FOUND!
Before starting upon their journey the sheik said to Edgar, "On our
journey here we travelled by unfrequented tracks, and it was sufficient
to cover you up so that none who passed us should notice you; but it
will be different now, therefore we must dress you in our own fashion.
Your hair can never be made to look like ours and must be bound in a
turban. With that and a burnoose your face and hands only will be
visible. These are now so darkened by the sun that their fairness will
scarce be noticed, but the women will prepare a dye which will darken
you to our shade. I wish you to dress like us for another reason. You
have done us great service, and though you will not change your religion
I regard you almost as one of the tribe, and do not wish you henceforth
to consider yourself as a slave. You are improving fast in our language,
and if you speak but little you will pass unnoticed. Some men are more
silent than others, and you need speak but little when strangers are
with us. As one of ourselves you will attract less notice than as a
slave. None will say, 'Where did you get that fellow? To what part did
he belong? Was he brought from the Great Lakes? Are you inclined to sell
him? He is a likely youth. What will you take for him?'"
"I am ready to do what you think best, sheik," Edgar said, "and indeed
there can be no doubt that I am far less likely to be noticed if wrapped
up in your fashion than if I went half clothed as a slave."
Accordingly a low close-fitting turban was wound round Edgar's head, and
he was wrapped up in loose cotton garments covered with a burnoose, the
hood of which came over his head. His face, hands, and neck were
slightly stained, and when this was done the Arabs admitted that they
would not for a moment have suspected him of being other than he seemed.
Most of the women, children, and old men were left behind at the wady;
the goats and sheep would supply them with milk and cheese; there was a
sufficient supply of grain for their use until the crops that had been
sown as soon as they arrived should come into bearing; and when all
preparations were complete the party started on its way.
It consisted of twelve men mounted on camels, while two other animals
followed behind each of these. The sheik rode at the head of the party
upon the horse that had been captured from the Mahdists. Amina also had
a camel to herself, while the four other women who accompanied the party
rode two on a camel. Yussuf and five or six lads of from fifteen to
seventeen years old walked by the side of the camels. The led camels
were but lightly loaded, carrying only the tents, cooking utensils,
provender for the journey, and food and water for the party; and Edgar
could see no reason why Yussuf and the boys should not have ridden,
except that it was the custom for slaves and lads to walk.
It was a six days' journey to the point they aimed at, and the marches
were long ones. The supply of water carried was ample for the wants of
the party, and the camels were given a good drink before starting on the
fourth day's journey. They were turned loose each evening on arriving at
a halting-place, and left to pick up what subsistence they could from
the bushes, a good feed being given to them each morning from the
provender they carried. As they could have carried much more, Edgar
inquired why enough had not been brought to give them a feed at night as
well; but the Arab of whom he had asked the question said that it was
better for them to browse at night, as the moisture in the herbage
enabled them to do with much less water than if they had been fed
entirely upon grain.
Edgar was very glad when the desert journey was over. The glare of the
sun from the sand and the rocks was almost blinding, and the wraps in
which he was muffled up greatly added to his discomfort. On arriving at
the cultivated land the same picture presented itself that he had seen
near Khartoum. Everywhere the villages were almost entirely deserted and
the fields lay waste; the blighting influence of the Mahdi seemed to
weigh upon the whole country. The few natives that remained fled in fear
at the sight of the strangers, and the old people they met with in the
villages were crushed with grief and despondency. Of what use to
cultivate the land when the Mahdists might at any moment sweep off the
crops? Even should they gather the grain, where could they sell it?
There were markets indeed still open, but the Mahdi's tax-gatherers
would demand a proportion of the proceeds, which would sweep away all
their profits. What was to become of them Allah alone knew.
Edgar was filled with pity for these poor creatures, and over and over
again thought with astonishment of the policy which, after sending a
force to within a short distance of Khartoum amply sufficient to have
crushed the Mahdi and to have restored peace and comfort to the
population of the Soudan, had withdrawn them when the goal was all but
reached, and left the unhappy people to their fate.
After journeying for some days they passed a plain strewn with
skeletons.
"You see these," the sheik said; "they are the remains of the army of
Hicks Pasha. Here they were attacked by the Mahdi's army. They defended
themselves bravely, but they could neither advance nor retreat, and at
last they were vanquished by thirst and fatigue. They were slaughtered
as they stood. Hicks Pasha and a band of officers rode right into the
midst of the Mahdists, and died fighting there. There were, I heard, two
or three Kaffirs with him, besides many Egyptian officers. The black
troops fought splendidly, but the Egyptians made a poor stand; but it
came to the same in the end. What could they do against the followers of
Allah!"
[Illustration: THE ARMY OF HICKS PASHA ON THE MARCH.]
"But the Egyptians are followers of Allah too," Edgar said, "and yet, as
you say, they are but poor fighters. No, no, sheik; I admit the
extraordinary bravery of the tribesmen. I fought against them at Suakim
and saw them charge down upon our square at Abu Klea. They had no fear
of death, and no men ever fought more bravely. But it was a matter of
race rather than religion. Your people have always been free, for the
rule of Egypt was after all a nominal one. The Egyptians have been
slaves for centuries and have lost their fighting power. In the old, old
days, thousands of years ago, of which we have records in our sacred
book, and which we have learned from other sources, the Egyptians were
among the most war-like of people and carried their arms far and wide,
but for many hundreds of years now they have been ruled by strangers. It
was not very long ago that our people fought a great tribe in the south
of Africa--a tribe who knew nothing of Allah, who had in fact no
religion at all, and yet they fought as stoutly and as well as your
people have done here. It is a matter of race. They were just as ready
to die as were your tribesmen, and that not because they believed, as
you do, that death in battle would open the gates of paradise to them,
but simply because it was the will of their king."
"Mashallah!" the sheik said, stroking his beard, "they must have been
brave indeed to throw away their lives if they knew nothing of paradise,
merely at the will of one man. That was folly indeed. A man has but one
life, it is his all; why should he part with it? Did they love this king
of theirs?"
"I do not know that they loved him," Edgar said, "but they feared him.
Their laws were very cruel ones, and it was death to turn back in
battle."
"They had better have cut his throat and have gone about their own
business," the sheik said. "Why should one man be master of the lives of
all his people. Is this so among the whites?"
"It is so in some countries, but not in others," Edgar said. "Some
countries are ruled over by men chosen by the people themselves, and the
power of peace and war and of making laws of all kinds is in the hands
of these men, and the king has very little power. In other countries the
king is absolute; if he says it is war, it is war."
The sheik was silent.
"But why should people fight and die because one man tells them?" he
said after a pause; "it is astonishing."
"But it is just the same thing with the people here and the Mahdi,"
Edgar said; "he tells them to fight, and they fight; if he told them to
scatter to their homes they would do so."
The sheik made no further remark, but it was evident to Edgar that he
was thinking out the problems that had presented themselves to him, for
some hours afterwards he suddenly remarked, "We who live in tents and
wander where we will are the only free men; it is more clear to me than
ever."
When they were within a day's journey of El-Obeid they met one of the
sheik's followers who had left the wady four days before the rest with
instructions to go to the city and find out whether it would be safe to
enter. He halted his camel when he reached that of the sheik.
"You must go no nearer the city, my father," he said. "I have learned
that orders have been received by the Mahdi's governor to arrest you and
all with you should you present yourselves there. There is much talk
about a party of soldiers who went into the desert to arrest you having
disappeared altogether; others have been sent to find them, but have
discovered no traces of them, so there are orders that any of our tribe
from the desert are to be closely questioned. Any who admit a knowledge
of you are to be sent to Khartoum. I was questioned at the gates, but as
I said that I had come straight from Khartoum and knew nought of what
was passing in the desert I was passed in without further inquiry. I
took up my abode with the people you told me of, and they have found out
for me what I have told you. It is but three days since the orders
concerning you were received."
"I thought there might be danger at El Obeid," the sheik said calmly.
"We will turn off so as to avoid the city, and will make south to join
the white pasha. For a while it would not be safe anywhere here."
Without further words he turned his camel from the track they had been
following, and bore away more to the south.
"Think you that the white pasha will be able to maintain his position?"
The sheik shook his head.
"For a time he may, but in the end he must either surrender or try to
strike down to the sea. His troops will weary at last even if they are
not beaten by the army the Mahdi will send against them. They will say,
'Why should we go on fighting? What good can come of our holding out
when no aid can possibly reach us from Egypt?' The Mahdi will be glad to
come to terms with them and allow them to live there in quiet with their
wives and families and their possessions, if they will acknowledge him
and hand over the white pasha with the two or three white officers he
has with him. But that will make no difference to me. I know all the
country by the Great Lakes. There are Arab traders there in plenty who
buy slaves and ivory and take them down to the coast. I can find
employment with them for my camels, and can stay with them until it is
safe to return. This cannot go on for ever. Besides, in times of trouble
events pass quickly out of men's minds, and in a year the Mahdists will
have forgotten my name. As to the loss of their forty men, what is it?
They have lost thousands since the war began."
"When we get to the white pasha, sheik, would you hand me over to him if
he offered you a ransom for me?"
"No," the sheik said decidedly, "I should not take you near him. Why
should I part with you? You have brought us good fortune. Thanks to you
we defeated the Mahdists and captured their camels and all that they
had. Besides, I like you. Why should I part with you? What good would it
do you? With me you are no longer treated as a slave, but as one of my
own people. What would you be with the white pasha? An officer of his
troops, getting no pay, and running the risk of being one day seized and
sent with the others a prisoner to Khartoum."
"I have no desire to stay with the white pasha," Edgar said; "I would
rather be with you than in so hopeless a position as he is; but I might
make my way down to the coast?"
"Never," the sheik said; "at least never alone. There are fierce tribes
between the lakes and the sea. No white man could get through alone. He
could only do it by going with a great band of fighting men and
carriers, and by buying his way by presents through the great tribes and
fighting his way through the small ones. You may travel down to the sea
some day with me if I join the caravans of the Arabs, and then if there
are countrymen of yours on the coast, as I have heard, and they would
pay me a good ransom for you, we may see about it. You are ungrateful to
wish to leave me."
"Not ungrateful, sheik, for you and your wife have treated me with great
kindness; but it is natural that one should wish to go to one's own
people. Had you been taken a prisoner and carried to England, however
well you were treated you would sigh for your free life in the desert,
for your people and friends, and would escape if you saw a chance. It is
human nature to love the land where one was born, whatever that land may
be."
"That is true," El Bakhat admitted; "but you cannot escape now; there is
nowhere for you to go to."
"That is true, sheik; and I should be well content did I know that you
were travelling straight either for Suakim or Zanzibar, for at either
place I know that I could obtain from my countrymen money to pay any
ransom you might set upon me, even a sum that would buy you fast camels
and much goods, and make you a wealthy man in your tribe; but I am not
content to wait for years."
"You are not thinking of making your escape now?" El Bakhat asked,
looking scrutinizingly at Edgar under his heavy eyebrows.
"No, sheik," Edgar answered. "From the day that you captured me I made
up my mind that I would escape sooner or later, whatever the risk; but I
knew well that I could never traverse the country until I could speak
the language like a native. I have made great progress, and can now
understand all that is said and can talk freely and easily, but not so
that I could travel alone as a native. It will be months yet before I
can do that. Nor, after the kindness with which you have treated me,
would I leave you suddenly without warning. When I feel that I can
safely travel alone I shall give you fair warning. I shall say to you,
Sheik, if you will now travel with me to Suakim or some other port where
I can obtain money for paying you a fair ransom I will remain with you
until such ransom is paid into your hands; if you will not do so I shall
consider myself free to escape when I can. Of course it will be open to
you to treat me again as a slave, and to use all vigilance to prevent my
leaving you, but I shall consider that by giving you fair warning I
shall be free to use my best endeavours to get away."
"You speak boldly," the sheik said, "but you speak fairly. Do you give
me your promise not to attempt to escape until after warning me?"
"Yes, I give you that promise, sheik."
"It is well," El Bakhat said gravely. "I know that you would not lie to
me. After you have given me warning I shall know what to do." So saying
he got up and walked away to his tent.
Three days later, as the caravan was halting at a well, Yussuf, who had
gone out with the camels, ran in.
"There is a large body of men, some on foot and some on horses,
approaching from the south."
"How far are they off?" the sheik asked as he leapt to his feet.
"Scarce half a mile," the negro replied.
"Then it is too late for flight," the sheik said, reseating himself;
"they would be here long before we could saddle our camels. It is
doubtless a body of the Mahdi's troops, but if they come from the south
they will have heard nothing against us."
When the Mahdists rode up the sheik rose and saluted their commander.
"Who are you?" the officer asked.
"I am an humble person, one El Bakhat of the Jahrin tribe, travelling
with my camels and some little merchandise."
"Have you the permit of one of the Mahdi's officers to trade?"
"No, my lord, I did not know that it was needful."
"Assuredly it is needful," the officer said. "Your camels and goods are
forfeited, and you yourself and your people must travel with us to
El-Obeid, where inquiries will be made about you."
"My lord," the sheik said, "I am a poor man and have done no harm. After
fighting against the infidels I went back to my people with such spoil
as we had taken and have dwelt there quietly, and was ignorant that it
needed a permission for me to journey with my camels."
"Well, if you can prove that when you get to the city," the officer
said, "the governor may take a lenient view of the case, and may content
himself by taking a portion only of your camels as a fine; but if you
are lying it will be worse for you. Remember now that you are
prisoners, and will be shot down if one of you attempts to escape."
The sheik bowed submissively. The officer ordered some of his men to
keep a rigid watch over the prisoners, and then paid no further
attention to them.
The sheik re-entered his tent and sat down stern and silent without
speaking. Amina, who had heard what had passed, was in the greatest
state of alarm, but saw that her husband was not to be spoken to at
present. She went to the door of her tent and beckoned to Edgar, in whom
she felt the most implicit confidence.
"You heard what has passed, Muley?"
"I heard, lady; the position is full of danger."
"You are fertile in expedients. Can you not suggest some thing? You see
if we are taken to El-Obeid, where they have had news of the expedition
sent from Khartoum, and its disappearance in the desert, my husband
would be sent in chains to the Mahdi, and you know what his fate would
then be, while the least that will befall us all will be to be sold into
slavery. What then do you advise?"
"With your permission I will think it over," Edgar replied. "The
position is a difficult one; the danger is, as you say, great."
"Go, then, and think it over, Muley."
Edgar went out of the tent and squatted down (a position which had at
first been very fatiguing, but to which he was now accustomed) by the
embers of the fire before it, and thought over what had best be done.
For himself, he felt sure that he could make his escape, for though a
general watch might be kept, one man could doubtless crawl away in the
darkness; but he felt that he could not abandon the sheik in a moment of
danger. It was, in fact, owing to himself that the sheik was now in his
present position. It was true that the Arab had refused to give him up
to the Mahdi's people at Metemmeh, not from any love towards him, but
of his own obstinate and headstrong disposition. However, that refusal,
whatever its motive, had undoubtedly saved his life; and, moreover, the
sheik had behaved with great kindness to him since, and he felt that it
was clearly his duty to do all in his power to assist him now; but how?
It was upwards of an hour before he rose from the fire and again entered
the sheik's tent. The sheik was sitting smoking gravely. Amina was
baking some bread over the embers in the middle of the tent.
"What is your counsel, Muley?" she asked.
"I see no plan," he said, "by which my lord can get away with all his
followers and camels. One or two might steal out from the camp, and I
thought at first that if Yussuf and myself--who would not be so closely
watched as he will be, for there are two sentries outside the
tent--could manage to steal out with our guns and to open fire in the
darkness upon the camp, the Mahdists, thinking they were attacked, would
seize their arms and run out, and in the confusion my lord and you and
some of the others might make their escape. But this plan is full of
danger, and it might not succeed, for they might suspect that those who
attacked them were of your party, and a portion would remain to keep
guard over you. This, then, should be the last resource, for if the
attempt was made and failed, escape would be more difficult than ever.
"It appears to me that the first thing to do is to try and bribe the
chief. At present he only suspects you of trading without a license, and
were my lord to see him and to offer him half the camels and the
burdens, to let him go free with the remainder, he might accept it. If
that failed, we can still try my plan. I would take my gun and crawl out
with Yussuf. I would go two or three hundred yards away to the right,
and would then fire as quickly as I could, moving while I did so; so
that they might think that there were many attacking them. Then, my
lord, in the confusion you and your wife with the child should try to
make your escape. As soon as the camp is aroused and they are advancing
against us we would move round to the left of the camp, and you would
join us there and make straight across the country and be far away by
daylight."
"But how could we travel without camels?" the sheik broke in
impatiently; "they would surely overtake us before long."
"There are deserted villages in which we might hide until the pursuit is
over," Edgar said. "As they would gain all the camels and goods it would
matter little to them that three or four persons had escaped."
"Not until they reached El-Obeid," the sheik said. "Then they would
learn who we were, and would scour the country for us. Camels we must
have if we are to escape. Besides, I should be a ruined man, and might
as well be killed at once."
"Not altogether ruined, sheik," Edgar said. "You remember that we buried
many of your valuables and arms at the wady."
"We could never get there without camels," the sheik said gloomily.
"It might be done, sheik. Several men accompanied the camels on foot,
and we could perform the journey so on our way back; but I should not
counsel that. My idea was that we should get as far away from here as
possible, and should then leave your wife and child in some village. We
could take with us goods which would be quite sufficient to ensure a
welcome for her until you return. Then I should propose that you and I
with Yussuf, who is certainly faithful, should make our way down on foot
as Arab fighting men to Berber, and then on to Osman Digma, who is, we
know, close to Suakim. Thence we might readily find means of escaping
him and entering the town, and then, as I told you, I can promise you a
ransom that would enable you to buy more camels and goods than you have
lost here, to return to your wife and child and take them with you to
your wady. As to camels, I do not altogether despair of getting some.
They are, as usual, grazing outside the camp, they know Yussuf's voice
and mine, and when we first escape we might lead four of them away and
take them to the left of the camp, where you are afterwards to meet us.
Before morning we could be very many miles away."
"Ah! if you could do that!" the chief said, showing for the first time a
lively interest in the matter, "it might be possible. However, I will
try first of all if the officer will accept a bribe. If he will do so it
will give us two days' start, and we can then arrange matters as you
say."
Without another word he rose and went to the door of the tent. The two
sentries placed there stepped forward and told him that their orders
were that he was not to leave it.
"I wish not to leave it," he said; "I desire only to speak to your
commander. I have something of importance to say to him. Will you pray
him to come to me?"
One of the sentries at once went across to the commander's tent and
shortly returned with him.
"Master," the sheik said, "I have done wrong in journeying without a
license, but I came from the desert and did not know the law. I must pay
for my fault, though I cannot think that the commander at El-Obeid would
be hard upon one who has erred from ignorance. However, as it is urgent
for me to press on my journey, I will relinquish to you one-third of my
camels and their burdens if you will let us travel on with the others,
and give us a permit from yourself so that none may molest us in
future."
As the officer had no suspicion that the Arab's first story was untrue
he hesitated; then he said, "Not so; all your camels are forfeited for
breaking the laws of the Mahdi."
"But those who err in ignorance are surely not punished like those who
err wilfully," the sheik urged. "But I am pressed for time. I am
journeying south to the tents of my wife's father, who has sent to say
that he is sick unto death and wishes to see her before he dies. Be
content, my lord, and take half the camels." The officer thought that
the offer was a good one. It was probable that the governor of El-Obeid
would not fine the Arab more than half his camels, seeing that he had
broken the law inadvertently, and in that case he himself would have but
a small share in the spoil; whereas if he consented to the proposal, the
camels would all fall to himself, saving one or two he might give to his
officers to induce them to keep silence as to the affair.
"I will be more merciful than you deserve, Arab," he said; "I will take
half your camels with their loads; but see that you cheat me not; if you
do, it will be worse for you. Divide the animals and goods to-morrow
morning in two equal parts. I will take that which pleases me most. I
have spoken;" and turning upon his heel he went back to his tent.
Edgar, standing within, heard the conversation. "You have heard," the
sheik said when he had entered; "half my property is gone, but I have
freedom and the other half. I have had worse misfortunes than this. So
far your counsel has turned out well, Muley. Now about the future. We
shall have but four days' start. He will reach El-Obeid by evening the
day after to-morrow. There he will hear that he has let slip through his
fingers the man for whom all the country is in search, and horsemen will
be despatched instantly in pursuit; probably they will be here the next
evening; it is but a reprieve. Journey as fast as we will they will soon
overtake us."
"Yes, if we pursue our course in the same direction, sheik, but this we
must not do. I should say that as soon as the division is made we should
start south; it is as well that they should see the direction in which
we are travelling. Then as soon as we are well out of sight of the camp
I should say let us break up the party into six or eight parts and bid
them travel in different directions east and west, and then make to the
point where we arrived from the desert, and strike across to the wady. A
party like ours would be noticed at once, but two or three persons each
with a camel carrying their belongings would be scarce observed; and the
Mahdi's horsemen, asking if a caravan of ten camels had passed, would
be told that no such party had been seen. At any rate most of your men
would be able to regain the wady and there to await your return. Then I
should propose that you on one camel and your wife and child on another,
with such goods as you require to pay your way, with myself on foot
dressed as formerly as a slave, should strike in the direction of
Khartoum, but keeping this side of the river until we reach Berber. Of
course you could take Yussuf with you or not as you might choose; but I
think that you would find him useful."
"You would like him to go?" the sheik asked in a tone of suspicion, for
it flashed across him that if Edgar and Yussuf made common cause he
would be at their mercy.
"I should like him to go, sheik. The negro has always been civil and
obliging to me from the day when I thrashed his companion, and if when
we arrive at a port on the Red Sea you are willing to part with him I
will gladly arrange to buy him of you at any reasonable price that you
might name."
"So be it," the sheik said; "the matter is settled."
Next morning the sheik and his followers were on foot early. They
divided the camels with the greatest care into two portions, debating
earnestly on the merits of each animal; then the goods, which were of
but trifling value, were also divided. When all was done the Mahdi's
officer came down and closely inspected both lots of animals.
"There is nothing to choose between them," he said; "you have made a
just division. I will take the right-hand lot, and the horse is of
course mine;" and to the disgust of the sheik he ordered one of the
followers to take it to his tent. "Here is a permit for you to journey
and trade as you will." The soldiers were already under arms, the Arabs
hastily packed their tents and cooking-pots on the camels that remained
to them, and the two parties set off almost at the same instant in two
opposite directions. When they had travelled for an hour the sheik
halted his caravan and explained the situation to his followers.
"As soon as the Mahdists reach the town they will hear of us, and hot
pursuit will be instantly set on foot; therefore it is necessary for the
present to abandon our plans and for you to return at once to the wady
from which we started. But if our pursuers obtain news of a caravan of
our size they will be sure to overtake us; therefore it is also
necessary that we should separate at once. Let each man, therefore, take
his camel, his wife, and his belongings, and journey singly. Let some go
east and some west, and making a circuit to avoid El-Obeid reach the
edge of the desert as best you may. Do not wait there for each other,
but let each as he reaches it strike across to the wells. When you reach
the wady wait there for me. I go with my wife and Muley and Yussuf. We
shall take two camels and journey north. There I hope to obtain a sum
for the surrender of Muley, which will more than repay us the loss we
have suffered to-day."
The Arabs at once obeyed the orders of the sheik and in a few minutes
were speeding across the country.
"We will go on for another three or four hours' march," the sheik said,
"before we turn to the east. Our pursuers will be sure to inquire for us
at every place they pass, and if they hear that solitary camel men have
been seen making their way across the country they will turn off at once
in pursuit. It is therefore better that they should move off some
distance before we turn off." The sheik had chosen two camels which,
though not remarkable for their looks, were of better blood than the
rest, and more capable of performing long journeys. He and his wife and
child rode on one of the animals, Edgar with Yussuf behind him on the
other. At noon they turned off from the southern course they had before
been pursuing. They continued their journey until long after sunset, and
then halted for a few hours to rest the camels.
The moon rose at eight o'clock, and as soon as it was up they started
again, travelling now in a north-easterly direction in order to throw
their pursuers off their track. At daybreak they halted again, this
time in a grove. A fire was lit and Yussuf cooked some meal cakes, and a
bountiful feed of grain was given to each animal. As speed was less an
object than secrecy no move was made until nightfall, in order that they
might pass through the villages unobserved. The journey was continued
until the following morning, when they again halted. They were now
following a track which would, the sheik said, lead them after a few
miles into the main road between El-Obeid and Khartoum.
This time the halt was of but a few hours' duration, as they hoped that
they had baffled their pursuers and could now travel without attracting
any special attention. They had reached the road and were proceeding
along it when Yussuf saw dust rising in the distance. He called the
attention of the sheik to it, and the camels were pressed forward to
their utmost speed. But camels will seldom go far beyond their
accustomed walk; and it soon became apparent that they were being
rapidly overtaken by the strangers who were pressing on behind. By this
time it could be seen that the party following them were also mounted on
camels. Two riders had detached themselves from the main body and were
coming on at a rapid pace.
"They must be mounted on heiries," the sheik said; "see how they come
along! There is no avoiding them."
"They are not the Mahdi's men," Yussuf said presently; "I can see by
their dress that they are in Arab robes."
"They are riding for a purpose," the sheik said, "or they would not
travel so fast, and yet if their purpose were hostile they would hardly
leave their followers so far behind. If they know aught of El Bakhat
they will know that he is not a man to surrender without resistance.
Prepare your gun, Muley. Methinks there are but two men with the four
camels behind, and if we slay these first we shall have no difficulty
with them."
[Illustration: "IT IS RUPERT'S VOICE, BUT IT CANNOT BE RUPERT!"]
The strangers came rapidly up, and as they approached the sheik saw that
they were an Arab trader and a wild-looking native. As they came up
they reined in their camels and the trader gave the usual Arab
salutation, which was responded to by the sheik. Two or three of the
usual ceremonial sentences were repeated on both sides.
"My brother's name is El Bakhat?" the new-comer said.
"My name is my own," the sheik replied, "and is no concern of
strangers."
"I come as a friend," the Arab said. "I arrived at El-Obeid yesterday
and heard that a body of horsemen had set out in pursuit of you.
Yesterday evening some returned with a prisoner, who said that your
party had separated and that you were travelling north. Two parties of
horsemen were ordered to start at daybreak. Thinking that you might make
for Khartoum, I set out at once to warn you."
By this time the wild-looking young native had slipped from his camel
and walked up to Edgar, staring fixedly at him. Edgar, not knowing what
to make of the movement, shifted his rifle forward, when the native gave
a wild cry, "Edgar!"
Edgar gazed at him with stupefaction. It was Rupert's voice; but how
could this wild figure be Rupert? how could he be here?
"Edgar, do you not know me? I am Rupert!"
Edgar could doubt no longer. He flung himself from his camel and rushed
into his brother's arms.
"Am I mad or dreaming?" he exclaimed, as he still failed altogether to
recognize Rupert in his disguise. "It is Rupert's voice surely, but it
cannot be Rupert."
"It is me, sure enough, Edgar; and you are neither mad nor dreaming."
"But this hair?" Edgar said, still bewildered, gazing at the wild,
unkempt locks.
"It is a wig, neither more nor less, Edgar, made for me at Cairo; and a
first-rate job too."
Edgar could doubt no longer, but with the certainty and joy a strange
weakness seemed to come over him, and he would have fallen had not
Rupert seized him.
"Stand up, old boy; it is all right, and natural enough. We heard at
Metemmeh of your having been carried away, and as of course I wasn't
going to let you remain a slave among these fellows, I got leave of
absence from Wolseley, got a disguise and a first-rate guide, and, thank
God, I have come to you at last."
The surprise of El Bakhat at seeing this meeting between Muley and this
young native was much greater than that of the other Arab, who had heard
at El-Obeid the evening before that the white slave was journeying in
disguise with his captor.
"This is my brother, sheik," Edgar said to him. "He has come all this
way in disguise to look for and rescue me."
"He has done well," the sheik said warmly, while Amina clapped her hands
in pleasure.
"Is the story about the pursuit after us true?" Edgar asked.
"Yes, quite true. The horsemen will not be many hours before they
overtake us."
A hurried consultation was held between the two sheiks, and it was
decided to strike off to the south-east again, and as soon as the
followers arrived with the camels the united parties left the road and
made across the country, Edgar taking his place on the camel behind
Rupert. He still felt like one in a dream, and even now could scarce
believe that it was really Rupert who was riding before him. The latter,
who had been looking forward to the meeting, was yet scarcely less
surprised at what had taken place. It had seemed such a hopeless task
looking for Edgar over so wide an expanse of country that he could
scarcely credit that he had succeeded in finding him, and for a time the
feelings were so deep on both sides that hardly a word was spoken. It
was not, indeed, until the camels came to a halt late in the evening
that they began to talk naturally.