at escape, so that the others may come to his
help. But, remembering the Mullah's words, no injury will be done to
their prisoner if it can possibly be avoided."
"I've been thinking about that, too," was the thoughtful answer, "and I
cannot say that my mind is over comfortable on the subject, for
supposing the Mullah were to hear to-morrow that my friend, Tom Dixon,
and the followers who accompanied us from the coast, had beaten off the
attack of his warriors, causing them heavy loss, in his anger he might
instantly give an order to have the prisoner killed. I have had little
experience of these native people, but everyone tells me that they are
fanatical to a degree, and that their hatred of a Christian is
extraordinary. In these circumstances, it seems to me that, in spite of
the Mullah's express orders to the contrary, no white man is at the
present moment sure of his life while a captive in his stronghold."
"Hum! Yes, perhaps there is some truth in what you say," replied
Margetson slowly. "But however great the anger of the Mullah might be on
hearing of defeat, I know the rascal too well to imagine for a moment
that he would allow a rash and hasty impulse to prompt him to seek
revenge at once by slaying your father, for to do so would be to ruin
his hopes of a hostage in case he himself were captured. He is a
cunning, long-headed fellow, otherwise he would never have attained to
his present position of prominence. Why, at first, when he started his
depredations, he was laughed at by the majority of Somalis as a madman
who would quickly come to an untimely end. But by giving out that he was
a holy man, this Mahomed Abdullah gained many friends, and with these
to help him, and aided by an unscrupulous nature, he punished those who
had formerly jeered at him so severely as to compel them, too, to join
his ranks. And thus, little by little, and because his journeyings to
Mecca have taught him more knowledge of the world and more cunning than
are possessed by his ignorant brethren, he has steadily increased his
power over them. But not for an instant has he allowed himself to
neglect to take precautions for his own individual safety. If his
followers are successful, well and good, for his power at once
increases. On the other hand, if the day goes against him, this crafty
rogue will not grieve for the fate of his adherents, will not care how
many are killed, so long as he is sure of his own safety; for with a
white prisoner or more to offer in exchange, he thinks that his liberty
will be assured, and then what is to prevent him from again carrying his
banner far and wide through the country, and raising another band?"
"I can see your argument clearly," answered Jim, "but tell me this.
However desirous the Mullah may be of keeping his prisoner alive, how
can he guarantee that his followers may not, in their rage at being
defeated, disobey his orders?"
"It is a danger which must be faced, my lad, and which I admit is to be
feared."
"That being the case, the sooner we are out of this the better for all
of us!" exclaimed Jim with decision. "It seems to me that we have now an
opportunity which may never occur again, for we know that very few of
the Somalis are in the village at the present moment. If the others have
not returned by nightfall, I propose to slip out, and by hook or by
crook to enter that hut opposite."
"But you would not attempt to escape?" whispered John Margetson, in
alarm. "Listen to me, my lad, and do not misunderstand my caution. As I
have said before, I owe you a debt, and as a first instalment towards
repaying it I will help you in this matter to the utmost, but think of
the circumstances for a moment. We know that the country outside is
alive with Somali warriors in search of ourselves. It would be madness,
therefore, to seek to leave the village when we have already decided
that here we are in comparative safety."
"I have thought of it in that way," responded Jim quietly, his decision
unchanged by his friend's argument. "And I quite agree that this is the
only haven for us just now. But why should we two make use of it alone,
whilst father remains over there in the hands of the Mullah, and in
greater danger of his life? It has occurred to me that a method might be
found for transferring him to this place, and that is what I propose to
do to-night."
Some minutes passed before his comrade ventured to reply, but it was
evident that his thoughts were fully occupied with the question, for
though he still remained on his parapet of date-bags, and still looked
through his peephole, his eyes stared vacantly at the village street,
the sentry who paced up and down in front of the prisoner's hut, and the
broad strip of flashing silver beyond, which showed where the river
flowed. Suddenly, however, his attention was riveted upon the river, and
shifting his position so as to obtain a better view, he looked long and
earnestly at it, as though he had made an important discovery. Indeed,
so apparent was this that Jim, too, followed his gaze, only to be
disappointed, for the surface of the water was disturbed by nothing but
a gentle ripple here and here as the breeze played upon it and ruffled
it, or where the current washed against a sunken boulder and caused an
eddy.
"What is it?" he asked in some astonishment. "Something caught your eye,
but what it is I cannot imagine."
"Then I shall tell you. You say that your father must join us here, and
while agreeing with that, I placed myself for the space of a few seconds
in the sandals of these Somali people. When they awake to-morrow, to
find their captive gone, what questions will they ask themselves, what
direction will they think he has taken? They know that it cannot be that
which leads towards the desert, for their comrades are watching out
there, and would certainly have laid hands upon him. Then, where else
could he have gone? Unless we bait a clever trap for them, they will at
once come to the only conclusion, namely, that he still is here in
hiding. Then they will begin to search every house in the village, and
our game will be up."
"That never occurred to me," said Jim, feeling as though his hopes had
received a blow. "But what trap could we prepare? How could we put them
off the scent? I cannot see in what way the river can help us."
"But I can," was the ready answer, given in a voice of confidence.
"There are small dug-out canoes and rafts drawn up upon the banks, and
it seems to me that, were we to take one of them and ferry it across to
the opposite side and land there, stamping our feet in the mud so as to
leave obvious tracks, the enemy would at once take it for certain that
their prisoner and those who had helped him to escape had flown in that
direction. When the hue and cry is raised in the morning, someone is
sure to observe that a boat is missing, and a moment's search will show
it drawn up on the opposite bank. That, I feel sure, will be sufficient
evidence for the Mullah and his friends, and orders will be given for
instant pursuit."
"Yes, and in addition, those who have been sent towards the desert will
be called in again, and commanded to join their comrades," whispered Jim
in tones of exultation. "It is, undoubtedly, a splendid plan, and we
will carry it out, or rather, I will do so, for one will be sufficient
for the job. Having crossed the river, I shall swim back again to this
side, and then creep towards the hut. If possible, I will cut a hole
through the wall at the back, but if the sentry is too alert, as may
very well be the case, I shall floor him, and then go in through the
door. What do you think of the plan?"
"Capital! It will do excellently, my lad. I was about to say that we
should divide the work, but it seems to me that one of us had best
remain here to keep watch, and besides, if both of us were abroad, the
risk of discovery would be greater. We shall take it as settled,
therefore, that you slip out to-night."
"One minute, before we leave the matter," said Jim, a thought suddenly
occurring to him. "We must not be too sure of success, you know, for
there is no doubt that these fellows are thoroughly aroused. Supposing,
for instance, that I were discovered, and the alarm given. In that case
I should make a bolt for it, and should not dare to return to this hut,
for to do so would be to betray your whereabouts. I should run for the
ravine in which Ali was to await me, and from there I should make an
attempt to reach you both when things had settled down a little."
"Very well, then, we shall take it as agreed, that if you do not return,
I am to wait here until you do. It will be lonely work, but not more so
than I have had to put up with for the past three years. And now the
best thing that we can do is to take it in turn to get some sleep, for
we have had very little of late."
Accordingly, when they had again regaled themselves with dates and wine,
Jim lay down, and was soon fast asleep. Three hours later Margetson took
his place, and he again was aroused after a similar lapse of time.
"Time to be moving, my lad," said John Margetson, in a low voice,
shaking Jim by the shoulder, shortly after evening had fallen. "It has
been dark for an hour, and by the time you are ready the village will
have settled, for these folk here keep early hours. Up you get, and make
ready."
In a moment Jim was on his feet once more, and had begun his
preparations for what would, in all probability, turn out to be the most
daring part of his undertaking.