EL HAJJI.
Late in the evening of the second night spent within the walls of the
town, two travellers knocked at the gate for admittance.
One of them gave a name which created quite a commotion in the village,
all seeming eager to receive the owner with some show of hospitality.
The merchants sat up to a late hour in company with these strangers and
the sheik of the place. Kids were caught and killed, and a savory stew
was soon served up for their guests, while, with coffee, pipes, and many
customary civilities, the time slipped quickly by.
Notwithstanding this, they were astir upon the following morning before
daybreak, busied in making preparations for their journey.
The slaves, on being allowed some breakfast, were commanded to eat it in
all haste, and then assist in preparing the animals for the road.
They were also informed that they were to be taken south, and sold.
"Shall we go, or die?" asked Colin. "I, for one, had rather die than
again pass through the hardships of a journey in the desert."
Neither of the others made any reply to this. The spirit of despair had
taken too strong a hold upon them.
The merchants themselves were obliged to caparison their animals; and
just as they were about to use some strong arguments to induce their
refractory slaves to mount, they were told that "El Hajji" ("the
pilgrim") wished to see the Christians.
Soon after, one of the strangers who had entered the town so late on the
night before was seen slowly approaching.
He was a tall, venerable-looking Arab, with a long white beard reaching
down to the middle of his breast. His costume, by its neatness and the
general costliness of the articles of which it was composed, bespoke him
a man of the better class, and his bearing was nowise inferior to his
guise.
Having performed the pilgrimage to the Prophet's Tomb, he commanded the
respect and hospitality of all good Mussulmans whithersoever he
wandered.
With the Krooman as interpreter, he asked many questions, and seemed to
be much interested in the fate of the miserable-looking objects before
him.
After his curiosity had been satisfied as to the name of the vessel in
which they had reached the country, the time they had passed in slavery,
and the manner of their treatment which had produced their emaciated and
wretched appearance, he made inquiries about their friends and relatives
at home.
Harry informed him that Colin and himself had parents, brothers, and
sisters, who were now probably mourning them as lost: that they and
their two companions were sure to be ransomed, could they find some one
who would take them to Mogador. He also added, that their present
masters had promised to take them to that place, but were now prevented
from doing so through the fear that they would not be rewarded for their
trouble.
"I will do all I can to assist you," said El Hajji, after the Krooman
had given the interpretation of Harry's speech. "I owe a debt of
gratitude to one of your countrymen, and I shall try to repay it. When
in Cairo I was unwell, and starving for the want of food. An officer of
an English ship of war gave me a coin of gold. That piece of money
proved both life and fortune to me; for with it I was able to continue
my journey, and reach my friends. We are all the children of the true
God; and it is our duty to assist one another. I will have a talk with
your masters."
The old pilgrim then turning to the three merchants, said,--
"My friends, you have promised to take these Christian slaves to
Swearah, where they will be redeemed. Are you bad men who fear not God,
that your promise should be thus broken?"
"We think they have deceived us," answered one of the merchants, "and we
are afraid to carry them within the emperor's dominions for fear they
will be taken from us without our receiving anything. We are poor men,
and nearly all our merchandise we have given for these slaves. We cannot
afford to lose them."
"You will not lose the value of them," said the old man, "if you take
them to Swearah. They belong to a country the government of which will
not allow its subjects to remain in bondage; and there is not an English
merchant in Swearah that would not redeem them. A merchant who should
refuse to do so would scarce dare return to his own country again. You
will make more by taking them to Swearah than anywhere else."
"But they can give themselves up to the governor when they reach
Swearah," urged one of the merchants, "and we may be ordered out of the
country without receiving a single cowrie for all. Such has been done
before. The good sheik here knows of an Arab merchant who was treated
so. He lost all, while the governor got the ransom, and put it in his
own pocket."
This was an argument El Hajji was unable to answer but he was not long
in finding a plan for removing the difficulty thus presented.
"Do not take them within the Empire of Morocco," said he, "until after
you have been paid for them. Two of you can stay with them here, while
the other goes to Swearah with a letter from this young man to his
friends. You have as yet no proof that he is trying to deceive you; and
therefore, as true men, have no excuse for breaking your promise to him.
Take a letter to Swearah; and if the money be not paid, then do with
them as you please, and the wrong will not rest upon you."
Bo Muzem, one of the merchants, immediately seconded the pilgrim's
proposal, and spoke energetically in its favor.
He said that they were but one day's journey from Agadeez, a frontier
town of Morocco; and that from there Swearah could be reached in three
days.
The merchants for a few minutes held consultation apart, and then one of
them announced that they had resolved upon following El Hajji's advice.
Bo Muzem should go to Swearah as the bearer of a letter from Harry to
his uncle.
"Tell the young man," said one of the merchants, addressing himself to
the interpreter, "tell him, from me, that if the ransom be not paid, he
shall surely die on Bo Muzem's return. Tell him that."
The Krooman made the communication, and Harry accepted the terms.
A piece of dirty crumpled paper, a reed, and some ink was then placed
before Harry; and while the letter was being written, Bo Muzem commenced
making preparations for his journey.
Knowing that their only hope of liberty depended on their situation
being made known to some countrymen resident in Mogador, Harry took up
the pen, and, with much difficulty, succeeded in scribbling the
following letter:--
"SIR,--Two midshipmen of H. M. S. ---- (lost a few weeks ago north
of Cape Blanco), and two seamen are now held in slavery at a small
town one day's journey from Santa Cruz. The bearer of this note is
one of our masters. His business in Mogador is to learn if we will
be ransomed and if he is unsuccessful in finding any one who will
pay the money to redeem us, the writer of this note is to be
killed. If you cannot or will not pay the money they require (one
hundred and fifty dollars for each slave), direct the bearer to
some one whom you think will do so.
"There is a midshipman from the same vessel, and another English
sailor one day's journey south of this place.
"Perhaps the bearer of this note, Bo Muzem, may be induced to
obtain them, so that they also may be ransomed.
"Henry Blount."
This letter Harry folded, and directed to "Any English merchant in
Mogador."
By the time it was written, Bo Muzem was mounted, and ready for the
road.
After receiving the letter, he wished Harry to be informed once more,
that, should the journey to Swearah be fruitless, nothing but his
(Harry's) life would compensate him for the disappointment.
After promising to be back in eight days, and enjoining upon his
partners to look well after their property during his absence, Bo Muzem
took his departure from the town.