THE SLAVE PRISON.
The Emir's reply was brief and apparently forcible. He clapped his
hands, and half a dozen soldiers appeared instantly. He addressed them
with a word or two, but before they could execute his orders, Guy
hastened forward and said to the Arab, "I pray you have my friend's
wound dressed. He is suffering much pain."
The Arab addressed the Emir, pointing to the wounded man, and then,
turning to Guy, he said, "It is well. Rao Khan will see to the Inglis
man."
Guy would have sought more information, but the soldiers now came
forward and picking Melton up motioned Guy to follow them. They passed
out of the apartment by a rear door, and traversing a long hall, entered
a big courtyard.
On the right and left were high stone walls, and directly opposite was a
low, gloomy sandstone structure, with one narrow door opening on the
court.
Here were standing more armed guards, who obsequiously opened the door
for the approaching captives.
As they passed through the gloomy portal Guy's heart sank. His eyes at
first could see nothing but darkness, and he blindly followed his
conductors until they came to a stop. A heavy door was closed and bolted
behind him, and then all was silent.
In a few seconds he was able to see his surroundings. He was in a square
dungeon, lighted by a narrow aperture high up in the wall. The floor was
of stone, strewn with straw. Melton sat up and leaned against the wall.
"Where are we, Chutney?" he asked.
"I don't know," answered Guy; "in some sort of prison, I suppose.
Why--hello, Melton, here are iron rings sunk in the floor all along the
side."
"That settles it, then," rejoined Melton. "This is Rao Khan's slave
prison. I don't suppose there are many inmates now while the fair is
going on."
Approaching footsteps put an end to the conversation, and in a moment
the door opened to admit a tall Arab, followed by a native with bandages
and a basin of water.
The Arab quietly loosened Melton's shirt and coat, and, washing the
wound, wrapped bandages spread with some soft ointment round his body.
He did the work speedily and dexterously, and then departed as silently
as he had come. He had barely gone, however, when a soldier entered with
a tray containing dates, figs, and a peculiar kind of cakes, which he
placed before the prisoners. They ate with relish, and then, overcome by
weariness, they lay down on the straw and fell asleep.
It was some hours later when Guy awoke. Night had come, for no light
shone through the aperture. He lay for some time listening to Melton's
deep breathing and thinking of their terrible situation.
He was not without hope of deliverance, for he placed a great deal of
faith in Makar's promise; yet even then the chances were against them.
Perhaps at this very moment Zaila had been retaken, and Makar was killed
or a prisoner. If this should happen they were lost. Guy shuddered to
think of Rao Khan's vengeance under such circumstances.
Presently he became aware of vague noises somewhere in the distance. He
fancied he heard shots fired and a loud tumult of voices.
He thought it might be imagination, but suddenly the sounds increased,
and once or twice footsteps hurried past the dungeon. The noise now woke
Melton, and together they listened, convinced that it was a presentiment
of coming evil. The strange sounds rose and fell, at times nearly dying
away and then bursting out with renewed violence.
"I can't understand it at all," said Guy. "It can't be a rejoicing over
the capture of Zaila, for they are plainly cries of anger."
"We'll know pretty soon what it means," returned Melton; "it concerns
us, you may be sure."
In his excitement he arose and began to pace the floor. His wound was
giving him no pain, he said, adding that he really felt pretty well
again.
At last the shouts seemed to come a little nearer, and before long the
fierce, angry cries were heard close at hand.
"They are surrounding the prison," said Guy, huskily.
He was right. A howling mob was on all sides of them now, and it was
quite clear that they were beginning to attack the walls of the
courtyard, for suddenly half a dozen shots were fired as though the
guards were resisting the invaders.
It was a period of terrible suspense. The shouts increased, the firing
grew heavier, powder-smoke drifted into the prison; but just when they
expected to see their dungeon door torn open by a mad swarm of fanatics
the uproar suddenly ceased.
A full minute of silence followed, and then on the night air rose a howl
of triumph, so savage, so vindictive, that Guy and Melton shivered from
head to foot. For some reason the attack had been suddenly abandoned.
What that reason was they could only surmise.
The silence continued. The invaders had dispersed. Sleep was impossible,
and they passed the time in conversation until a streak of light,
flickering through the opening, showed that morning had come.
Food and drink were brought in. The prisoners ate sparingly. The shadow
of a great calamity was overhanging.
"I am just as sure," said Melton, "that something will shortly happen,
as I am that you and I are in Rao Khan's slave prison at Harar."
"Listen," answered Guy.
Footsteps approached. The door creaked and opened, and a man entered.
With a cry of wonder Guy and Melton sprang to their feet. The newcomer
was bronzed and burnt, he had light hair, a mustache and a soft blond
beard, but he wore trousers and a tunic of white linen.
The surprise was mutual. The stranger scanned them closely from head to
foot.
"Who are you?" cried Guy hoarsely. "Can it be possible that you are an
Englishman--an Englishman in Harar?"
The man paused a moment, and then said quietly: "I am a Greek. My name
is Canaris Mataplan. At present I am an interpreter to Rao Khan, the
Emir."
"But your English?" cried Melton. "It is perfect."
"I was a cafe-keeper at Cairo for seven years," replied the Greek. "I
learned English there."
An embarrassing pause now occurred. It was certain that the Greek was
the bearer of tidings from the Emir. No one dared speak. At last the
Greek said quietly: "You are truly unfortunate. Tell me how you came
here. I know that Zaila has fallen into the possession of Rao Khan's
emissaries. I know nothing else."
Guy briefly told the tale, and Canaris listened quietly.
"Fools!" he said. "The English will be in Zaila again in a month."
"And you?" rejoined Guy. "What brought you to Harar?"
"I left Cairo for Calcutta," said Canaris. "The steamer was lost off
Cape Guardafui; ten of us reached shore in a boat; the Somalis
slaughtered all but myself. I was sold to the Arabs and came ultimately
to Harar. I was useful to Rao Khan in many ways, and my life was spared.
I have been here two years, two long years. I shall never see Greece
again," he added gloomily. "I am a slave to the Emir for life."
"Is escape then impossible?" asked Guy.
"Absolutely. Between here and the coast is the desert. To the south are
the bloodthirsty Gallas. No, no; one can never escape from Harar."
The tramp of the guard was heard in the corridor, and a sudden change
passed over the Greek's face.
"I have come from Rao Khan," he said in a low voice. "He sends me with a
message."
He paused.
"Go on," said Guy; "we are listening." He was breathing heavily.
"Two hours after you arrived here yesterday morning," resumed Canaris,
"Rao Khan despatched the Arabs to Zaila again, in company with two
hundred of his best soldiers, who will assist in holding the town. They
had scarcely gone when an insurrection broke out. The people were
angered at the slaughter done by the Emir's troops when they rescued you
from the crowd. It is an ancient law in Harar that every Christian
stranger who enters her gates must die. Englishmen are most detested of
all. The populace became maddened and furious; from all quarters of the
town they came, clamoring, demanding your lives. When Rao Khan called
out his remaining troops they refused to fire. The people, they said,
were right. A very few remained faithful to the Emir. The mob surrounded
the palace and the prison; they tried to scale the walls; the guards in
the court fired on them. Then Rao Khan appeared and spoke to the angry
crowd. He begged them to wait. He told them that you belonged not to
him, but that Makar Makalo had sent you here for safe-keeping, that you
were the slaves of Makar Makalo. The people only howled in derision.
They became more angry and infuriated, and refused to listen any longer.
'The Englishmen must die!' they cried. Rao Khan was fearful in his
anger. But he was powerless. He feared the destruction of the palace,
the loss of his own life." Here Canaris paused and looked with infinite
pity at the Englishmen.
Guy tried to speak, but the words stuck in his throat. Melton laid his
hand on the Greek's arm. "Go on, go on," he whispered hoarsely. "We are
men, not cowards. Let us know the worst."