SHEIK AYOUB.
The Chief of the Woled Abou Sebah had long been meditating an inroad
into the Sultan's territory, and this, the arrival of Yusuf had caused
him to accelerate. After despatching Ali, he gave orders to strike the
tents, and be ready for marching before dawn, consequently, instead of
the stillness which usually prevailed during the night, all was bustle
and confusion in preparation for departure, large fires blazed in all
directions, round which flitted the dark forms of the Arabs, arranging
their arms and accoutrements, packing tents, saddling horses; while the
din of hammers, the screaming of camels, and neighing of horses, mingled
with the voice of a multitude, and the surging swell of thousands in
motion.
Before sunrise every tent was struck, and everything loaded for the
march; the whole company now separated into two bands, the larger,
consisting of the women, and children, and aged, on camels, and the
flocks, with a sufficient number of men for their protection; these took
their course southward further into the Desert. The other band of about
five thousand horsemen, armed with double guns across their pommels,
besides swords and dirks, were to march northward taking Teradant in
their route. Each man carried a small supply of provisions, consisting
of dates and barley-meal. Several hundred camels accompanied them,
carrying spare ammunition and provisions, but though starting so lightly
equipped they had every intention of returning more heavily laden with
the spoils of their more industrious but less warlike neighbours. As the
first troop was diminishing from view, the chief commanded his standard
to be unfurled, and mounted his charger: an attendant handed him a bowl
of milk, which he first tasted, and then poured over his horse's mane, a
ceremony to invoke protection during the journey. He galloped down the
front of his line of men, or rather the semicircle which they formed,
with a word of salute or kindness to all that came within his ken, he
then stopped in their front, and thus addressed them, in a clear,
sonorous voice: "Praise be to the one God! Brothers, what shall I say?
Will ye be slaves of the Sultan, or will ye stand by the banner of Hamed
Ibn Ishem?"
A loud shout of "Long live our chief!" drowned for an instant his voice,
and all again was silent.
"It is well, brothers! Ye are true sons of Ishmael, and when the battle
comes, let every Arab stand by his brother. What! shall the lord of the
Sahel pay tribute to the son of the town? Shall the warrior bow to the
plough-driver? Henceforth shall every man live free in his tent, without
fear of having the bread taken from his children, to raise taxes for a
stranger. Does the Sultan want tribute, let him come and seek it; but
instead of gold, he will find lead and steel, and the bones of his
troops shall whiten the red sands of the Sahara. We now go north, to
repay ourselves for what we have already lost. The provinces are rich,
and we will reap a hundredfold for what has been taken from us. But one
word of warning: let no innocent blood bring a curse on our tents. I
command and entreat ye to respect women and children, and not to hurt
the unresisting; let mercy follow submission, then shall success attend
our arms, a blessing attend our steps, and we shall return to our tents
in peace. Brothers, shall we pray?"
All then with raised hands joined in the Fetha, or prayer of praise and
adoration, after which they commenced their march to the province of
Suse; and when far away, they looked back on the scene of their late
camp, there was nothing visible but a broad dark spot, over which the
vultures were hovering.
Various surmises were passing among the Arabs, with respect to the
object of Yusuf's coming, and having concluded that he had brought
intelligence favourable to this expedition, they were well disposed
towards him, independently of his being the guest of their chief. As
soon as the Sheik could find time, he rode up to Yusuf, who was mounted
on an ambling mule, plodding along in a rather desponding state of mind,
lest he should return too late, and find Azora's fate beyond their
help.
"Cheer up, O friend," said the Sheik, "we have sent Sheik Ali on in
haste to Marocco; he is to be trusted, fear not. I have now much to
attend to, but I have appointed you a companion and protector on the
road; Sheik Ayoub Er Rami is a good man, he is, as God made him, a good
warrior and honest, but fond of hearing himself talk; will it not amuse
you by the way? He has been in the towns, and is accustomed to
strangers, some of these Arabs of mine never saw a house, and when they
do, they only wonder why you should build houses of stone that will last
longer than you can use them. Sheik Ayoub!" he called out, and Ayoub,
who had been discussing with his friends the probable plunder they would
reap, dashed forward to the side of the chief, bringing his horse on his
haunches, and ploughing up the sand with his hind hoofs.
"You have a good seat and a good horse," said the chief smiling, as he
shook the dust from his burnoose. "This, our guest, is placed in your
charge, you will protect him against friend or foe, until I relieve you.
Have I not put confidence in you? and is it not well placed?"
Ayoub bowed to his horse's crest. "There is not an Arab who would not
risk his life for the guest of our chief: therefore, O Sheik, friends we
fear not: and may the Prophet put him in danger of an enemy, that I may
prove myself worthy of your trust."
"Avert the omen!" said the Sheik, "I shall be satisfied without such
proof. May your prayer not be granted!"
Ayoub was a small, neat figure, with a pair of formidable moustaches, a
pointed beard, but no whiskers; he had formerly lived in Marocco, taking
service under the Sultan, there he had been obliged to adopt the caftan
and turban, but had very soon returned to the independence of the
Desert; this, however, had given him more neatness in his dress, and an
affectation of knowledge bordering on conceit. He was a great talker,
which was facilitated, as his comrades jokingly assured him, by the
absence of several teeth, lost in some fray; he was well knit, though
short, and when laughed at for his size, he was always ready with a
proverb, as "Iron is sold by the quintal, steel by the ounce." The only
peculiarity about him in other respects, was that he carried a brace of
small pocket pistols in his belt, this joined to his being a good
rifle-shot, had acquired him the surname "Er Rami, the Marksman."
"My name," said he in answer to Yusuf's inquiry, "your lord's name (may
peace attend it!) is Ayoub Ibn Aisa Ibn Yarib Sebaïe, they choose to
call me Er Rami, to laugh at my beard, because I carry these children of
the gun; but when they have seen them bite, young as they are, they do
not laugh at them in the hand of an enemy. Then they open the mouth of
astonishment. A Christian gave them to me, may the Prophet enlighten him
before his death! They are good men, the Christians, men of trust, they
would not break their word to save a ship. The Moors are not worthy to
be their grooms; but give me your ear," said he, leaning from his
saddle towards Yusuf, apparently to whisper his secret, when he shouted
out, "they eat pig!"
"Oh, abominable!" exclaimed the equally scandalized Jew; and all the
Christians' merits were wrecked on the reef of prejudice.
Yusuf, however, nothing loth to relieve the monotony of the journey, by
encouraging the loquaciousness of his companion, asked him where he had
met with Christians, and if he had been to Suerah.
Ayoub, only too glad to find a listener, brightened up as he slung his
long bridle round his neck, and let his horse follow his own pace, that
his hands might be free to accompany his tongue. "Gently, child," this
was to his horse, who knew as well as his master, that he had work
before him, and had no intention of fretting. "Inshallah, I have seen
things, as you say. El Suerah! Yes, I have seen El Suerah. The Nazarenes
call it Mogadore, after the sanctuary of the Saint Sidi Mogdul (his
peace be on us!). Well, before I went to the merchant's house, I said to
my head, 'If Ayoub does not dress himself like a Kaïd, or a Taleb, the
infidel will despise him, and I shall appear small in their eyes:' so I
put on a turban of white muslin, as big as that," holding his hands a
foot and a half from each side of his head, "then I put on a green
caftan and a hayk, perfumed with sandal-wood, and followed by a boy with
a present of dates and oranges, I went to the merchant's house. As I was
going to enter, out comes a black soldier, who was sitting in the gate.
"'Where are you going in peace?' said he, he did not see whom he was
speaking to, for his eyes were one half closed with fat, and the other
half with importance.
"'Going,' said I, 'to see the merchant,' and I advanced.
"'Tell me who you are,' said he, 'and I will inquire if you can be
admitted.'
"This set me laughing. 'Did I come to see the Sultan?' said I; 'when I
do, I don't expect to find such a gate-keeper, so take your head from
whence you brought it, and find a place to pray in.' And I pushed him
out of my path. But my slipper-counter barred the doorway again.
"'You are not in the woods,' says he, quite furious, 'people's houses
are not to be entered by force here, as you will find when you eat the
stick, for all your turban is as big as a Cuscusoo dish.'
"I was beginning to lose patience. 'I tell you what, O dog of evil race,
if we were in the woods, you would defile your beard in the dust, when
you presumed to approach my presence; as it is, if you don't save your
breath, and stop your tongue from wagging, I shall be compelled to
shorten it an inch.' And I was thinking seriously of doing so, when the
merchant, attracted by the dispute, looked over the upper gallery to
know what was the matter. 'Is this the way, O merchant,' said I, 'that
you treat your guests? Behold I come to seek the shadow of your tents,
when this evil-eyed slipper-hunter, who calls himself a Moslem, presumes
to stop me at the gate; and if it is by your orders, it is no credit to
your hospitality,' The merchant looked at me with a peculiar smile.
"'Welcome, O my friend!' said he, in the tongue of the Arab. 'I always
tell this slave of the Sultan, to distinguish people; he knows not the
difference between a cat and a lion; you must forgive him.'
"I said to myself, 'If the Moslem is a fool, the Christian is wise, and
can see through a turban.' Then the merchant took me into a beautiful
room, with windows of glass, and tables of precious wood covered with
china and crystal; and round the walls were mirrors, and pictures of
houris, and everything fit for a Sultan; and I said to myself, 'O Ayoub!
hast thou not found the palace of Alla ed Din?' After I had looked about
a little, the merchant told me to sit, and brought me a small table,
with a back made of cane, and a bar for the feet; with such a turban on,
what could I do? I sat down on it, and found it was a just fit, neither
too small, nor too large, and I was afraid to move for fear of falling,
so I put my hands down under my hayk, and held on by the sides of the
chair. I began to think I was a 'father of the ears,' passing myself for
what I was not, and I doubted but the infidel thought so too; but I
forgive him for laughing at my beard, for the lesson he taught me, as I
had told him I was one of the palace guards from Marocco.
"While I was thus perched, like a water-melon on a plate, the merchant
brought out a handsome gun, inlaid with silver and ivory, and gave it me
to look at. My Arab blood could never resist a horse or a gun; off my
guard, I stretched out my hand to take it, lost my balance, and down I
came. The merchant sprang forward and saved my fall.
"'You have more cushions than chairs in the palace,' said he, 'but sit
down on the carpet, and here are cushions.'
"I took his advice and sat down, praying that the inventor of such seats
might be condemned to sit on one on the top of the highest mosque in the
town, until I took him down. Well, presently came in another young
infidel, with blue eyes, and the two began chirruping away like
squirrels, then they gave me tea flavoured with ambergris, cakes, and
hallows. When I had eaten God's blessings until I was ashamed, they
brought me a little black box; and when I had it in my hand, one of them
touched a nail, and (may I be protected!) it began to speak, when I
threw it on the carpet, and jumping up, shook my clothes, and invoked
curses on Satan, while the two unbelievers were rolling with laughter. I
was about to escape, when they got up and begged me to stop, telling me
it was only done by art, and not by magic. Then they made it begin
again, and lo! as I listened, it warbled beautiful music, a hundred
times more sweet than the song of the Oom el hassn or Zurzur. I sat with
my hands upraised and my mouth open, exclaiming 'Adjaib! Wonderful!
Wonderful! God is great!' Then it stopped, and behold, I was still in
this world! 'O merchant! God increase your blessings,' said I; 'there is
only one thing you Christians cannot do, for you can do everything
else.'
"'What is that?' said he.
"'O merchant, you cannot prevent death!'
"'We do not wish it, O Sheik; if we do not die, we do not go to heaven.'
"This made me stare: the infidel to go to Jinnah! with the true
believer?
"'Would it not be better,' said I, 'to enjoy God's blessings in this
world as long as we can, in case of missing the road to the other?'
"'God is merciful,' said he; so not wishing to hurt his feelings, I
thought of the pig, and said nothing."
Yusuf, however, thought it as well to put in a word for infidels in
general. "Yes," said he, "O Sheik! God is merciful, and is it not
written in the gloss of the great Saint Abd el Kader Jilelly, 'Behold
three sit at the gate of Paradise, Sidna (our lord) Mohammed, Sidna
Moosa, and Sidna Aisa, and when one cometh and it is asked of him, 'What
art thou?' he answereth, 'I am a Moslem,' and behold Sidna Mohammed
openeth the gate and saith, 'Enter.' And another cometh and saith, 'I am
a Jew,' and Sidna Moosa openeth the gate and saith, 'Enter.' And another
cometh and saith, 'I am a Christian,' and Sidna Aisa openeth the gate
and saith, 'Enter.' And a fourth cometh and saith, 'I am a Renegade, I
have changed my faith,' so no one openeth unto him, he is accursed!"
"Did our lord, Abd el Kader write that?" said Ayoub, "wonderful is the
mercy of God; but no doubt, in his days, Christians did not eat pig. But
where was I? I remember. Well, then, the young infidel with blue eyes
took me by the sleeve, and said, 'Come with me, and I will show you
_such_ a horse as you have not seen in the Sultan's stud;' what could I
do? I followed him with alacrity, so we went down into the court-yard,
and oh, what a horse! I would walk three days' journey on foot to see
such another; his coat was mottled like the ripple of the stream, his
neck like a rainbow, his mane, like a curtain of silk, reached to his
knees, eyes and legs like the antelope, and broad breasted like a houri;
what can I say? I sat down by the wall and blessed him. He was as quiet
as a lamb, but when the Christian mounted him he became like a lion, his
eye saw everything, his ear heard everything, his hoof disdained
everything, and as he paced along, I could have thrown myself under his
feet, and let him walk over me.
"'You are a judge of horses,' said the merchant, 'what do you think of
him?'
"'May evil eyes be averted from him,' said I, 'he is perfect.'
"And when I got on the subject (although not given to talking) I ran on
about shoulders and pasterns, fetlocks and hoofs, manes and tails, eyes,
nostrils, and genealogies, enough to fill a book, till the merchant was
astonished, and must have thought I was a delal.
"'You have seen horses, O Sheik!' said he, 'but you have not learnt
that it is safer to ride a horse that kicks than one you don't know.'
"I saw I was fairly found out, and was obliged to give up the game.
"'I have learnt, O merchant!' said I, 'that the eagle cannot fly with
the wings of the ostrich; and if I had not been fool enough to curl my
moustachios in a Kaïd's skin, I should not have deserved to have the
beard of my father's son laughed at; Sheik Ayoub Sebaïe is not ashamed
of his tribe, but in truth these Moors always measure a man by the size
of his turban, and I thought you would do the same. Allaw Ackbar! what
can I say more?'
"'Although I am a merchant,' said he, 'I don't measure a man with a
cloth cubit; come to-morrow in your own dress and I'll show you more,
that you have not seen. It is a little at a time, that the sheep gets
into the stew-pan.'
"I found that out in time, and by degrees I got accustomed to that
dress, and a dozen others, so that none could tell that I had not been
born in them.
"I'll tell you another time how I escaped from the town of Teradant with
the Kaïd's horse. But to go back to the merchant, I went the next day
dressed as I am now.
"'God be praised, Sheik Ayoub!' said he, 'now you are a true son of the
Desert, we shall be better friends.' (The slipper-counter did not stop
me this time.)
"He brought me to a sofa, and we ate and drank, and praised God; and
were as if we had been brought up in the same tent."
"And the pig! you did not eat that?" said Yusuf, laughing.
"God forbid!" said Ayoub, spitting on the ground. "I took an oath of him
before eating that there was none in the food; besides he had a Moslem
for a cook, and you know he would not touch it. Afterwards, he took me
on board his ship, and showed me wonderful things, clocks, and watches,
and guns without flints that never missed; matches to light without
fire, pictures and astrolabes, and all sorts of wonderful things, till I
got giddy with the motion of the ship, and we landed in a boat; I used
to go to his house every day, and when I had sold my ostrich-feathers
and gum from Soudan, and my camels were rested, and I was about to
depart, I thought he would have shed tears; he gave me presents of
gunpowder, and a cloth dress of blue, and fine tea, and this pair of
pistols; and then he rode on the way with me, two hours' journey. Then
he said, 'God be with thee, oh, my brother! and bring thee to thy tents
in peace. And now, I beseech thee, if peradventure any of my countrymen
should be shipwrecked on the Desert, or fall into the hands of thy
people, that thou wilt be kind to them, and befriend them for my sake.'
I promised by the bread and salt that was between us, and we parted, and
both went on our way sorrowful. How often I remember him, and pray that
his house may be prosperous, and that he may be enlightened!"
Here Ayoub rested his chin in his hand in a fit of abstraction, and to
recover his breath.
"Poor fellow!" he muttered, "yes, God is great. The English are good,
the English are to be trusted; are they not sons of Sultans, oh, why do
they eat pig? But now I remember, my friend, the merchant told me he
never ate pig, and his cook a Moslem, I don't believe he ever did eat
pig, Al hamdo l'Illah, I am sure the friend of Sheik Ayoub never ate
pig! Alla Illah!"
"Now tell me," said Yusuf, "where we halt to-night, for we appear to be
going the road I came?"
"True," said Ayoub, "we stop at the wells where the Cafila was
plundered. That was a clever foray of Ali el Bezz, he brought in a fine
booty without any loss; I wish he were with us, for, excepting Sidi
Hamed, there is not a better head, or a surer hand on an expedition,
between this and El Yemen."
The sun was casting its level rays against the Eastern sky when they
reached the rocks, the scene of the late attack. Here they all
bivouacked under the spangled canopy; there were two or three tents for
the chief and some of the sheiks; of these one was allotted to Yusuf and
his escort. After the horses were watered and picketed, Ayoub was sent
for to the chief's tent, and returned with an Arab, carrying jars of
milk, butter, dates, barley-cakes, and dried ostrich flesh, in strips.
"The chief sends you this poor supper," said Ayoub; "I told him flesh
was not lawful for you if you did not kill it; so here are two fowls,
you kill them according to your custom, and they are lawful to us; my
uncle's son here will cook them; we mount with the moon's rising."
The night was calm, and the fires were beginning to blaze around as the
Arabs collected in groups to cook their evening meal. Beyond the hum of
a multitude there was very little noise, and as Yusuf and his host sat
by their fire, in front of their tent, Yusuf reminded him of his promise
to recount his adventures in Teradant.
"Oh, Sheik!" he said, "your adventures are like the Thousand and One
Nights, when a man has heard one, lo, he asks for another."
"Bismillah!" said Ayoub, nothing loth to recount his exploits. "As you
say I have seen things; let me recollect, it was when I was employed
with the men of my tribe plundering the caravans and traders that
frequented the market of Teradant with produce and merchandise; for all
who did not pay us toll were not spared; have we not a right to custom
from goods passing our territories as well as the Sultan? and those who
did not pay for protection made no profit by their ventures. So, you
see, I had friends in the town who protected me for a share of the
booty, and who would not have been long on God's earth had they dared to
betray us; thus, O friend, I was in the habit of entering the town in
disguise to obtain intelligence of the movements of the merchants. One
of our friends kept a kebab-shop, where the sons of the town collected
of an evening to eat kebabs, and drink sherbet, and hear the news; he
made his force-meat of sheep's heads, and these when clean boiled were
piled up at the end of the room. I have seen there several thousands; we
formed a recess behind these with boards, communicating with the back
room by a small door; and here have I often been cooped up watching the
guests, and hearing all their plans and the value of their goods when
they little thought the sheep's skulls had eyes in them. Another was a
grain-merchant, and there I have been buried in barley up to my neck,
with a fanega measure with a hole in it over my head, and heard who was
going with money to the douars to buy grain. And, behold, were they not
astonished when Sheik Ayoub met them on the Sahel with the salutation of
peace, and asked one for the twenty pieces of gold that were in his
camel's saddle, and another for the three hundred ducats sewn up in the
right sleeve of his djilabea?
"One day riding with some of my band, a few miles from the town, I met a
horseman in a fine hayk, and green velvet coat.
"'Peace to you, O Abdallah,' said I, 'where is my lord going?'
"'To you, peace,' said he; 'I go to the douar to buy a sheep.'
"'Has my lord a pass from Sheik Ayoub?' said I.
"'Am I a trader to need a pass?' said he; 'I am a poor man.'
"'God is merciful, O Sheik!' said I; 'as you are a poor man I will only
take your nose-bag.'
"'The nose-bag of my horse!' said he, turning pale; 'know you not that
it is unlucky to part with that? I will redeem it; behold three dirhems,
the price of the sheep, take them.'
"'No,' said I; 'I must have the nose-bag.'
"'I will give you the hayk,' said he, 'or my caftan of cloth, for I fear
ill-luck to my horse.'
"'No, by Allah!' said I; 'I will not plunder a poor man, nothing but the
nose-bag: have I not sworn?' and I hooked it from his pommel with the
end of my gun. 'And now, Sheik Abdallah,' said I, 'follow me, your
nose-bag shall be restored, and no harm shall befall your horse.' Then
his face brightened, and he followed me joyfully. When we came to a
place among the trees where there was a surface of smooth sand, I
dismounted my men, and the horses being all tied up, I traced a circle
on the sand, and made the men all sit around, and thus I addressed the
unfortunate one:--
"'You wonder, perhaps, why I would only take from you your nose-bag--but
know, O Sheik Abdallah, that I am a man of a charitable disposition, but
possessed of no property except a ring, which once belonged to Allah ed
Deen; and as I was desirous of repairing the sanctuary of our patron
saint, and building a fountain for wayfarers, I rubbed the ring, when,
lo, one of the jinn, the slave of the ring, appeared, and stood before
me with his hands crossed on his breast, and his eyes looking on the
ground, saying,--
"'I hear and obey.'
"Then I said, 'I have need of fifty pieces of gold.'
"And he said, 'On the head and eyes;' and he disappeared for the space
that a feather might fall to the ground, and came back, saying, 'There
is not a piece of gold in the treasure-house of the jinn.'
"And I said, 'Woe unto thee.'
"But he said, 'Let not my lord be wroth, there is a remedy; let my lord
ride in the morning towards Teradant, and there shall meet him a man of
a handsome countenance wearing a green caftan, embroidered with gold,
and a filelly hayk, you will take from him nothing but the nose-bag of
his horse, and having put therein the ring, you will make a circle on
the ground, and lay it in the midst, covering it with a hayk, and
peradventure my lord's wishes will be accomplished.'
"My friend of the fine coat looked like the man who is going to the
bastinado, whilst I made my preparations. Then I sat down within the
circle, and put my hands under the hayk, and when I withdrew my hand,
lo, a piece of gold! and again I put in my hand, and lo, another piece
of gold! And the eyes of my Arabs were rounded, and their mouths open,
and they felt the pieces of gold to see if they were real, and behold,
they were bintekas of fine gold, and I ceased not to count until I had
counted fifty pieces of gold! Then I arose, and said, 'The jinn has
accomplished my desire, and now, O Sheik, I give thee a peçeta of five
dirhems for the use of thy nose-bag, take it, and go in peace, lest
ill-luck befall thy horse.' And the Moor's face was white, and his
features trembled, as though he had seen an Afreet, but my face was as a
deep well. Then he mused a little, and said, 'O Sheik! the slave of the
ring is no other than a woman. A woman betrayed our father Adam, on whom
be peace; and woman betrayed Suleiman the wise; and who are we that we
should escape?' so he mounted his horse and departed."
"And was he right in his guess, O Sheik?" said Yusuf.
"He was, and he was not," said Ayoub. "I will tell you how it happened;
Sheik Abdallah is a relation of the Kaïd of Teradant, and I had found
out that he was about to depart on a trading expedition to purchase gum
and ostrich-feathers; and as he was going alone, and taking no goods
with him for barter, I knew he must have sent money before, or would
carry it with him; he lived not far from the kebab-shop, and the houses
of Teradant being all flat-roofed, and the partition walls low, I have
frequently walked all over the town at night on the roofs. So one dark
night I went to the top of his house, and sat down, overlooking the room
where he was, on the opposite side of the court; it was hot, and he was
sitting in the gallery outside with his wife. There was a great deal
talked that did not concern me; at last his wife said, 'O my lord, when
do you go to Tafilelt?' and he answered, 'On such a day.' Then she
caressed him and said, 'The veils of Tafilelt are as fine muslins of
Ind; will not my lord buy one for his slave, that she may appear
honourable in the eyes of the women that go to the baths, and they will
say, "Behold, this is the wife of Abdallah the merchant!"'
"'O light of my eyes!' said he, 'have I any money to buy filelly hayks,
or fine clothes? I have none.'
"'False!' said she, 'are there not fifty pieces of gold that my lord
ordered me to sew into his horse's nose-bag?'
"Then he smote her on the mouth with his slipper, and said, 'Peace, O
unlucky! lest some of the slaves hear thee. Is that money mine? is it
not to pay for merchandise which I owe?'
"Well, as I had heard all I wanted to know, I left them to make up their
quarrel, and that is how the woman was the slave of the ring. Abdallah
the Moor, enraged by the loss of his money, complained to the Governor;
and a stricter watch than ever was kept to take me, and even a reward of
one hundred dirhems was proclaimed by the public crier, to any one who
would bring me bound before the Kaïd. Well, I laughed at all this, till
one unlucky morning I was going into the town, disguised as a Berebber
peasant, driving a donkey laden with firewood; and as other cattle were
going in and coming out, there was a crush, and I got enraged, and
cursed, forgetting to change my voice; and, behold, when I looked up,
Abdallah the Moor, sitting on his horse, waiting to go forth, and his
eyes were fixed on me like two coals in white rings. I had on a tattered
cloak, with a hood. I saw that he knew me, though he said nothing, and I
passed on, and went to my friend the cook's shop. Whilst I was debating
about leaving the town, my friend came to me with evil tidings: 'Knowest
thou, Sheik Ayoub,' said he, 'that thou hast been recognised by some
one, and search is made everywhere to take thee. The gates of the town
are closed, and guards set on the walls to prevent thy escape.'
"'God is great,' said I; 'was a panther or a bird ever kept in a cage
without a roof? May the Kaïd's beard be defiled! probably to-morrow, or
the day after, they will open the gates.'
"'This time,' said he, 'you are in danger. What had you to do to meddle
with the Kaïd or his relations? he is furious and vows vengeance against
any one that hides you; but we have eaten bread and salt together.'
"'God be praised!' said I, 'and we have eaten the money of the Sultan's
subjects together; and, moreover, is it not known that the man who
should betray Sheik Ayoub Sebaïe, he and his family would be made into
kebabs, and roasted in the flames of his own house?'
"'May evil eyes be averted!' said he, 'but know further that the Kaïd
has taken up his residence in the kiosk over the gate, and none can go
out without a pass from him.'
"'Has he so?' said I, as a thought struck me. 'God is merciful! then I
will go out by that gate. If it is written, he may repent of bringing
the lion to bay.'
"I knew that the Kaïd had a son, a boy of six years old, of whom he was
very fond, and from whom he never separated; and if I could find them
alone, my escape was secure, and the Kaïd's beard would be defiled.
"I remained hidden that day, and the next, hearing the search that was
being made for me; and the next evening, having received intelligence
that the people had dispersed from the audience, and that the Governor
was alone in the kiosk; about an hour before the evening prayer I
sallied out dressed as a Moor of the town, and reached the gate without
interruption, but in dread lest some of the soldiers lounging about
might recognise me. I sent one of the guards with a message to the Kaïd,
to say that I wished to give information regarding Sheik Ayoub, and
wanted a private interview. He soon returned, and I followed him to the
presence of the Kaïd. The latter was sitting on his mattress and
cushions, with his little boy by his side; he had a chess-board and
ivory pieces, and was trying to teach the game to the child; he was so
pre-occupied that he just looked up when I entered, and made a motion
for me to sit, which I did.
"'Father,' said the child, 'what is the use of the Roh?'
"'To protect the Sultan when in danger, my dear boy.'
"'And so,' said he, without taking his attention from the board, 'you
have brought intelligence of Ayoub El Rami; if you can help me catch
him, I will change his name to El Eshara' (the mark).
"'There!'--here he castled the king--'now the Shah is safe.'
"'And if the Shah can't move,' suggested the child, while I had
uncovered my head, and freed my hands for action.
"I could not help smiling at the security of the two, near one whom the
Kaïd might suppose his greatest enemy.
"'God be praised!' said the Kaïd, delighted at the precociousness of his
pet, 'you will soon be a master. If the Shah can't escape, it is Shah
Māt.'
"'But what have you, friend, to say to me? Where is this Shietan Ayoub
to be found?' Here he looked round, and found my eyes fixed upon him,
when it was amusing to see the change that came over his features, and
his terror at finding himself in such dangerous company. I was tempted
to echo his 'Shah Māt.'
"'You require information, O Kaïd,' I said, 'respecting Ayoub Ibn Yarib
Sebaïe, and I knew of no one more able to give it than _himself_; he
expected a more courteous reception than you lately promised him, but
having no desire to be your target, he intends to leave this place
unharmed.' Seeing me so quiet, his terror subsided, and he thought to
intrap me by cunning.
"'By the beard of the Prophet!' said he, 'I did not believe all these
accusations against you; I intend you no evil, I will give orders that
you be not molested, you may depart in peace.'
"'Is Sheik Ayoub a father of the ears?' said I; 'he is come to claim the
reward, and cannot leave my lord's roof empty-handed.'
"'Who are we,' said the Kaïd, beginning to chafe, 'that your father's
son should dare to come and spit on the beard of the Sultan's Khalifa?'
"I had played the fool long enough, and, seeing he was about to summon
assistance, I suddenly seized his arm, and placed a pistol to his
breast.
"'Mark me,' said I, 'the first call for help sends a ball through your
body;' and I swore an irrevocable oath. 'And now listen: I intend to
leave this town by the gate, and in safety; and to ensure this, I take
your child as a hostage. If I am not molested I will return him in
safety, but should I be pursued--' here I whispered in his ear, 'By
Allah, he dies! Now you are in my power, and let your head teach you
wisdom.'
"The Kaïd, seeing my determination, thought it better to submit;
fortunately the child, who was a little frightened at first, was docile;
and when his father reluctantly resigned him, unconscious of his danger,
he let me take him in my arms, thinking he was only going for a ride,
and coming back. I then went to the door and called out, 'Who waits?'
"'Your slave,' answered the guard from below.
"'The Governor commands you to bring his horse caparisoned to the gate,
and his gun.--Away! delay not!'
"'On my head and eyes be it,' said the soldier.
"As the horses were always kept ready saddled, I had not long to wait. I
could not help feeling for the old man, notwithstanding his ill-will.
When I was about to take away his boy, he would have bound himself by
any oath, rather than expose him to this peril, but I dared not trust
him. I took him to the balcony overlooking the plain, 'You sought my
life,' I said, 'but you are forgiven; and may you behave to me and mine,
should we fall into your power, as I behave to this child. Now behold
the sanctuary on the top of the nearest hill, when I reach that in peace
I will deliver the boy to the Marabt who keeps it; but, should you
rashly pursue me, his blood be on your own head, my hands are clean.'
"It is painful to see a man accustomed to command eat the bitter apple
of humiliation. I had brought him so low that I could almost have
trusted him, when the tears were in his eyes, as he kissed his child,
entreating me to be cool, and not influenced by any false alarm or
appearance of danger.
"'Allah! Allah!' he cried in anguish, 'if I lose my child, my power will
have cost me dear. May your journey be prosperous!' Then calling the
soldier he said, 'Go with my friend to the gate; he is going to the
sanctuary to pray for my son; let no man stay him, you have heard.'
"I went down with the child in my arms, and mounting the horse, a noble
animal he was, and taking the gun, which was also very valuable, across
the pommel, I rode deliberately out of the town, congratulating myself
on the success of my stratagem. The saint's tomb was about two miles
from the gates, and I considered that quite a sufficient start in case
of pursuit. As I rode slowly across the plain, I could see the Governor
walking up and down his balcony, and wishing to give him a severe
lesson, knowing he was watching my movements, I purposely stopped to
speak to every horseman I met on the road. At one time two horsemen came
galloping at full speed from the direction of the town,--they were only
exercising; but as I turned my horse's head towards them, I could
plainly see the old man wringing his hands in painful suspense; and as
they came near me, he sat down and hid his face in his hayk, whilst the
child was prattling away, and in the highest delight at his excursion.
And that is how Sheik Ayoub escaped from the town with the horse of the
Kaïd Abdallah Ibn Sadek; and now it is time to sleep, for we start with
the dawn."