BAD NEWS.
No sooner was work over in the afternoon of the day after that on which
Rupert had heard of his brother's loss than Skinner came across with
Easton to see him.
"My dear Skinner, surely you are not fit to be walking about," he said
as he saw them approaching.
"Oh! it won't do me any harm, Clinton; my arm is all in splints, and, as
you see, bandaged tightly to my side. The doctor seemed to say that I
had better not move, but I promised to take care of myself. I should
have come, old man, if I had been ten times as bad. Easton has just been
telling me of this horrible business, so of course I came over to see
you. I think from what he says you take too dark a view of it. There is
no doubt in my mind that he is a prisoner, and that is bad enough; but
these Arabs don't slaughter their prisoners in cold blood, they are not
such fools as that, they make them useful. I own it must be disgusting
to be a slave, especially to these Arabs, and of many fellows I should
say they would never stand it any time. Easton wouldn't, for example. In
the first place he wouldn't work, and in the next place, if they tried
to make him he would be knocking his master down, and then of course he
would get speared. But I have great hopes of your brother; he was always
as hard as nails, and I should have no fear of his breaking down in
health. Then he is a chap that can look after himself. Look how well he
has been going on since he bolted from Cheltenham. Then he is a beggar
to stick to a thing, and I should say the first thing he will make up
his mind to do will be to escape some day, and he will be content to
wait any time till the opportunity occurs. You see he has learnt a lot
since he left school. He has been roughing it pretty severely. He has
had over a year in this beastly hot climate, and will be able to make
himself at home pretty near anywhere. I tell you, Clinton, I would lay
odds on his turning up again even if he is left to himself. Besides
that, if we go on to Khartoum and thrash the Mahdi, these Arabs will all
be coming in and swearing that they are most grateful to us for freeing
them from him, and you may be sure that any slaves they have will be
given up at once. I don't say your brother is not in a hole; but I do
say that he is just the fellow to get out of it."
"I have thought of everything you say, Skinner, and I do think that
Edgar is as likely to make his escape some day as anyone would be under
the circumstances; but I doubt whether anyone could do it."
"Why not?" Skinner asked, almost indignantly. "I don't suppose he could
make his way down the Nile, although he might do that; but there are
several caravan routes down to the Red Sea, and then there is
Abyssinia. The people are Christians there, and, they say, fighting
against the Mahdi's Arabs now; so if he got there he would be pretty
sure to be treated well. I should say that there were lots of ways that
he could escape. I don't mean now; but when he has got accustomed to the
country, it seems to me a fellow with pluck and energy such as he has
got ought to find no great difficulty in giving the people he is with
the slip, and making his way somewhere. I do think, Clinton, there is no
occasion to feel hopeless about your brother. It may be a long time
before you see him again, but I do honestly believe he will turn up some
time or other."
"I begin to hope he will," Rupert said. "At first I did not think so for
a moment; but now I have had time to look at it calmly I think that
there is a chance of his getting off some day; besides, when we are once
at Khartoum and have scattered the Mahdi's army, I have no doubt General
Gordon will send orders through the land for all Egyptian and European
slaves to be brought in. You know it is still hoped that some of Hicks'
officers may be alive, and there is such a feeling for Gordon throughout
the country that his orders will be sure to be obeyed."
"That is right, Clinton," Easton said; "that is the view I take of it
myself, and I am very glad to see that you have come to see it in that
light. And now will you tell us what there was in that letter that gave
us the news of your brother's being out here. How came the sergeant to
write to you? How did he know you were his brother? It seems an
unaccountable business all through."
"I have not looked at the letter since," Rupert said. "It would have
been very important if it had not been for Edgar's loss. As it is, it
does not seem to matter one way or the other. Still, as you say, it is
very singular altogether its coming into my hands;" and he took out the
letter. It began: "Sir, two days ago I was with the trumpeter of my
troop when you passed by with two other officers. One of them called
you Clinton, and as I had an interest in the name it attracted my
attention, and I found that it also attracted the attention of the young
fellow with me. I questioned him, and he acknowledged that he had been
to school with you and the two officers with you."
"Good heavens!" Skinner broke in; "to think that we three should have
passed close to your brother and that none of us should have recognized
him! How awfully unfortunate!"
"It is terrible to think of now," Rupert agreed, and then continued
reading the letter: "I then told Smith, which is the name the trumpeter
went by, that my interest in you consisted of the fact that for aught I
knew I was your father. He exclaimed, that in that case it was probable
that I was his father, as he had been brought up with you. He then told
me how he came to enlist, namely, that my wife, whom I have not seen
since she left India, and who was, I thought, dead long ago, had been to
him and had told him all about the change of infants, and said that she
had done it on purpose for his good, and that she knew that he was her
son because you had a mole on your shoulder; and she wanted him to go on
pretending to be Captain Clinton's son, and offered to swear that the
other one was hers, so that he might get all the money.
"That is why I write this. My name is Humphreys. I was a sergeant in the
30th, and it was at Agra, when we were stationed there, that the change
of infants took place. My wife went over to England. I took to drink and
disgraced myself, and five years afterwards deserted. I stayed in
England for some years and then enlisted again in the 5th Dragoon
Guards, and being young-looking gave my age as eight years younger than
I was. I now go by the name of Bowen, and am a sergeant and bear a good
character in the regiment. The lad did not wish me to say anything about
this, at any rate until the campaign was over; but as we shall be
marching in a day or two, and it may be that I shall be killed, I write
a letter to you and one to Captain Clinton, so that in case I am killed
the truth may be known.
"I affirm most solemnly that the statement made by my wife was a lie.
Whether she did intend to change the children or not is more than I can
say. Sometimes she said she did, sometimes she said she didn't; but at
any rate, she herself did not know which child was which, and did not
discover the little mark on the shoulder until after the babies got
mixed up. Over and over again I have seen her cry and wring her hands
because she could not say which was which. She acknowledged that she
meant to make money out of it, and lamented that she had lost her chance
because she could never herself tell which was which. Of this I am ready
to take my oath in any court of justice, and if she says she knows now,
she is a liar. I have read this letter over to Troop-sergeant Matthews,
and have in his presence sworn on a Bible to its truth. He will place
his name by the side of mine as witness to that and to my signature. I
remain, your obedient servant, John Humphreys, now known as John Bowen.
The letter to your father is word for word the same as this. I have
written it in duplicate in case you should be killed before I am."
"Well, that is plain enough," Easton said when Rupert had finished. "It
is just what you said all along. The woman did not know which was her
son, and you and Edgar stand in the same relation to Captain Clinton
that you always did."
"Thank God for that!" Rupert said. "We want no change, and my father has
said, talking it over with me again and again, he has two sons and loves
us both equally, and it would be a deep grief to him now to know for
certain that one of us is not his son. I will walk across to the
hospital and ask how the sergeant is going on. I am strangely placed
towards him now."
"It is a curious position," Easton said; "but in any case you do but
stand towards him as a son would do towards a father who had given him
up in infancy to be adopted by someone else."
Rupert did not reply, but, saying, "Wait here until I come back," walked
over to the hospital lines. He returned in a few minutes.
"The doctor says he is sinking," he said gravely. "I shall go over there
and remain until all is over."
"Will he be sensible at the last?" he asked the surgeon as he stood by
the litter.
"Possibly," the surgeon said.
"I have a great interest in asking, doctor; I am most anxious to have a
few words with him if possible before he dies."
"If you will call me if he opens his eyes," the surgeon said, "I will do
what I can to rouse him. His pulse is getting weaker and weaker; I do
not think the end is far off."
Half an hour later the dying man opened his eyes. Rupert beckoned to the
surgeon, who came across at once and poured a few drops of spirits
between his lips, and moistened his forehead with a sponge dipped in
vinegar and water.
"Do you know me, Humphreys?" Rupert asked. "I am Rupert Clinton."
The dying man's face brightened. Then his lips moved. "Where is Smith?
He left me to get help; he never returned."
"He is away now," Rupert said, anxious not to disturb the dying man.
"When we got to you you were insensible, that was two days ago. Edgar is
not in camp at present."
"There is a letter for you."
"Yes, it was found on you and I have read it, and I know how we stand
towards each other, and that perhaps you are my father; here is the
letter."
"I will swear to it; get a witness."
Rupert called the surgeon. "Doctor, the sergeant wishes you to hear him
swear that this letter was written by him and that its contents are
true."
"Bible," the sergeant said faintly.
A Bible was brought and the dying man's hand placed upon it. "I swear,"
he said in a firmer voice than that in which he had hitherto spoken,
"that this letter was written by me and that every word in it is true,
and that neither I nor my wife, nor anyone save God, knows whether
Trumpeter Smith or Lieutenant Clinton is my son."
The effort was made and he closed his eyes. Rupert took his hand and
knelt beside him. Once again the sergeant opened his eyes and spoke.
"Good lads both," he said; "better as things are."
A few minutes later he ceased to breathe. The surgeon had retired after
hearing the sergeant's declaration. When he saw Rupert rise to his feet
he came up to him. "I have just written down the words," he said, "and
have signed my name as a witness to the fact that it was a declaration
sworn on the Bible by one who knew that he was dying."
"Thank you," Rupert said; "it is a strange story, I will tell you it
some day."
After leaving the hospital Rupert went to Easton, in whose judgment he
had a great deal of confidence, and after stating what had occurred
asked him if in his opinion he could take any steps to learn more about
Edgar.
"I think, Clinton, that were I in your place I should go to the
commanding officer and tell him you have learnt that the trumpeter who
was with the wounded sergeant of the Heavies found in the grove, and who
left him to fetch aid from our camp, was your brother. You can say that
on account of a misunderstanding he left home and enlisted under a false
name, and beg that a search be instituted for his body, and also that
the politicals who are in communication with the natives should make
inquiries whether any white captive had been brought into Metemmeh. If
you like I will say as much to our colonel, and I am sure that he will
give orders that whenever detachments go out strict search will be made
of all ground over which they pass. I am afraid that if we do learn from
the natives that he is at Metemmeh our chance of getting him back
before we take the place is small, for even if the people into whose
hands he fell were willing to part with him for a ransom, the fanatical
dervishes would not allow it; however, there would be no harm in trying.
I know that to-day half a dozen natives came in with some cattle and
grain, and no doubt some others will be in to-morrow."
Rupert took the advice, and at once went over to the quarters of the
officer in command and made the statement that Easton had suggested. The
colonel expressed great regret, and promised that every step should be
taken to ascertain the fate of his brother and to endeavour to recover
him if alive. Another party was sent out in the morning, and a further
and most minute search made of the ground between the camp and the grove
where the sergeant had been found, and the 19th Hussars were directed
while scouring the plain to search every depression and to examine every
clump of bushes to discover if possible the body of a missing soldier or
any signs of his clothes or accoutrements. The political officer closely
questioned all the natives who came in, but these came from villages
higher up the river, and no news was obtained of what was going on at
Metemmeh. The next day there was a great outburst of firing in Metemmeh,
guns and cannon being discharged incessantly for two or three hours. At
first it was thought that some dispute might have arisen between the
various tribes now occupying the place, but this idea was abandoned when
it was seen that the cannon on the walls were discharged not into the
town but towards the open country, and it was then concluded that some
great festival of the Mahdi was being celebrated. The following day was
Sunday. Just as the troops were being formed up for a church parade a
staff officer came up to Rupert and his fellow aides-de-camp as they
were buckling on their swords.
"Is anything wrong, major?" Rupert asked, as he saw that the officer was
much agitated.
"Yes, we have terrible news. A boat has just come down from Wilson with
the news that he arrived too late; that Khartoum has fallen, and that
Gordon is murdered."
An exclamation of horror broke from the two young officers.
"Do you think it is true, major?"
"I fear there is no doubt of it. The steamers got up to the town, and
the Mahdi's flags were flying everywhere, and the vessels were peppered
with shot from all the batteries. There is other bad news. Wilson's
steamers both ran aground, and cannot be got off. Beresford is to go up
and bring the party off, that is, if he can fight his way past the
batteries. You see, that is what the firing in Metemmeh yesterday was
about. No doubt a messenger had arrived from the Mahdi with the news of
the fall of Khartoum. Don't say anything about it. Of course the news
will not be kept from the officers, but it is to be kept from the men as
far as possible."
Feeling almost stunned with the news, Rupert and his companions joined
the rest of the staff and proceeded to the parade-ground. An hour after
the service had concluded the terrible intelligence was known to all the
officers. The feelings of grief, indignation, and rage were universal.
All their efforts and suffering had been in vain, all the money spent
upon the expedition entirely wasted. Gordon and his Egyptian garrison at
Khartoum had perished, and it seemed not unnatural that the authorities
at home should be blamed for the hesitation they had displayed in
sending out the expedition to rescue the heroic defenders. Even at the
last moment, they had countermanded their orders for the purchase of
camels, which, had they been available, would have enabled General
Stewart's desert column to march straight across, instead of being
obliged to send the camels backwards and forwards; and in that case the
steamers would have arrived in time to save Gordon, for it was but two
days before they reached Khartoum that the town had fallen.
Never was an expedition so utterly useless, never did brave men who had
fought their way through all difficulties find their efforts so
completely vain!
The news could not long be kept from the men. The words of passionate
grief and indignation that burst from their officers were soon caught up
and carried through the camp, and the rank and file joined with their
officers in a wholesale denunciation of those who were responsible for
this disaster which had suddenly overtaken the expedition. The future
was warmly debated among the officers. Some maintained that the
expedition having come so far, the money having been laid out, it would
be allowed to finish its work, to proceed to Khartoum, to recover the
city, crush the Mahdi, and restore peace and order to the Soudan. Others
asserted that after this failure to carry out the main object of the
expedition, the authorities at home might now hasten to withdraw an
expedition which they had only with apparent reluctance sent out at all.
Rupert feared that the latter alternative was the most probable, and
with it his hopes of seeing his brother before long were dashed to the
ground.
It was maddening to think that he was lying a helpless prisoner in the
hands of the Arabs in the mud-walled town but two miles away; for it was
now probable that the force would march back, and Edgar be left to his
fate. Easton and Skinner in vain attempted to cheer him. They had,
however, no arguments to combat his conviction that the expedition would
be abandoned, and could only fall back upon their belief that sooner or
later Edgar would manage to make his escape from the hands of the Arabs.
To Rupert's distressed mind this was poor consolation.
Lord Charles Beresford at once started up the river in a small steamer
to rescue Sir Charles Wilson's party. As it was known that there was a
strong battery below the spot where the steamers had been lost, and that
Beresford would have to run the gauntlet of this on his way up, much
anxiety was felt as to the result, and a constant and eager watch was
kept up for a sight of the steamer on her return. When the time came
that she was expected to make her appearance, and no signs were visible
of her, the anxiety heightened; and when another day passed, and still
she did not return, grave fears were entertained for her safety. At last
the welcome news came that smoke could be seen ascending from the river
higher up, and loud cheers burst from the men when the flag at the
masthead was seen above the trees.
There was a general rush down to the shore of all who were not on duty
to hear the news when she arrived; and when she drew up near the bank
and the first party landed, it was found that her escape had been a
narrow one indeed. In passing the battery she had had a sharp engagement
with the artillery there, and a shot had passed through her boiler and
disabled her, and she had been obliged to anchor. Fortunately she was a
little above the battery when this took place. The guns could not well
be brought to bear upon her; and although assailed by a constant fire of
musketry, her own guns, her Gardner, and the rifles of the troops had
kept the enemy at a distance and prevented them from shifting any of
their guns so as to play upon her, until an officer of the Naval
Brigade, who was acting as her engineer, had managed to repair the
boiler.
While the fight was going on Sir Charles Wilson's party were upon an
island, near which the second steamer had sunk, two miles higher up the
river, and were hotly engaged with a force upon the bank. They were able
to see that the rescuing steamer was disabled, and at night had crossed
to the river bank, and marching down it to a point opposite the steamer,
opened communication with her by signals, and then did what they could
to divert the attention of the enemy from her by opening fire upon the
battery with one of their guns, causing the enemy to turn two or three
of his pieces of artillery against them. At nightfall they marched down
the river to a point where the steamer had signalled she would pick them
up. The steamer ran past the battery in the morning and fortunately
escaped without serious injury, and then picking up the whole of Sir
Charles Wilson's party came down the river without further molestation.
[Illustration: "A SHOT HAD PASSED THROUGH HER BOILER."]
All this time no despatch of any kind had been received from Korti,
although a small reinforcement consisting of a company of the Naval
Brigade and half a battery of artillery had arrived, and the camels--or
rather a portion of them, for nearly half had died upon the journey--had
returned from Gakdul with a supply of stores. The days passed heavily
until, on the 10th of February, General Buller and the 18th Royal Irish
arrived; hopes were entertained, as they were seen approaching, that the
appearance of the infantry signified that the expedition was still to
continue to advance; but it was very soon known that the Royal Irish had
merely arrived to cover the retreat. The next morning the whole of the
wounded were sent off under a strong escort; then the work of destroying
all the stores that had been brought up by the last convoy, except what
were needed for the march down to Gakdul, was carried out, and two days
later the forts that had been built with so much labour were evacuated,
and the whole force set out upon their march down to Korti.
This time the journey was performed on foot. The camels of the three
corps and of the vast baggage train with which they had started were
bleaching on the desert, and scarce enough animals remained for the
service of carrying down the sick and wounded. Rupert Clinton was among
them. His strength had failed rapidly, and a sort of low fever had
seized him, and he had for some days before the convoy started been
lying prostrate in the hospital lines. Skinner was, at his own request,
carried by the same camel that conveyed Rupert, the beds being swung one
on each side of it. He had protested that he was perfectly capable of
marching, but the doctors would not hear of it; and when he found that
he could accompany Rupert he was glad that they decided against him, as
he was able to look after his friend and to keep up his spirits to a
certain extent by his talk.
Several of the wounded died on their way down, among them Sir Herbert
Stewart, who had survived his wound a much longer time than the surgeons
had at first believed possible. One piece of news that they had learned
the day before they left the neighbourhood of Metemmeh had some slight
effect in cheering Rupert, a native of that town having reported that a
white prisoner had been brought in on the day after the battle near the
town; he had been captured by some men of the Jahrin tribe and not by
the regular troops of the Mahdi; three or four days later there had been
a quarrel, the Mahdi's people wanting to take the prisoner and send him
up to Khartoum; his captors had objected, claiming him as their private
property; but as they were only a small party he would doubtless have
been taken from them by force had they not, during the night, stolen out
of the town with him, taken a boat, crossed the river, and made off.
Thus there was evidence that Edgar was still alive, and Skinner
endeavoured to impress upon Rupert that in every respect the
intelligence was favourable.
"You see, Clinton, if your brother had been sent up to the Mahdi, the
villain would have endeavoured to force him to change his religion.
Edgar would never have done that, and in that case it is pretty certain
that they would have chopped his head off. As it is, the chief of these
Arabs who took him evidently means to keep him as a slave for himself.
Of course it is not pleasant to be a slave, but it is better than having
the choice between worshipping a greasy Arab or having your head chopped
off, and it will give him time to learn the language, to make his plans
of escape, and to carry them out."
Rupert was too weak and ill to fully enter into the question, but he did
see that Edgar's position was certainly better under an Arab master than
it would have been had he been sent up to Khartoum, and the knowledge
that he was alive and was in no immediate danger of his life did much
to revive him, and enable him to bear the weary journey down to Korti
better than he would otherwise have done. Once there the comparatively
cool air of the hospital tents, the quiet, and the supply of every
luxury soon had their effect, and in the course of three weeks he was up
and about, though it would be some time before he would be fit for
active duty. It was still altogether uncertain what decision would be
finally arrived at at home respecting the expedition, but for the
present the troops were stationed at various points on the river as far
down as Dongola, and it was hoped that later on the advance against
Khartoum would be recommenced.
Rupert, as soon as he was able to get about, had a long conversation
with Major Kitchener, the political officer who was in charge of all
communications with the natives. He related to him the circumstances of
his brother's capture, and how he was a prisoner of some men belonging
to the Jahrin tribe. Major Kitchener promised that his spies should make
every inquiry, and held out hopes that by the offer of a large reward
his captors might be induced to bring him down to the camp.
The time passed very slowly, the heat increased in intensity and became
intolerable from nine in the morning until five in the afternoon.
Between those hours there was nothing to do but to lie still in the mud
huts that had now been erected, for it would have been well-nigh
impossible to exist in the little tents that the troops had brought with
them.
In the early morning and in the evening every one bathed in the Nile.
Then the officers, each of whom had picked up some sort of pony from the
natives, went for a ride, chased the wild dogs, or wandered gun on
shoulder in search of such game as was to be found. After sunset was the
only really pleasant time of day, and when the moon was up both officers
and men enjoyed themselves; but on dark nights neither walking nor
riding could be indulged in, so broken was the ground, and there was
nothing to do but to talk, sing, and vary the tedium by a game of cards.
The Guards' Camel Regiment were posted close to Dongola. Rupert, who
since the death of General Stewart had no longer any staff duties, was
attached to the transport corps and spent a considerable portion of his
time going up or down the river in boats. He did not, therefore, see
much of his friends, although he never passed Dongola without managing
to make it a halting-place so as to have a few hours' talk with them.
"You have thoroughly picked up again, Clinton," Skinner said as he
arrived upon one of these visits. "No one would know you to be the same
fellow who was brought down to Korti with me on that wretched camel's
back. I think you are very lucky to have got put on to that transport
work."
"So do I, Skinner; it gives me little time to sit and think, and though
it is terrifically hot in the middle of the day I can always manage to
get up some sort of shelter with straw or matting of some kind, and at
any rate it is cooler there than on shore."
"I wish they would give me a turn at it," Skinner said. "I cannot offer
to take an oar, for although my arm is going on very well the doctor
says it may be months before I can venture to use it in anything like
hard work. We get up jolly horse races here once a week in the evening.
The natives enter their animals. Of course we have no chance with them
on our little tats, but we sometimes manage to requisition two or three
horses from the Hussars. I dare not ride myself, for though the horses
and ponies are both very sure-footed these natives ride in the wildest
way and one might get cannoned over. Still it is an amusement to look on
and make small bets and watch the natives; crowds of them come out to
see it, and they get tremendously excited over it. I wish we could get
up a good football match, the Guards against Dongola; it would be awful
fun. As far as running goes we should not be in it, and if one of them
got the ball he would carry it right through us up to the goal, for
they are as active and slippery as eels. Of course when it came to a
good close fight we should have it our own way."
"Have you managed to get up football on board ship, Skinner?" Easton,
who was stretched at full length on the ground, asked lazily.
"Not yet," Skinner laughed. "If we played at all we should have to use a
cannon-ball, so that it should not be kicked over the sides; but then,
unless we got iron shoes made for the purpose, we should all be laid up.
But I have got a football in my cabin, and once or twice we have had
games at Suakim, and very good fun it was too."
"No news, I suppose, Clinton?" Easton asked, sitting up.
Rupert shook his head. "Not a word. We hear very little of what is going
on above us, and the natives who do come in lie so, there's no believing
a word they say. I have been thinking that if one could trust them I
would pay one of the sheiks to dress me up and stain my skin and take me
with him on a wandering expedition to Khartoum and over the country on
both sides of the river."
"It would be madness," Easton said. "Of course if you could talk their
language perfectly it might be possible to manage it, for I suppose that
with dye and false hair one might be got up to pass as far as
appearances go, but not being able to speak the language would be
fatal."
"Of course I should have to go as a dumb man. I was asking the surgeon
the other day if there would be any great difficulty in cutting a
fellow's tongue out."
"In doing what?" Easton and Skinner asked in astonishment.
"Cutting my tongue out," Rupert said seriously. "You see, if my tongue
was cut out anyone could see at once that I was dumb. Of course it
wouldn't be pleasant, but I believe it would be possible to get to talk
after some time. If there were no other objections I should not hesitate
for a moment; but unfortunately I should have to pass for deaf as well
as dumb, for of course I should not understand anything that was said
to me. I have been thinking it over in every light, and really the only
great objection I see to the plan is that though one might depend upon
the chief's being faithful if he were well paid, it would be very
doubtful as to his followers."
"And are you really serious in saying that you would have your tongue
cut out, Clinton?"
"Of course I am serious," Rupert said, almost angrily. "What is one's
tongue in comparison to one's brother? What do you think, Easton? Do you
think the idea is at all feasible? I may say that for the last two
months I have been working almost night and day at the language. I
engaged a fellow the day I came out of hospital. He was working for one
of those Greek shopkeepers. He is a native of Dongola, but has been down
in Egypt and picked up a certain amount of French. He goes about with me
in the boat, and we talk all day and as long as I can keep him awake at
night. Of course I don't think for a moment that I could learn enough to
pass as a native for at least a couple of years; but it would be of no
use my going up with a party of Arabs if I could not make out what they
say and learn what news they pick up, and make arrangements to get Edgar
away if we find him."
"It would be a fearfully risky business, Clinton," Easton said gravely.
"The betting would be tremendously against you, but I don't say that it
is absolutely impossible that you should be successful. I don't think it
would be necessary to carry out the idea of having your tongue cut out.
As you say, a tongue is nothing in comparison to a brother, and if I
thought that the loss of your tongue would ensure your success I should
say nothing against it, it would be a matter for you and you only to
decide; but I should think it might be managed in some other way. The
fellow you would be with would naturally avoid all large encampments,
and would send you off to look after camels or something if other
natives arrived at the same encampment."
"You don't really mean, Easton," Skinner said, "that you seriously think
that it might be done; that is, that the betting is not more than ten to
one against it?"
"No; I don't think the odds are longer than that, Skinner. You know
Burton went to Mecca in disguise, and I believe that it has been done
since by somebody else. I grant that Burton could talk the language
well, and that having to play the part of a dumb man adds to the risk.
Still, I do not think, as I said, that the chances are more than ten to
one against it."
"Well, I shall think it over," Rupert said; "but I must be going now,
for the boat will be loaded by this time."
"Why did you encourage Clinton in this mad idea, Easton?" Skinner asked
after Rupert had left them.
"I don't think I did encourage him. I told him the betting was ten to
one against his coming back alive, and I don't call that encouraging;
but I believe it is possible, and I am not at all sure that if I were in
his place, and the idea had occurred to me, that I shouldn't try to
carry it out."