A SET OF RASCALS.
THE work of pacification had gone on steadily. It was on Thursday
evening, the 13th of July, the boys had returned to the town. On the
15th Captain Fisher, who was in command of the naval party on shore,
marched through the streets disarming the Egyptian soldiers, of whom
there were large numbers still in the place, and had a skirmish with a
strong party of them at the Rosetta gate. Lord Charles Beresford was in
charge of the police arrangements, and with a force of marines and three
hundred disarmed Egyptian soldiers was occupied in stamping out the
fires and in arresting marauders. A large number of Arabs were also
enlisted in the service.
The population now began to return to the city. Many of the lower class
of Greeks and Italians landed from the vessels, and were a source of
continual trouble, as they at once took to plundering what the natives
had left.
On Monday morning the 38th Regiment and the third battalion of the 60th
Rifles arrived in the harbour, and were at once landed. General Sir
Archibald Alison also arrived and assumed the command on shore, and the
following day a body of troops marched along the line of railway to
Ramleh, six miles distant. Ramleh stands at the point where a narrow
neck of land connects the peninsula on which Alexandria stands with the
mainland. Along this narrow isthmus run the road, the railway, and the
Sweet-water Canal, and here there is a pumping-station, by which water
is raised to a higher level for the supply of Alexandria.
The khedive has a summer palace at Ramleh, and here are a large number
of pretty villas, the summer abodes of the merchants of Alexandria. It
was an important position, for here any advance upon the city from the
east could be readily checked.
Thursday was a busy day for the police and troops in Alexandria, for a
high wind got up and fanned the masses of embers into flames again, and
serious fires broke out in several places. The boys were busily engaged
all day. They acted now as aides-de-camp to Lord Charles Beresford,
carrying his orders to the various working parties, and making
themselves generally useful.
Lord Charles had established himself with his officers in an empty
house, and the three boys had a room assigned to them here. The party
all messed together. In the evening Lord Charles said to the officers,
"I hear that the khedive's people have got news that Arabi is damming up
the Sweet-water Canal. We shall have a deal of trouble if he does. There
is very bad news, too, from the country. They say that everywhere
except at Cairo the natives have risen and massacred the Europeans.
Arabi has ordered all the able-bodied men in the country to join the
army."
"I don't call the last part bad news," Captain Archer said. "We shall
have ten thousand men here in a short time, and the more of these
scoundrels that are gathered together the better, so that we can end it
at one blow. If Arabi does but stand there is no doubt as to the result.
The thing that would puzzle us would be for him and his troops to march
away into Upper Egypt and lead us a long dance there. In this tremendous
heat our fellows would not be able to march far, and it would be like a
tortoise trying to catch a hare, hunting them all over the country. The
more men Arabi gets together the more likely he is to make a stand and
fight it out."
"There is no doubt that is the case," Lord Charles agreed. "We shall
make short work of them directly Lord Wolseley and the troops arrive.
However, I hope we sha'n't be idle in the meantime. There are two more
regiments expected to-morrow or next day, and I expect we shall see some
fighting then. The soldiers are furious at the frightful destruction
that has taken place, and they will make it hot for these fellows if
they get a chance of going at them. They say that they are throwing up
tremendous fortifications across the isthmus."
On Sunday night the 46th Regiment arrived. The water in the canal was
now sinking fast. A dam had been erected at its mouth to keep in what
water it contained. Order had now been restored in the town, and the
plundering had been almost put a stop to. The next morning a wing of the
60th and a squadron of mounted infantry went out beyond Ramleh. The
enemy's cavalry were driven off, and there was an exchange of artillery
fire between some heavy guns that had been sent out by rail and placed
into position there, and Arabi's battery.
The next week was a quiet one, but on Friday the 28th a reconnaissance
was made by a railway train, which Captain Fisher of the navy had plated
with iron. It was manned by sailors, and carried a heavy gun and several
Gatlings. The enemy on seeing it approaching came out in force, but were
driven back by the guns of the train and those in the batteries at
Ramleh. The reconnaissance showed that the Egyptians had erected a
number of strong works across the end of the isthmus.
As the work of the bands of hired natives was now only clearing up
rubbish and litter, the boys agreed that as there was no more fun to be
had in the way of putting out fires, they might as well give up what
they called slave-driving, and enjoy themselves until the _Wild Wave_
arrived. They had only undertaken the work as an alternative to going on
board one of the crowded ships in the harbour, and as the population
were now returning and the shops opening again there was no occasion for
their further stay as overlookers of the scavengers. Several temporary
inns had been opened by enterprising Italians for the benefit of those
who on landing from the ships found their houses burned, sacked, or
uninhabitable.
"I vote," Jack said the first morning that they were free to do exactly
as they liked, "that we go up and have a look at our prison."
"A bright idea!" Jim Tucker said. "But that is an out-of-the-way part,
Jack, and there may be some of those skulking thieves hanging about
there."
"They won't catch us napping this time, Jim."
The boys had, in fact, armed themselves from the store of weapons that
had been taken from the natives or found scattered about in the streets
and houses. These weapons had been piled up in a shed, and as they had
no owners the boys concluded that it would be as well to pick some out
for themselves, having previously asked their officer to allow them to
do so, as they were entirely without arms. He at once gave them
permission to take what they liked, and each had taken two revolvers--a
full-sized one which they wore openly in their belts, and a small one in
their jacket-pockets. The precaution was by no means a useless one, as
on carrying messages for their commander from one part of the town to
the other they had often to pass through narrow streets. So armed the
boys had no fear of being attacked when together, and after breakfast
they started on their trip of exploration.
As they knew nothing of the road by which they had been taken to the
house, and had again left it after nightfall, they were by no means sure
as to its exact position, the only indication being the view they had
obtained of the sea from its garden. When once beyond the town they
found almost all the houses entirely deserted; for bands of plunderers
were still pillaging everywhere beyond the range of the parties of
British troops, and even after Ramleh was occupied they made their way
along the shore from the direction of the Aboukir Forts, and broke into
the houses and carried away their contents.
"I think this must be just about the position," Jim said at last. "I
should say from the other side of that house there must be just the same
view we had."
The gate was locked and closed, but the boys soon found a place where
they could enter the grounds. Upon going round to the north side of the
house they found that they had judged correctly, for they at once
recognized the appearance of the building and the various objects in the
garden.
"Here is the bank from which we watched the bombardment," Arthur Hill
said. "Well, we have got better out of it than seemed likely then."
"That we have," Jack agreed. "Now, Jim, I suppose we may as well get
into the house and have a look at it. I should like to get something to
carry away. I don't want anything valuable, but something as a sort of
memento of our prison."
"It would serve the beggar right," Jim said, "if we were to set fire to
his place and burn it down."
"It might serve him right if someone else were to do it," Jack said;
"but not for us, Jim. He saved our lives, you see. If it had not been
for him we should never have come alive out of that street."
"That is so," Jim agreed; "but you know when we talked it over we were
all of opinion that he carried us off only to act as hostages for
himself."
"Well, I know we agreed that that was it, Jim; but after all we cannot
be sure about it. It may have been that, but on the other hand he may
really have wanted to save our lives. He would not dare treat us
kindly, and was obliged to keep us imprisoned because of the fellows
round him. For you know he really did treat us well. We may be sure that
black fellow of his did not bring us down fruit and other things each
meal without his knowledge."
"It may have been that," Jim assented, "though I doubt it. I am
convinced he only carried us off and treated us well in order to get
good terms for himself if things went wrong."
"Perhaps so, Jim; but whatever the reason he did save our lives, and he
did treat us well, and I feel obliged to him. Now, let us look at the
house. I wonder whether it is empty?"
"Oh, of course it is empty. Why, we saw all his fellows coming away with
us."
"Yes, but that is no reason why it should be empty, Jim. There are lots
of these plundering fellows about. We know they do not come back into
the town because we have got guards at the gates, and I expect they hide
up during the day in some of these deserted houses. Anyhow we may as
well keep our eyes open till we know the place is clear."
Jim agreed to the prudence of the suggestion, and they went up to the
house. The door opening into the garden was fastened, but the wooden
shutters outside one of the windows about four feet from the ground were
unfastened, and swung open as they touched them. The window inside was
closed.
"Just give me a back, Arthur," Jack said. "I have no doubt I can open
the fastenings."
Standing on Arthur's shoulders Jack took out his knife, and had no
difficulty in inserting the blade between the frames of the window,
which opened inwards, and in pushing back the slight and simple
fastening. He pushed the window open, and had his foot on the sill ready
to enter when he paused.
"What is it, Jack?" Jim asked impatiently.
"There is somebody in the house," Jack said in a low voice. "I can hear
talking." He stepped very quietly down into the room, and a minute later
the others stood beside him.
It was as Jack had said, there was a loud sound of talking somewhere in
the house.
"What shall we do, Jim?" Jack whispered.
"We will go and have a look at them," Jim replied. "We have got two
revolvers apiece, and are a match for a dozen Egyptians anyway; and
besides, if they haven't seen us, and I don't suppose they have, as we
came round at the back of the house, they will think we are officers and
have got a lot of men behind us."
With their pistols drawn and cocked the boys moved quietly across the
room and into a passage. The voices came from a room in the front of the
house. The door was open. They crept up to it and then suddenly rushed
in.
"Surrender," Jim shouted, "or we fire!"
The lads were astonished at the sight that met their eyes. They had
expected to see a group of natives; instead of that they saw a party of
eight or ten Greeks and Italians sitting on the ground playing cards.
The room was piled with goods of all sorts--silk curtains, females'
dresses, clocks, rich ornaments, choice carpets, and other articles. The
fellows uttered a shout of astonishment and dismay at seeing, as they
believed, three English officers suddenly appear before them; for by
this time the boys had been able to rig themselves out in naval costume
again. Their appearance and that of the six levelled revolvers
completely paralyzed the party at cards.
"Throw down all your weapons in the centre," Jack said peremptorily.
"Not a moment's delay, or we will call our men in and string you up!"
Two or three of the party understood English, and at once threw their
pistols and knives into the centre of the circle; the others
understanding the order from their action did the same.
"Just collect them, Arthur, and take them into the next room," Jim
Tucker said, "before they have time to think about it."
Arthur stepped forward, gathered up the weapons, and carried them into
the next room.
"We are all right now," Jim said in a low tone.
"Now, Arthur, you run down to the town as hard as you can and tell the
first officer you meet we have got a gang of plunderers here, and ask
him to bring up a guard and capture them; we will stand sentry till you
come back."
Arthur without question obeyed Jim's orders: went to the front door,
opened it, and ran off at the top of his speed. The prisoners now began
to recover from the first panic, and to guess the true state of the
case. Angry oaths were uttered, and they began to talk to each other in
rapid tones.
"You had better sit still!" Jim shouted. "The first man that makes a
move I will blow his brains out. Jack, you stand on one side of the
circle and I will stand on the other. The first man who moves in the
slightest, shoot him."
Jack moved round to the other side of the circle. The marauders, with a
foe behind and another in front armed with revolvers, and themselves
without weapons, did not dare to move, knowing that they would be shot
down before they could gain their feet. Half an hour passed and then
there was a tramp of feet heard outside, and a moment later a naval
officer accompanied by Arthur and followed by a party of ten
blue-jackets entered the room. In a couple of minutes the men's hands
were all tied behind them, and they were led outside the house.
"You have made a fine haul, young gentlemen," the officer said as he
walked from room to room. Everywhere articles of value were piled up,
and it was evident that the gang must for the last fortnight have been
engaged in looting all the villas and houses along the road to Ramleh.
"I expect we have got the whole gang, but I will leave four men here in
charge with orders to make prisoners of anyone that enters. We will
lodge these scoundrels in jail, and then make our report. There is an
immense lot of valuable property here, and I should think it had better
be taken down into the town and kept there until claimed by its rightful
owners."
Leaving the four sailors on guard, the party with the prisoners in their
midst marched down again to the town, and the latter were speedily
lodged in jail. On the affair being reported to Lord Charles Beresford
a party of marines and natives with hand-carts were sent up to the
house, and the whole of its contents brought down to an empty house in
the town. Here the articles were inspected by many merchants and other
owners of villas at Ramleh and near the town, and many of the articles
were at once identified by them. The next day the band of plunderers
were brought up before the court, presided over by one of the khedive's
judges; and the boys having given their evidence, and the owners of many
of the plundered villas swearing to their property, the whole band were
sentenced to receive three dozen lashes apiece and to be imprisoned for
two years.
The lads gained much credit by the capture, and were each presented with
a handsome gold watch and chain, subscribed for by those whose property
they had been the means of recovering.