The ravine, up which the maherry had carried the old man-o'-war's-man,
ran perpendicularly to the trending of the seashore, and almost in a
direct line from the beach to the valley in which was the Arab
encampment. It could not, however, be said to debouch into this valley.
Across its mouth the sand-drift had formed a barrier, like a huge
"snow-wreath," uniting the two parallel ridges that formed the sides of
the ravine itself. This "mouthpiece" was not so high as either of the
flanking ridges; though it was nearly a hundred feet above the level of
the beach on one side, and the valley on the other. Its crest, viewed
_en profile_, exhibited a saddle-shaped curve, the concavity turned
upward. Through the centre of this saddle of sand, and transversely,
the camel had carried Bill; and over the same track the three midshipmen
had gone in search of him.
They had seen the Arab tents from the summit of the pass; and had it
been daylight, need have gone no nearer to note what was being there
done. Even by the moonlight they had been able to make out the forms of
the horses, camels, men, and women; but not with sufficient distinctness
to satisfy them as to what was going on.
For this reason had they descended into the valley, creeping cautiously
down the slope of the sand-wreath, and with equal caution advancing from
boulder to bush, and bush to boulder.
On taking the back track to regain the beach, they still observed
caution, though perhaps not to such a degree as when approaching the
camp. Their desire to put space between themselves and the barbarous
denizens of the desert, of whose barbarity they had now obtained both
ocular and auricular proof, had very naturally deprived them of that
prudent coolness which the occasion required. For all that, they did
not retreat with reckless rashness; and all three arrived at the bottom
of the sloping sand-ridge without having any reason to think they had
been observed.
But the most perilous point was yet to be passed. Against the face of
the acclivity, there was not much danger of their being seen. The moon
was shining on the other side. That which they had to ascend was in
shadow, dark enough to obscure the outlines of their bodies to an eye
looking in that direction, from such a distance as the camp. It was not
while toiling up the slope that the dreaded detection, but at the moment
when they must cross the saddle-shaped summit of the pass. Then, the
moon being low down in the sky, directly in front of their faces, while
the camp, still lower, was right behind their backs, it was not
difficult to tell that their bodies would be exactly aligned between the
luminary of night and the sparkling eyes of the Arabs, and that their
figures would be exhibited in conspicuous outline.
It had been much the same way on their entrance to the oasis; but then
they were not so well posted up in the peril of their position. They
now wondered at their not having been observed while advancing; but that
could be rationally accounted for on the supposition that the Bedouins
had been at the time too busy over Old Bill to take heed of anything
beyond the limits of their encampment. It was different now. There was
quiet in the camp, though both male and female figures could be seen
stirring among the tents. The saturnalia that succeeded the capture of
the castaway had come to a close. A comparative peacefulness reigned
throughout the valley; but in this very tranquillity lay the danger
which our adventurers dreaded.
With nothing else to attract their attention, the occupants of the
encampments would be turning their eyes in every direction. If any of
them should look westward at a given moment, that is, while the three
mids should be "in the saddle," the latter could not fail to be
discovered. What was to be done? There was no other way leading forth
from the valley. It was on all sides encircled by steep ridges of sand,
not so steep as to hinder them from being scaled; but on every side,
except that on which they had entered, and by which they were about to
make their exit, the moon was shining in resplendent brilliance. A cat
could not have crawled up anywhere, without being seen from the tents,
even had she been of the hue of the sand itself.
A hurried consultation, held between the trio of adventurers, convinced
them that there was nothing to be gained by turning back, nothing by
going to the right or the left. There was no other way, no help for it,
but to scale the ridge in front, and cut as quickly as possible across
the hollow of the saddle.
There was one other way; or at least a deviation from the course which
had thus recommended itself. It was to wait for the going down of the
moon, before they should attempt the crossing. This prudent project
originated in the brain of the young Scotchman; and it might have been
well if his companions had adopted the idea. But they would not. What
they had seen of Saaran civilisation had inspired them with a keen
disgust for it; and they were only too eager to escape from its
proximity. The punishment inflicted upon poor Bill had made a painful
impression upon them; and they had no desire to become the victims of a
similar chastisement.
Colin did not urge his councils. He had been as much impressed by what
he had seen as his companions, and was quite as desirous as they to give
the Bedouins a wide berth. Withdrawing his opposition, therefore, he
acceded to the original design; and without further ado, all three
commenced crawling up the slope.