THE ARABS AT HOME.
Soon after encountering the locusts, the kafila came upon a well-beaten
road, running through a fertile country, where hundreds of acres of
barley could be seen growing on both sides.
That evening, for some reason unknown to the slaves, their masters did
not halt at the usual hour. They saw many walled villages, where dwelt
the proprietors of the barley fields; but hurried past them without
stopping either for water or food--although their slaves were sadly in
need of both.
In vain the latter complained of thirst, and begged for water. The only
reply to their entreaties was a harsh command to move on faster,
frequently followed by a blow.
Towards midnight, when the hopes and strength of all were nearly
exhausted, the kafila arrived at a walled village, where a gate was
opened to admit his slaves. The old sheik then informed them that they
should have plenty of food and drink, and would be allowed to rest for
two or three days in the village.
A quantity of water was then thickened with barley meal; and of this
diet they were permitted to have as much as they could consume.
It was after night when they entered the gate of the village, and
nothing could be seen. Next morning they found themselves in the centre
of a square enclosure surrounded by about twenty houses, standing within
a high wall. Flocks of sheep and goats, with a number of horses, camels,
and donkeys, were also within the inclosure.
Jim informed his companions that most of the Saaeran Arabs have fixed
habitations, where they dwell the greater part of the year,--generally
walled towns, such as the one they had now entered.
The wall is intended for a protection against robbers, at the same time
that it serves as a pen to keep their flocks from straying or
trespassing on the cultivated fields during the night time.
It was soon discovered that the Arabs had arrived at their home; for as
soon as day broke, they were seen in company with their wives and
families. This accounted for their not making halt at any of the other
villages. Being so near their own, they had made an effort to reach it
without extending their journey into another day.
"I fear we are in the hands of the wrong masters for obtaining our
freedom," said Jim to his companions. "If they were traders, they might
take us farther north and sell us; but it's clear they are not! They are
graziers, farmers, and robbers, when the chance arises,--that's what
they be! While waiting for their barley to ripen, they have been on a
raiding expedition to the desert, in the hope of capturing a few slaves,
to assist them in reaping their harvest."
Jim's conjecture was soon after found to be correct. On the old sheik
being asked when he intended taking his slaves on to Swearah, he
answered:--
"Our barley is now ripe, and we must not leave it to spoil. You must
help us in the harvest, and that will enable us to go to Swearah all the
sooner."
"Do you really intend to take your slaves to Swearah?" asked the
Krooman.
"Certainly!" replied the sheik. "Have we not promised? But we cannot
leave our fields now. Bismillah! our grain must be gathered."
"It is just as I supposed," said Jim. "They will promise anything. They
do not intend taking us to Mogador at all. The same promise has been
made to me by the same sort of people a score of times."
"What shall we do?" asked Terence.
"We must do nothing," answered Jim. "We must not assist them in any way,
for the more useful we are to them the more reluctant they will be to
part with us. I should have obtained my liberty years ago, had I not
tried to gain the good-will of my Arab masters, by trying to make myself
useful to them. That was a mistake, and I can see it now. We must not
give them the slightest assistance in their barley-cutting."
"But they will compel us to help them?" suggested Colin.
"They cannot do that if we remain resolute; and I tell you all that you
had better be killed at once than submit. If we assist in their harvest,
they will find something else for us to do, and your best days, as mine
have been, will be passed in slavery! Each of you must make himself a
burden and expense to whoever owns him, and then we may be passed over
to some trader who has been to Mogador, and knows that he can make money
by taking us there to be redeemed. That is our only chance. These Arabs
don't know that we are sure to be purchased for a good price in any
large seaport town, and they will not run any risk in taking us there.
Furthermore, these men are outlaws, desert robbers, and I don't believe
that they dare enter the Moorish dominions. We must get transferred to
other hands, and the only way to do that is to refuse work."
Our adventurers agreed to be guided by Jim's counsels, although
confident that they would experience much difficulty in following them.
Early on the morning of the second day after the Arabs reached their
home, all the slaves, both white and black, were roused from their
slumbers; and after a spare breakfast of barley-gruel, were commanded to
follow their masters to the grain fields, outside the walls of the town.
"Do you want us to work?" asked Jim, addressing himself directly to the
old sheik.
"Bismillah! Yes!" exclaimed the Arab. "We have kept you too long in
idleness. What have you done, or who are you, that we should maintain
you? You must work for your living, as we do ourselves!"
"We cannot do anything on land," said Jim. "We are sailors, and have
only learnt to work on board a ship."
"By Allah, you will soon learn! Come, follow us to the barley fields!"
"No; we have all agreed to die rather than work for you! You promised to
take us to Swearah; and we will go there or die. We will not be slaves
any longer!"
Most of the Arabs, with their wives and children, had now assembled
around the white men, who were ordered instantly to move on.
"It will not do for us to say we will not or can't move on," said Jim,
speaking to his companions in English. "We must go to the field. They
can make us do that; but they can't make us work. Go quietly to the
field; but don't make yourselves useful when you get there."
This advice was followed; and the Boy Slaves soon found themselves by
the side of a large patch of barley, ready for the reaping-hook. A
sickle of French manufacture was then placed in the hands of each, and
they were instructed how to use them.
"Never mind," said Jim. "Go to work with a will, mates! We'll show them
a specimen of how reaping is done aboard ship!"
Jim proceeded to set an example by cutting the grain in a careless
manner--letting the heads fall in every direction, and then trampling
them under foot as he moved on.
The same plan was pursued by his brother Bill, the Krooman, and Harry
Blount.
In the first attempt to use the sickle, Terence was so awkward as to
fall forward and break the implement into two pieces.
Colin behaved no better: since he managed to cut one of his fingers, and
then apparently fainted away at the sight of the blood.
The forenoon was passed by the Arabs in trying to train their slaves to
the work, but in this they were sadly unsuccessful.
Curses, threats, and blows were expended upon them to no purpose, for
the Christian dogs seemed only capable of doing much harm and no good.
During the afternoon they were allowed to lie idle upon the ground, and
watch their masters cutting the barley; although this indulgence was
purchased at the expense of lacerated skins and aching bones. Nor was
this triumph without the cost of further suffering: for they were not
allowed a mouthful of food or a drop of water, although an abundance of
both had been distributed to the other laborers in the field.
All five, however, remained obstinate; withstanding hunger and thirst,
threats, cursings, and stripes,--each one disdaining to be the first to
yield to the wishes of their Arab masters.