After two hours had been passed in moving slowly to and fro, hearing the
word "_Akka_," and seeing nothing but grey sand, Sailor Bill began to
feel weary, and now regretted that the old sheik had honoured him with
his confidence.
For the first hour of his watch he had kept a good look-out to the
eastward, and had given the whole of his attention to his sentinel's
duty.
Gradually his intense alertness forsook him, and he began to think or
the past and future.
Themes connected with these subjects seldom troubled Bill, his thoughts
generally dwelling upon the present; but, in the darkness and solitude
in which he was now placed, there was but little of the present to
arrest his attention. For the want of something else to amuse his mind,
it was turned to the small cannon he was carrying in his hand.
"This 'ere thing," thought he, "ain't o' much use as a pistol, though it
might be used as a war-club at close quarters. I hope I shan't 'ave to
fire it hoff. The barrel is thin, and the bullet hinside it must be
a'most as large as an 'en's hegg. It 'ud be like enough to bust.
Preaps 'tain't loaded, and may 'ave been given to me for amusement. I
may as well make sure about that."
After groping about for some time, the sailor succeeded in finding a
small piece of stick, with which he measured the length of the barrel on
the outside; then, by inserting the stick into the muzzle, he found that
the depth of the barrel was not quite equal to its length.
There was something inside therefore, but he was positive there was no
ball. He next examined the pan, and found the priming all right.
"I see 'ow 'tis," muttered he, "the old sheik only wants me to make a
row with it, in case I sees anything as is suspicious. He was afeared
to put a ball in it lest I should be killin' one of themselves. That's
his confidence. He only wants me to bark without being able to bite.
But this don't suit me at all, at all. Faix, I'll find a bit of a stone
and ram it into the barrel."
Saying this, he groped about the ground in search of a pebble of the
proper size; but for some time could find none to his liking. He could
lay his hand on nothing but the finest sand.
While engaged in this search he fancied he heard some one approaching
from the side opposite to that in which he was expecting to hear the
word "_Akka_."
He looked in that direction, but could see nothing save the grey surface
of the sea-beach.
Since being on the desert Bill had several times observed the Arabs lay
themselves along the earth to listen for the sound of footsteps. This
plan he now tried himself.
With his eyes close to the ground, the old sailor fancied he was able to
see to a greater distance than when standing upright. There seemed to
be more light on the surface of the earth than at four or five feet
above it; and objects in the distance were placed more directly between
his eyes and the horizon.
While thus lying extended along the sand, he heard footsteps approaching
from the shore; but, believing they were those of the sentinel, he paid
no attention to them. He only listened for a repetition of those sounds
he fancied to have come from the opposite direction.
But nothing was now heard to the eastward; and he came to the conclusion
that he had been deceived by an excited fancy.
Of one thing, however, he soon became certain. It was, that the
footsteps which he supposed to be those of the Arab who kept what Bill
called the "larboard watch", were drawing nearer than usual, and that
the word "_Akka_" was not pronounced as before.
The old sailor slewed himself around and directed his gaze towards the
shore.
The sound of footsteps was no longer heard, but the figure of a man was
perceived at no great distance from the spot.
He was not advancing nearer, but standing erect, and apparently gazing
sharply about him.
Could this man be the Arab sentinel?
The latter was known to be short and of slight frame, while the man now
seen appeared tall and of stout build. Instead of remaining in his
upright attitude, and uttering, as the sentry should have done, the word
"_Akka_," the stranger was seen to stoop down, and place his ear close
to the earth as if to listen.
During a moment or two, while the man's eyes appeared to be turned away
from him, the sailor took the precaution to fill the barrel of his
pistol with sand.
Should he give the alarm by firing off the pistol, and then run towards
the camp?
No! he might have been deceived by an excited imagination. The
individual before him might possibly be the Arab guard trying to
discover his presence before giving the sign.
While the sailor was thus undecided, the huge form drew nearer,
approaching on all-fours. It came within eight or ten paces of the
spot, and then slowly assumed an upright position. Bill now saw it was
not the sentinel but the black sheik!
The old man-o'-war's-man was never more frightened in his life. He
thought of discharging the pistol, and running back to the _douar_; but
then came the thought that he would certainly be shot down the instant
he should rise to his feet; and fear held him motionless.
Golah drew nearer and nearer, and the sailor seeing the scimitar
uplifted suddenly formed the resolution to act.
Projecting the muzzle of his huge pistol towards the black, he pulled
the trigger, and at the same instant sprang to his feet.
There was a loud deafening report, followed by a yell of wild agony.
Bill stayed not to note the effect of his fire; but ran as fast as his
legs would carry him towards the camp, already alarmed by the report of
the pistol.
The Arabs were running to and fro in terrible fear and confusion,
shouting as they ran.
Amidst these shouts was heard, in the direction from which the sailor
had fled, a loud voice frantically calling, "Muley! Muley!"
"'Tis the voice of Golah!" exclaimed the Krooman, in Arabic. "He is
calling for his son, Muley is his son's name!"
"They are going to attack the _douar_," shouted the Arab sheik; and his
words were followed by a scene of the wildest terror.
The Arabs rushed here and there, mingling their cries with those of the
slaves; while women shrieked, children screamed, dogs barked, horses
neighed, and even the quiet camels gave voice to their alarm.
In the confusion, the two wives of Golah, taking their children along
with them, hurried away from the camp, and escaped undiscovered in the
darkness.
They had heard the voice of the father of their children, and understood
that accent of anguish in which he had called out the name of his son.
They were women--women who, although dreading their tyrant husband in
his day of power, now pitied him in his hour of misfortune.
The Arabs, anxiously expecting the appearance of their enemy, in great
haste made ready to meet him; but they were left unmolested.
In a few minutes all was quiet; not a sound was heard in the vicinity of
the _douar_; and the late alarm might have appeared only a panic of
groundless fear.
The light of day was gradually gathering in the east, when the Arab
sheik, recovering from his excitement ventured to make an examination of
the _douar_ and its denizens.
Two important facts presented themselves as evidence that the fright
they had experienced was not without a cause. The sentry who had been
stationed to guard the camp on its southern side was not present, and
Golah's two wives and their children were also absent.
There could be no mystery about the disappearance of the women. They
had gone to rejoin the man whose voice had been heard calling "Muley!"
But where was the Arab sentry? Had another of the party fallen a victim
to the vengeance of Golah?