A DARING MOVE.
When daylight came the captives could scarcely believe that the events
of the preceding night had not been all a dream. There was the document,
however, to prove their reality, and Guy was deeply studying its faded
characters when the Greek arrived.
His face was radiant with happiness, an expression which quickly gave
way to deep sadness as a big Somali entered with a platter of food. The
latter had barely closed the door when Canaris held up a warning finger
and motioned the Englishmen to draw near.
"It is well," he said softly. "I will tell you what I have done. Near
the palace lives a Jewish merchant whom I know well. To him I went last
night and by the aid of your gold made a good bargain. On the western
side of the city, close by the wall, is a deserted guard-house that was
once used before the watch-towers were built. Here the Jew promised to
take for me the goods I purchased--namely, a supply of dates, figs, and
crackers, three revolvers, three rifles with boxes of shells, three
sabers, two ancient bronze lamps with flasks of palm oil, a box of
English candles, and four long ropes with iron hooks on the end."
"He will betray you to the Emir," said Guy in alarm.
"Oh, no," returned Canaris, "no danger of that. I know a little secret
concerning my Jewish friend that would put his head above the town walls
in an hour's time. The things are even now hidden in the deserted house,
you may rely on that."
"But how are we going to get out of this infernal dungeon?" asked Guy.
"And how can we pass through the streets to the edge of the town?"
For answer the Greek opened the leather case that he had brought with
him and took out three revolvers, three boxes of shells, a coil of rope,
and a sharp knife.
"These are my surgical instruments," he said. "I will put them under the
straw," and he suited the action to the word.
"Affairs outside have changed somewhat," he continued. "The people are
sullen and restless. They mistrust the Emir, and fear they will be
cheated of the pleasure they are looking forward to."
Guy turned pale. "Then we are lost!" he cried.
"No, you are saved," said Canaris. "That very fact works for your
salvation. The Emir is alarmed; he fears for himself, not for you. His
troops are few since he despatched the caravan to Zaila, and at night,
for better security, he takes guards from the prison courtyard and
stations them before the palace. This leaves three guards to contend
with; one watches in the corridor, one stands before the prison door,
and the third guards the gateway that opens from the prison yard on to a
dark avenue of the town. If all goes well you will be free men at
midnight. I must hurry away now. Listen well to my instructions, and do
just as I tell you.
"You," and he turned to Melton, "must pretend that your wound is bad.
Refuse to eat and lie on the straw all the time. It will be better if I
do not return today. I fear that even now Rao Khan grows suspicious. The
Arab doctor is angered because I have assumed his duties. At midnight,
if you listen sharply, you will hear the guard relieved by a new man.
Soon after that knock on the door, and when the guard looks in show him
the wounded man, who will then feign to be very bad. I sleep in a rear
apartment of the palace. The guard will send for me, and I will come.
Otherwise my visiting you at that time of night would be looked upon
with suspicion. The rest I will tell you then. Don't despair. All will
be well; till midnight, farewell."
Canaris glided from the dungeon, and the prisoners were alone. They
passed the long hours of that day in a strange mixture of hope and fear.
The difficulties to be overcome seemed insurmountable. They must escape
from the prison, pass through the very midst of their bloodthirsty
enemies, scale the wall, and then--where were they? Hundreds of miles
from the coast, surrounded by barbarous and savage people, and their
only hope that mysterious underground river which in itself was a thing
to be feared.
But, on the other hand, speedy death awaited them in the dungeon of Rao
Khan. The chances were truly worth taking.
They followed instructions closely when the guard brought them food at
noon, and in the evening Melton tossed on the floor as though in pain.
The thrice-welcomed darkness came at last, and the light faded out of
their dungeon. Once a horrible thought entered Guy's mind. What was to
prevent the Greek from making his escape alone, and abandoning the
Englishmen to their fate? It was but momentary, however, and then he
dismissed the suspicion with a feeling of shame. He had already learned
to trust the Greek implicitly.
Crouched by their dungeon door, they listened by the hour, and at last
their patience was rewarded. Voices were heard, steps approached and
died away, and then all was silent.
The time for action had come.
Melton threw himself on the straw and moaned. Guy rapped sharply on the
door and waited in suspense. Almost instantly it opened, and the guard,
a tall Nubian, pushed his lamp into the doorway and followed it up with
head and shoulders.
"Canaris, Canaris!" said Guy earnestly, pointing to Melton, who uttered
at that moment a most unearthly groan.
The guard drew back and shut the door. His soft tread echoed down the
corridor, and all was still.
The suspense of the next five minutes Guy will never forget as long as
he lives. It seemed to his excited imagination as though an hour had
passed by, when suddenly sounds were heard in the corridor, and in an
instant more Canaris stood before them, his leather case at his side, a
lamp in his hand. He closed the door, opened the case, and drew out two
wide linen tunics and two long jackets such as the Emir's troops wore.
"Put these on," he whispered. "You can wear your helmets; there are many
of them in Harar."
As he spoke he drew an Arab burnous over his head, shading entirely his
light hair and mustache. He next pulled the revolvers and shells from
under the straw, distributed them around, and with the knife cut the
rope in a dozen parts. By this time Guy and Melton had donned their
disguises and were ready for action.
Up to this point Guy had supposed that Canaris had bribed the guards and
paved the way out of prison.
"You are sure the guards will let us pass?" he said.
Canaris looked at him in wonder, and then a smile rippled over his face.
"You thought I had bribed the guards," he said. "Ten thousand pounds
could not tempt them. They would only lose their heads in the morning.
It matters little," he added. "They will lose them anyhow. But our time
has come; be ready now to assist."
He motioned Guy and Melton behind the door, and then, pulling it partly
open, uttered a few words in a strange tongue.
Instantly the powerful frame of the big Nubian entered, and as he stood
for one second on the dungeon floor, sudden mistrust in his ugly
features, Canaris leaped at his throat and bore him heavily to the
ground.
"Quick!" he cried, and in an instant Guy and Melton had seized the
struggling man's arms and feet.
Still pressing the fellow's windpipe with one muscular hand, Canaris
thrust a gag into the gaping mouth, and in two minutes their captive was
lying bound and helpless on the straw.
"What did you tell him?" asked Guy.
"I said our lamp was going out," Canaris replied. "And now for the man
at the prison door. I must get him inside, for the post is in plain
view of the guard at the gate."
A solution of this puzzling problem was closer at hand than anyone
imagined. The creaking of a door was heard, followed by approaching
footsteps.
"Here he comes now!" said Canaris in an excited whisper. "He has grown
suspicious, and has determined to investigate. Quick!"
Canaris darted to the other side of the doorway, and then ensued another
period of chilling suspense.
The tread came nearer, and at last another stalwart Nubian blocked the
doorway with his massive bulk. His look of wonder was comical as he saw
his comrade gagged and bound on the dungeon floor, but before the half
articulated exclamation could escape his lips Canaris had him by the
throat, and down they came. The fellow uttered one cry, and then, as his
head struck the edge of the door in falling his struggles lessened, and
with no trouble at all he was gagged and bound.
Canaris tore the ammunition from their belts, handed Guy and Melton
their rifles, and then, blowing out the lamp, he pushed them into the
corridor and bolted the door.
"Two heads will be off in the morning," he remarked grimly. "One more
victory and we are out of prison."
He blew out the light that stood in the corridor and led the way through
the darkness till he reached the door. He pulled it open, a crack
revealing the moonlit courtyard, and took a long, careful survey.
"There is the man we want," he whispered, pointing across the court, and
putting his eyes to the crevice Guy saw against the massive prison wall
a dark shadow leaning grimly on a rifle.