On the first appearance of day Rais Mourad ordered the march to be
resumed, himself riding in the advance over a long ridge of sand. The
sun soon after shone forth, and on a high hill about four leagues
distant were seen the white walls of the City of Santa Cruz, or, as it
is called by the Arabs, Agadeer.
Descending from the sand-ridge, the cavalcade moved over a level plain
covered with grain crops and dotted here and there with small walled
villages, each surrounded by a plantation of vines and date-trees.
At one of the villages near the road the cavalcade made halt and was
admitted within the walls. Throwing themselves down in the shade of
some date-trees the white slaves soon fell into a sound slumber.
Three hours after they were awakened to breakfast, which consisted of
hot barley cakes and honey.
Before they had finished their repast, Rais Mourad came up to the spot
and entered into conversation with the Krooman.
"What does the Moor say?" inquired Harry.
"He say dat if we be no bad, and no cheat him, he take us to Swearah to
de English consul."
"Of course we will promise that, or anything else," asserted Harry, "and
keep the promise too, if we can. He will be sure of being well paid for
us. Tell him that!"
The Krooman obeyed; and the Moor, in reply, said that he was well aware
that he would be paid something by the consul, but that he required a
written promise from the slaves themselves as to the amount.
He wanted them to sign an agreement that he should receive two hundred
dollars for each of them.
This they readily assented to; and the Moor then produced a piece of
paper, a reed pen, and some ink.
Rais Mourad wrote the agreement himself in Arabic on one side of the
paper, and then reading it sentence by sentence requested the Krooman to
translate it to his companions.