On waking up the next morning, our adventurers were gratified with a bit
of intelligence communicated by the Krooman: that they were to have a
day of rest. A camel was also to be killed for food.
The Arabs were going to divide amongst themselves the slaves taken from
Golah; and the opportunity was not to be lost of recruiting their
strength for a long journey.
As Sailor Bill reflected upon their sufferings since leaving that same
place two days before, he expressed regret that they had not been
captured before leaving the well, and thus spared the horrors they had
endured.
Stimulated by the remembrance of so much suffering needlessly incurred,
he asked the Krooman to explain the conduct of their new masters.
The Krooman's first attempt at satisfying his curiosity was to state
that the Arabs had acted after a manner peculiar to themselves, in other
words, that it was "a way they had."
The old sailor was not satisfied with this answer; and pressed for a
further explanation.
He was then told that the robbers on the desert were always in danger of
meeting several caravans at a watering-place; and that any act of
violence committed there would bring upon the perpetrators everlasting
disgrace, as well as the enmity of all desert travellers. The Krooman
explained himself by saying, that should a caravan of a hundred men
arrive at the well, they would not now interfere in behalf of Golah, but
would only recognise him as a slave. On the contrary, had they found
him engaged in actual strife with the robbers, they would have assisted
him.
This was satisfactory to all but Bill. Even Colin, who had been buried
alive, and Terence, who had been so unmercifully beaten, were pleased at
their change of masters on any terms; but the old sailor, sailor-like,
would not have been himself without some cause of complaint.
Before their newly acquired wealth could be divided, the Arabs had to
come to some resolution as to the disposal of the black sheik; who still
remained so unmanageable that he had to be kept bound, with a guard
placed over him.
The Arabs could not agree amongst themselves as to what should be done
with him. Some of them urged that, despite the colour of his skin, he
might be a true believer in the Prophet; and that, notwithstanding his
manner of trading and acquiring wealth, a system nearly as dishonest as
their own, he was entitled to his liberty, with a certain portion of his
property.
Others claimed that they had a perfect right to add him and his large
family to the number of their slaves.
He was not an Arab, but an Ethiopian, like most of his following; and,
as a slave, would bring a high price in any of the markets where men
were bought and sold.
Those who argued thus were in the minority; and Golah was at length
offered his wives and their children, with a couple of camels and his
scimitar.
This offer the black sheik indignantly refused, much to the astonishment
of those who had been so eloquent in his behalf.
His decision produced another debate; in which the opinions of several
of his captors underwent such a change, that it was finally determined
to consider him as one of the slaves.
Every article that had been obtained from the wreck was now exposed to
view, and a fixed price set upon it.
The slaves were carefully examined and valued, as well as the camels,
muskets, and everything that had belonged to Golah or his dependants.
When these preliminary arrangements had been completed, the Arabs
proceeded to an equitable partition of of the property.
This proved a very difficult matter to manage, and occupied their time
for the rest of the day. Three or four would covet the same article;
and long and noisy discussions would take place before the dispute could
be settled to their mutual satisfaction.
The Krooman, who understood the desert language, was attentive to all
that transpired; and, from time to time, informed the white slaves of
what was being done.
At an early period in the discussions, he discovered that each of the
four was to fall to different masters.
"You and me," said he to Harry, "we no got two massas, only one."
His words were soon after proved to be true. They were carried apart
from each other, evidently with the design of being appropriated by
different owners, and the fear that they might also be separated again
came over them.
When the slaves, camels, tents, and articles that had been gathered from
the wreck were distributed amongst the eleven Arabs, each one took the
charge of his own; but there still remained Golah, his wives and their
children, to be disposed of.
No one seemed desirous of becoming the owner of the black sheik and his
wives. Even those who had said that he would make a valuable slave,
appeared unwilling to take him, although induced to do so by the taunts
of their companions.
The fact was, that they were afraid of him. He would be too difficult
to manage; and none of them wished to be the master of one who
obstinately refused both food and drink, and who so defiantly invoked
upon the heads of his captors the curse of Mahomet, and swore by the
beard of the Prophet that the moment his hands were free, he would kill
the man who should dare to own or claim him as a slave.
Golah, with all his faults, was neither cunning nor deceitful; and,
having a spirit too great to affect submission, he did not intend to
yield.
He was arrogant, cruel, avaricious and vindictive; but the wrongs he did
were always accomplished in a plain open-handed way, and never by
stratagem or treachery.
By accepting the terms the Arabs had offered him, his strength, courage,
and unconquerable will might afterwards have enabled him to obtain
revenge upon his captors, and regain a portion of his property; but it
was not in his nature to sham submission, even for the sake of gaining a
future advantage.
As not one of the Arabs was willing to accept of him at the value at
which he had been appraised, or to allow another to have him for less,
it was finally decided that he should be retained as the common property
of all, until he could be sold to some other tribe, when a distribution
might be made of the proceeds of the sale. His wives and children were
to be disposed of in like manner.
This arrangement was satisfactory to all but Golah himself, who
expressed himself greatly displeased with it. Nevertheless, he seemed a
little disposed to yield to circumstances; for, soon after the decision
of his captors was made known to him, he called to Fatima, and commanded
her to bring him a bowl of water.
The favourite refused, under the plea that she had been forbidden to
give him anything.
This was true; for, as he had declined to accept of anything at the
hands of those claiming to be his masters, they had determined to starve
him into submission.
Fatima's refusal to obey him caused Golah his greatest chagrin. Ever
accustomed to prompt and slavish obedience from others, the idea of his
own wife, his favourite too, denying his modest request, almost drove
him frantic.
"I am your husband," he cried, "and whom should you obey but me?
Fatima! I commanded you to bring me some water!"
"And I command you not to do it," said the Arab sheik, who, standing
near by, had heard the order.
Fatima was an artful, selfish woman, who had gained some influence over
her husband by flattering his vanity, and professing a love she had
never felt.
She had acted with slavish obedience to him when he was all-powerful;
but now that he was himself a slave, her submission had been transferred
with perfect facility to the chief of the band who had captured him.
It was now that Golah began to realise the fact that he was a conquered
man.
His heart was nearly bursting with rage, shame, and disappointment; for
nothing could so plainly awaken him to the comprehension of his real
position as the fact that Fatima, his favourite, she who had ever
professed for him so much love and obedience, now refused to attend to
his simplest request.
After making one more violent and ineffectual effort at breaking his
bonds, he sank down upon the earth and remained silent, bitterly
contemplating the degraded condition into which he had fallen.
The Krooman, who was a very sharp observer of passing events, and had an
extensive knowledge of peculiar specimens of human nature, closely
watched the behaviour of the black sheik.
"He no like us," he remarked to the whites. "He nebba be slave.
Bom-bye you see him go dead."