OUR HERO MEETS A FRIEND UNEXPECTEDLY IN PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND HAS
A VERY STRANGE ENCOUNTER.
Miles Milton's first experience in Alexandria was rather curious, and,
like most surprising things, quite unlooked for.
The troops were not permitted to land immediately on arrival, but of
course no such prohibition lay on the passengers, who went off
immediately. In the hurry of doing so, the clergyman and his family
missed saying good-bye to Miles, who happened to be on duty in some
remote part of the vessel at the time, and the shore-boat could not be
delayed. This caused Mr and Mrs Drew much regret, but we cannot add
that it caused the same to Miss Drew, because that young lady possessed
considerable command of feature, and revealed no feeling at all on the
occasion.
Miles was greatly disappointed when he found that they had gone, but
consoled himself with the hope that he could make use of his first day's
leave to find them out in the town and say good-bye.
"But why encourage hope?" thought Miles to himself, with bitterness in
his heart; "I'm only a private. Marion will never condescend to think
of _me_. What have I to offer her except my worthless self?" (you see
Miles was beginning to see through himself faintly.) "Even if my father
were a rich man, able to buy me out of the army and leave me a fortune--
which he is not--what right have I to expect that a girl like Marion
would risk her happiness with a fellow who has no profession, no means
of subsistence, and who has left home without money and without leave?
Bah! Miles, you are about the greatest goose that ever put on a red
coat!"
He was getting on, you see! If he had put "sinner" for "goose," his
shot would have been nearer the mark; as it was, all things considered,
it was not a miss. He smarted considerably under the self-condemnation.
If a comrade had said as much he would have resented it hotly, but a
man is wonderfully lenient to himself!
Under the impulse of these feelings he sought and obtained leave to go
into the town. He wished to see how the new Soldiers' Institute being
set up there was getting along. He had promised Miss Robinson to pay it
a visit. That was his plea. He did not feel called upon to inform his
officer of his intention to visit the Drews! That was quite a private
matter--yet it was the main matter; for, on landing, instead of
inquiring for the spot where the new Institute was being erected, he
began a search among the various hotels where English visitors were wont
to put up. The search was successful. He found the hotel, but the
family had gone out, he was told, and were not expected back till
evening.
Disappointment, of course, was the result; but he would wait. It is
amazing what an amount of patience even impatient men will exercise when
under the influence of hope! There was plenty of time to run down and
see the Institute, but he might miss his friends if they should chance
to come in and go out again during his absence. What should he do?
"Bother the Institute!" he muttered to himself. "It's only bricks an'
mortar after all, and I don't know a soul there."
He was wrong on both of these points, as we shall see.
"What's the use of my going?" he murmured, after a reflective pause.
"You promised the ladies of the Portsmouth Institute that you'd go to
see it, and report progress," said that extraordinary Something inside
of him, which had a most uncomfortable way of starting up and whispering
when least expected to do so.
"And," added Something, "every gentleman should keep his word."
"True," replied Miles, almost angrily, though inaudibly; "but I'm _not_
a gentleman, I'm only a private!"
"Goose!" retorted that pertinacious Something; "is not every private a
gentleman who acts like one? And is not every gentleman a blackguard
who behaves as such?"
Miles was silenced. He gave in, and went off at once to visit the
Institute.
As he walked down the long straight street leading to the Grand Square,
which had been almost destroyed by the bombardment, he passed numerous
dirty drinking-shops, and wondered that English soldiers would
condescend to enter such disgusting places. He was but a young soldier,
and had yet to learn that, to men who have been fairly overcome by the
power of the fiend Strong Drink, no place is too disgusting, and no
action too mean, so that it but leads to the gratification of their
intolerable craving. It is said that in two streets only there were 500
of these disreputable drinking-shops.
All sorts and conditions of men passed him as he went along: Turks,
Greeks, Arabs, Negroes, Frenchmen, Italians, and Englishmen, the gay
colours of whose picturesque costumes lent additional brilliancy to the
sunny scene. The sight of the dark-skinned men and veiled women of the
Arab quarter did more, however, than anything else to convince our hero
that he had at last really reached the "East"--the land of the ancient
Pharaohs, the Pyramids, the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, and of
modern contention!
Presently he came upon the piece of waste ground which had been chosen
as the site of the new Institute. It was covered with the ruins--
shattered cement, glass, tiles, and general wreckage--of the buildings
that had stood there before the bombardment, and on three sides it was
surrounded by heaps of stones, shattered walls, and rubbish, some acres
in extent. But the place had the great advantage of being close to the
old harbour, not far from the spot where ancient Alexandria stood, and
was open to the fresh, cooling breezes that came in from the sea.
Arab workmen were busily employed at the time on the foundations of the
building, under the superintendence of an unmistakable and
soldierly-looking Englishman, whose broad back was presented to Miles as
he approached. Turning suddenly round, Mr Tufnell, the manager of the
Portsmouth Institute, confronted the visitor with a stern but perspiring
visage, which instantly became illuminated with a beaming smile.
"What! Tufnell!" exclaimed our hero, in amazement.
"Ay, Miles; as large as life."
"Larger than life, if anything," said Miles, grasping the proffered
hand, and shaking it warmly. "Why, man, the air of Egypt seems to
magnify you."
"More likely that the heat of Egypt is making me grow. What are you
rubbing your eyes for?"
"To make sure that they do not deceive," answered Miles. "Did I not
leave you behind me at Portsmouth?"
"So you did, friend; but the voyage in a troop-ship is not the fastest
method of reaching Egypt. As you see, I've overshot you in the race. I
have come to put up the new building. But come to my palace here and
have a talk and a cup of coffee. Glad to see that the voyage has agreed
with you."
They reached the palace to which the manager referred, and found it to
be a cottage of corrugated iron amidst the rubbish.
"Here," said Tufnell, offering his friend a chair, "I spend all my time
and reign supreme--monarch of all I survey. These are my subjects," he
added, pointing to the Arab workmen; "that wilderness of rubbish is my
kingdom; and yon heap of iron and stone, is the material out of which we
mean to construct our Alexandria Institute. To save time, (the most
valuable article in the world, if you'll believe me), Miss Robinson, as,
perhaps, you may have heard, bought an old iron edifice in London, known
as the Brompton Oratory, and sent it out here--like a convict--at
Government expense. You see, not only the public, but Government, have
now come to recognise the value of her work for soldiers."
"And your subjects, the Arabs--are they obedient and loyal?" asked
Miles.
"Pretty well; but they give me some trouble now and then. The other
day, for instance, we had a sad accident, which at one time I feared
would land us in serious difficulties. It is necessary, you must know,
in laying foundations here, to dig through the sand some twelve to
fifteen feet till water is reached, and then we lay a solid stone
foundation about nine feet wide. Well, while digging this foundation,
the sand fell in on one of the workmen. I off coat at once and set to
work with a shovel, shouting to the fellows to help me. Instead of
helping, they rushed at me in a body to prevent my interfering in the
matter. Then they quarrelled among themselves as to the best way of
getting the man out, and the result was that the poor fellow was
suffocated, though he might easily have been rescued by prompt action.
But that was not the end of it! The relations and friends of the man
came down, made Eastern howling and lamentation over him, and laid his
corpse at the door of my cottage, holding me responsible for his life,
and demanding compensation! And it was not till I had paid a few francs
to every brother and cousin and relative belonging to him that their
grief was appeased and the dead body carried away.
"Still the matter did not end here, for next day the workmen said the
accident was owing to the omission of a sacrifice at the commencement of
the work, and they must have a lamb to kill on the ground, or more lives
would certainly be lost. So I bought them a lamb, which they duly
killed, cooked, and ate, after sprinkling its blood on the four corners
of the foundation and on the walls. I had the skin of this lamb dressed
and sent home as a curiosity." See note 1.
"You appear to have pretty rough times of it then, on the whole," said
Miles.
"I never counted on smooth times," returned Tufnell; "besides, being
used to roughing it, I am always glad to do so in a good cause. My
palace, as you see, is not a bad one, though small. It is pretty hot
too, as you seem to feel; and they tell me there will be some
interesting variety in my experiences when the rainy season sets in! I
wouldn't mind it so much if I could only be left to sleep in peace at
nights. I stay here, you see, night and day, and what wi' the Arabs
prowling around, whispering and trying to get in, and the wild dogs
makin' the neighbourhood a place o' public meeting--barking, howling,
and quarrelling over their sorrows like human bein's, they don't give me
much rest."
"I have read of these dogs before," said Miles. "Are they really as
wild and dangerous as they get credit for?"
"If you'd seen the fight I had wi' them the other night you'd have no
doubt on that point. Why, a gang of 'em made a regular attack on me,
and if it hadn't been that I was pretty active with my sword-stick,
they'd have torn me in bits. Let me advise you never to go out after
nightfall without one. Is that one in your hand?"
"No, it is merely a cane."
"Well, exchange with me. There's no saying when you may want it."
Tufnell took a light sword-stick which lay on the table and handed it to
Miles, who accepted it laughingly, and without the slightest belief that
he should ever have occasion to use it.
In chatting about the plans of the building and the prospects of
success, our hero became at last so deeply interested--partly, no doubt,
because of his friend's enthusiasm--that he forgot the flight of time,
and the evening was advancing before he rose to leave.
"Now, Tufnell," he said suddenly, "I must be off, I have another call of
importance to make."
"What! won't you stop and have a cup of coffee with me?"
"Impossible. My business is urgent. I want to see friends whom I may
not have the chance of seeing again. Good-night."
"Good-night, then, and have a care of the dogs, specially after
nightfall."
On returning to the hotel shortly after sunset, Miles came to the
conclusion that his love must certainly be "true," for its course was
not running "smooth." His friends had not yet returned. Mrs Drew had
indeed come back, alone in a cab, but she had "von headik an' vas go to
the bed."
Waiting about in front of the hotel for an hoar or two proved to be too
much for our hero's nerves; he therefore made up his mind to exhaust his
nervous system by means of a smart walk. Soon he found himself in a
lonely place, half-way between the Grand Square and the Ramleh Gate,
with a deliciously cool breeze playing on his brow, and a full moon
sailing overhead.
No one was moving about on the road along which he walked. He had it
all to himself at first, and the evening would have been quiet as well
as beautiful but for the yelping dogs which had, by that time, come out
of their day-dens to search and fight for food and hold their nightly
revels.
All round him were the heaps of rubbish caused by bombardment, and the
ruined houses which war had rendered tenantless, though here and there
the uprising of new buildings proved that the indomitable energy of man
was not to be quelled by war or anything else. A flickering oil-lamp
placed here and there at intervals threw a sickly yellow light into dark
recesses which the moonbeams failed to reach. Intermingled with these
were a few date-palms and bananas. After a time he observed a couple of
figures in advance of him--a man and woman--walking slowly in the same
direction.
Not wishing to have his thoughts disturbed, he pushed on, intending to
pass the wayfarers. He had got to within a hundred paces of them when
he became aware of a violent pattering sound behind him. Stopping and
looking back he saw a pack of eight or nine of the wild, half-famished
dogs of the place coming along the road at full gallop. He was quite
aware that they were the savage, masterless creatures which keep close
in hiding during the day, and come out at night to search for something
to devour, but he could not bring himself to believe that any sort of
dog was a dangerous animal. He therefore merely looked at them with
interest as being natives of the place!
They passed without taking notice of him--as ugly and wolfish a pack as
one could wish to see--led by a big fellow like a ragged disreputable
collie. They also passed, with apparent indifference, the wayfarers in
advance, who had stopped to look at them.
Suddenly, and without a note of warning, the whole pack turned and
rushed back, yelling fiercely, towards the man and woman. The latter
clung to the left arm of the former, who raised his stick, and brought
it down with such good-will on the skull of the foremost dog that it
reeled back with an angry howl. It was not cowed, however, for it came
on again, but the man, instead of striking it, thrust the end of his
stick down its throat and checked it a second time. Still unsubdued,
the fierce animal flew at him once more, and would certainly have
overcome him if Miles had not run to the rescue at the first sign of
attack. Coming up quickly, he brought his cane down on the dog's head
with all his might, having quite forgotten the sword in the excitement
of the moment! The blow did nothing to the dog, but it shattered the
cane, leaving the sword exposed! This was fortunate. A quick thrust
sent the dog flying away with yells of pain and fear, followed by all
his companions, who seemed to take their cue entirely from their leader.
Turning to congratulate the wayfarers on their escape, Miles confronted
Mr Drew and his daughter Marion!
If he had encountered the glare of the great sea-serpent he could
scarcely have been taken more completely aback.
"My dear young friend," said the clergyman, recovering himself and
grasping the passive hand of the young soldier with enthusiasm, though
he could not help smiling at his obvious embarrassment, "you seem to
have been raised up to be our rescuer!"
"I hope I have been raised up for something even more satisfactory than
that," thought Miles, but he did not say so! What he did say--in a
stammering fashion--was to the effect that he hoped he might be called
on to--to--render many more such trifling services--no--he did not quite
mean that, but _if_ they should ever again be in danger, he hoped they
would call on him to--to--that is--
"But I hope sincerely," he added, changing the subject abruptly, "that
you are not hurt, Miss Drew?"
"Oh dear no; only a little frightened. But, father, are you sure that
_you_ are not hurt?"
"Quite sure; only a little sprain, I think, or twist in my right ankle.
The attack was so sudden, you see, that in the hurry to meet it my foot
turned over. Give me your arm, my young friend. There; it will be all
right in a few minutes. How you tremble, Marion! Your nerves have
received a greater shock than you imagine, and a lame man is but a poor
support. Give her your other arm, Mr Miles. You are stout enough to
support us both."
Stout enough to support them both! Ay, at that moment Miles felt stout
enough to support the entire world, like Atlas, on his own broad
shoulders! With a blush, that the moon generously refused to reveal,
Marion laid her hand lightly on the soldier's arm. It was much too
light a touch, and did not distribute with fairness the weight of his
burden, for the old gentleman hung heavily on the other arm. Mr Drew
walked very slowly, and with evident pain, for the twist of the ankle
had been much more severe than he at first imagined.
"You will come in and sup with us," said Mr Drew, on at last reaching
the hotel door.
"Impossible. I am exceedingly sorry, but my time has almost expired.
Indeed, I fear it has expired already, and duty comes before everything
else. Your daughter taught me that lesson, sir, on board ship!"
"Oh you hypocrite!" remarked his familiar and plain-spoken internal
friend; "where was this grand sense of duty when you left home in a rage
without `by your leave' to father or mother?" Miles could make no
reply. He had a tendency to silence when this friend spoke, and
returned to barracks in a pensive mood, just in time, as Armstrong said,
to save his bacon.
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Note 1. This fleece is now, among other curiosities, at the Portsmouth
Institute.