CAPTURED AGAIN.
Golah's fear of the Arabs met by the well had not been without a cause.
His forced night march, to avoid meeting them again, had not secured the
object for which it had been made.
Approaching from the direction of the rising sun, the Arabs had not been
discovered in the distance; and Golah, occupied in overcoming the
obstinate resistance of the white slaves, had allowed them to come quite
near before they had been observed by him.
Leaving his captives, the sheik seized his musket; and, followed by his
son and brother-in-law, rushed forward to protect his wives and
property.
He was too late. Before he could reach them they were in the possession
of others; and as he drew near the spot where they had been captured, he
saw a dozen muskets presented towards himself, and heard some one loudly
commanding him, in the name of the Prophet, to approach in peace!
Golah had the discretion to yield to a destiny that could not be
averted,--the misfortune of being made a prisoner and plundered at the
same time.
Calmly saying, "It is the will of God," he sat down, and invited his
captors to a conference on the terms of capitulation.
As soon as the caravan had fallen into the possession of the robbers,
the Krooman's hands were unbound by his companion, and he hastened to
the relief of the white slaves.
"Golah no our massa now," said he, while untying Harry's wrists; "our
massa is Arab dat take us norf. We get free. Dat why dis Arab no buy
us,--he know us he hab for noting."
The cords were quickly untied, and the attention of the others was now
turned to disinterring Colin and the woman from their living graves.
To do this, Harry wanted to use the water-bowl the sheik had left for
the purpose of tantalizing his victims with the sight of its contents.
"Here, drink this water," said he, holding the vessel to Colin's lips.
"I want to make use of the dish."
"No, no; dig me out without that," answered Colin. "Leave the water as
it is; I have a particular use for it when I get free. I wish the old
sheik to see me drink it."
Bill, Harry, and the Krooman set to work: and Colin and the woman were
soon uncovered and dragged out. Terence was then awakened to
consciousness by a few drops of the water poured over his face.
Owing to the cramped position in which he had been placed and so long
held, Colin was for a few minutes unable to walk. They waited, to give
him time to recover the use of his limbs. The slave who had the care of
the woman's children was now seen coming back with them, and the woman
ran to meet him.
The delight of the wretched mother at again embracing her offspring was
so great, that the gentle-souled Krooman was once more affected to
tears.
In the conference with the Arab robbers, Golah was unable to obtain the
terms he fancied a sheik should be entitled to.
They offered him two camels and the choice of one wife out of the three,
on condition he should go back to his own country, and return to the
desert no more.
These terms Golah indignantly refused, and declared that he would rather
die in defence of his rights.
Golah was a pure negro, and one of a class of traders much disliked by
the Arabs. He was a lawless intruder on their grounds,--a trespasser
upon their special domain, the Great Desert. He had just acquired a
large amount of wealth in goods and slaves, that had been cast on their
coast; and these they were determined he should not carry back with him
to his own country.
Though he was as much a robber as themselves, they had no sympathies
with him, and would not be satisfied with merely a share of his plunder.
They professed to understand all his doings in the past; and accused him
of not being a _fair trader_!
They told him that he never came upon the desert with merchandise to
exchange, but only with camels, to be driven away, laden with property
justly belonging to them, the real owners of the land.
They denied his being a true believer in the Prophet; and concluded
their talk by declaring that he should be thankful for the liberal terms
they had offered him.
Golah's opposition to their proposal became so demonstrative, that the
Arabs were obliged to disarm and bind him; though this was not
accomplished without a fierce struggle, in which several of his
adversaries were overthrown.
A blow on the head with the stock of a musket at length reduced him to
subjection, after which his hands were fast tied behind his back.
During the struggle, Golah's son was prevented from interfering in
behalf of his father, by the black slaves who had been so long the
victims of his cruel care; while the brother-in-law, as well as Fatima
and the third wife, remained passive spectators of the scene.
On Golah being secured, the white slaves, with old Bill at their head,
came up and voluntarily surrendered themselves to their new masters.
Colin had in his hands the bowl of water, and the dried figs that had
been placed beside it.
Advancing towards Golah, he held the figs up before his eyes, and then,
with a nod and an expression that seemed to say, "Thank you for this,"
he raised the bowl to his lips with the intention of drinking.
The expression on the sheik's features became Satanic, but suddenly
changed into a glance of pleasure, as one of the Arabs snatched the
vessel out of Colin's hands, and instantly drank off its contents.
Colin received the lesson meekly, and said not a word.
The Arabs speedily commenced making arrangements for leaving the place.
The first move was to establish a communication between Golah and the
saddle of one of his camels.
This was accomplished by using a rope as a medium; and the black giant
was compelled to walk after the animal with his hands tied behind
him,--in the same fashion as he had lately set for Sailor Bill.
His wives and slaves seemed to comprehend the change in their fortunes,
and readily adapted their conduct to the circumstances.
The greatest transformation of all was observable in the behavior of the
favorite Fatima.
Since his capture she had kept altogether aloof from her late lord, and
showed not the slightest sympathy for his misfortunes.
By her actions she seemed to say: "The mighty Golah has fallen, and is
no longer worthy of my distinguished regard."
Very different was the behavior of the woman whom the cruel sheik would
have left to die a lingering death. Her husband's misfortune seemed to
have awakened within her a love for the father of her children: and her
features, as she gazed upon the captive,--who, although defeated, was
unsubdued in spirit,--wore a mingled expression of pity and grief.
Hungry, thirsty, weary and bleeding--enslaved on the Great Desert, still
uncertain of what was to be their fate, and doubtful of surviving much
longer the hardships they might be forced to endure--our adventurers
were far from being happy; but, with all their misery, they felt joyful
when comparing their present prospects with those before them but an
hour ago.
With the exception of Golah, the Arabs had no trouble with their
captives. The white and black slaves knew they were travelling towards
the well; and the prospect of again having plenty of water was
sufficient inducement to make them put forth all their strength in
following the camels.
Early in the evening a short halt was made; when each of the company was
served with about half a pint of water from the skins. The Arabs,
expecting to reach the well soon after, could afford to be thus liberal;
but the favor so granted, though thankfully received by the slaves was
scornfully refused by their late master--the giant bodied and
strong-minded Golah.
To accept of food and drink from his enemies in his present humiliating
position--bound and dragged along like a slave--was a degradation to
which he scorned to submit.
On Golah contemptuously refusing the proffered cup of water, the Arab
who offered it simply ejaculated, "Thank God!" and then drank it
himself.
The well was reached about an hour after midnight; and after quenching
their thirst, the slaves were allowed to go to rest and sleep,--a
privilege they stood sorely in need of having been over thirty hours
afoot, upon their cheerless and arduous journey.