THE JEW'S LEAP.
The road followed by Rais Mourad on the day after leaving Santa Cruz was
through a country of very uneven surface.
Part of the time the kafila would be in a narrow valley by the seashore,
and in the next hour following a zigzag path on the side of some
precipitous mountain.
In such places the kafila would have to proceed in single file, while
the Moors would be constantly cautioning the slaves against falling from
the backs of their animals.
While stopping for an hour at noon for the horses to rest, the Krooman
turned over a flat stone, and underneath it found a large scorpion.
After making a hole in the sand about six inches deep, and five or six
in diameter, he put the reptile into it.
He then went in search of a few more scorpions to keep the prisoner
company. Under nearly every stone he turned over, one or two of these
reptiles were found, all of which were cast into the hole where he had
placed the first.
When he had secured about a dozen within the prison from which they
could not escape, he began teasing them with a stick.
Enraged at this treatment the reptiles commenced a mortal combat among
themselves, a sight which was witnessed by the white slaves with about
the same interest as that between the two Arabs in the morning. In other
words, they did not care which got the worst of it.
A battle between two scorpions would commence with much active
skirmishing on both sides, each seeking to fasten its claws on the
other.
When one of the reptiles would succeed in getting a fair grip, its
adversary would exhibit every disposition to surrender, apparently
begging for its life, but all to no purpose, as no quarter would be
given.
The champion would inflict the fatal sting; and the unfortunate reptile
receiving it would die immediately after.
After all the scorpions had been killed except one, the Krooman himself
finished the survivor with a blow of his stick.
When rebuked by Harry for what the latter regarded as an act of wanton
cruelty, he answered that it was the duty of every man to kill
scorpions.
In the afternoon they reached a place called the Jew's Leap. It was a
narrow path along the side of a mountain, the base of which was washed
by the sea.
The path was about half a mile long and not more than four or five feet
broad. The right hand side was bounded by a wall of rocks, in some
places perpendicular and rising to a height of several hundred feet.
On the left hand side was the sea, about four hundred feet below the
level of the path.
There was no hope for any one who should fall from this path,--no hope
but heaven.
Not a bush, tree, or any obstacle was seen to offer the slightest
resistance to the downward course of a falling body.
The Krooman had passed this way before, and informed his companions that
no one ever ventured on the path in wet weather; that it was at all
times considered dangerous; but that, as it saved a tiresome journey of
seven miles around the mountain, it was generally taken in dry weather.
He also told them that the name of "Jew's Leap" was given to the
precipice, from a party of Jews having once been forced over it.
It was in the night-time. They had met a numerous party of Moors coming
in the opposite direction. Neither party could turn back, a contest
arose, and several on both sides were hurled over the precipice into the
sea.
On this occasion as many Moors as Jews had been thrown from the path;
but it had pleased the former to give the spot the name of the "Jew's
Leap," which it still bears.
Before venturing upon this dangerous road, Rais Mourad was careful to
see that no one was coming from the opposite direction.
After shouting at the top of his voice, and hearing no reply, he led the
way, bidding his followers to trust more to their animals than to
themselves.
As the white slaves entered on the pass, two Moors were left behind to
follow them, and when all had proceeded a short distance along the
ledge, the horse ridden by Harry Blount became frightened. It was a
young animal, and having been reared on the plains of the desert, was
unused to mountain-road.
While the other horses were walking along very cautiously, Harry's steed
suddenly stopped, and refused to go any farther.
In such a place a rider has good cause to be alarmed at any eccentricity
of behavior in the animal he bestrides, and Harry was just preparing to
dismount, when the animal commenced making a retrograde movement, as if
determined to turn about.
Harry was behind his companions, and closely followed by one of the
Moors. The latter becoming alarmed for his own safety, struck the young
Englishman's horse a blow with his musket to make it move forward.
The next instant the hind legs of the refractory animal were over the
edge of the precipice, and its body, with the weight of its rider
clinging to his neck, was about evenly balanced as on the brink. The
horse made a violent struggle to avoid going over, with its nose and
fore feet laid close along the path, and vainly striving to regain the
position from which it had so imprudently parted.
At this moment its rider determined to make a desperate exertion for his
life.
Seizing the horse by the ears, and drawing himself up, he placed one
foot on the brink of the precipice, and then sprang clear over the
horse's head, just as the animal relinquished its hold! In another
instant the unfortunate quadruped was precipitated into the sea, its
body striking the water with a dull plunge, as if the life had already
gone out of it.
The remainder of the ledge was traversed without any difficulty; and
after all had got safely over, Harry's companions were loud in
congratulating him upon his narrow escape.
The youth remained silent.
His soul was too full of gratitude to God to give any heed to the words
of man.