RAIDERS.
Barely a streak of dawn had shown itself in the eastern sky, when Sedjur
clamoured at our tent door, shouting to us that it was time that we were
up and in the saddle. Silence reigned in the encampment, as we stepped
out into the grey morning, to find the sheik and his son already
mounted, and awaiting us. An Arab stood close at hand holding the two
horses which we were to ride, and the sheik, giving us a friendly
greeting, told me that the beasts which he had selected for us were both
sons of his favourite Kushki, the fleetest that he possessed, and far
better than our own. He and Sedjur we noticed were armed with spear and
sword, and before starting they made certain that we carried our
revolvers.
"One can never tell," said Sedjur, "what the day may bring forth, and to
go unarmed in the desert is to court death."
So, with the cold invigorating air almost cutting our faces, we set out
on our ride into the unknown, at first picking our way slowly among the
low bushes, then, on reaching the great sandy wastes, quickening our
pace to a gentle canter. How our companions knew the way puzzled us
considerably, for no landmark could we distinguish in any direction.
Everywhere was sand--hard, red, baked sand; a veritable ocean of sand,
and, like the ocean, wind-swept into mighty billows. The sun gradually
rose, and we soon discovered that no landmark was necessary, as our
route evidently lay due west, and the sun at our backs gave us our
course.
For several hours the ride was monotonous in the extreme, then, at about
noon, the sandy plains began to show signs of a change of country.
Stones cropped up here and there, and in the far distance we could
distinguish the filmy outlines of hills and mountains. The hills
gradually drew nearer, and in a short time we found ourselves in a new
land. Below us was a hollow filled with verdure, date trees, acacias,
tamarisks, and luxuriant grassland, through which flowed trickling
streams. This was the principal grazing ground of Faris's camels and
mares, which we saw scattered in all directions, their herdsmen--all
armed with spears and matchlocks--keeping a good look-out on the
surrounding high ground.
"Hide yourselves behind the rocks," said the sheik, quietly, "and we
will soon see if the men are on the alert."
Then stepping forward himself on to the sky-line, he stood quite
motionless, while we peered from behind our shelters into the valley
below. Far down in a date grove we heard the neigh of a horse, followed
by the barking of a dog; then, as we looked, we could see each sentry
turn instinctively towards the figure of the sheik. They had discovered
the cause of the alarm, and Faris, satisfied, shouted a watchword which
was evidently understood. The chief of the herdsmen rode up to greet us,
and we descended with him to the shady spot where his tent was pitched,
and where he soon regaled us with coffee and dates.
"Well, Hussein, what is the news?" asked the sheik.
"Nothing of great consequence, Lord Protector," answered the herdsmen,
"but I am glad you have come. For three days now single Shammar horsemen
have been observing us from different points, and we fear that they
intend a raid on the beasts so soon as the moon gives sufficient light.
We fully expected it last night, but no one came."
"Ah, Hussein," said the sheik, "it is the old story which you always
have to tell. Rest assured that no Shammar dares to touch the property
of Faris-ibn-Feyzul. Bring some more coffee, and then we will smoke our
pipes until it is time for us to start again for our tents."
The sheik was in the best of spirits, and even talkative. Sedjur and he
were evidently devoted to each other, and we could see that the father
was as proud of his son as was the son of his father. They had ridden
side by side in many a fight, though even now Sedjur was but
twenty-four; and each had many tales to tell of the prowess of the
other.
"How many of the accursed robbers did you say you encountered at Babil
the day before yesterday, father?" asked Sedjur.
"Ten of the Shammar," was the reply, "and one other, of what tribe or
nationality I know not. He was not of the desert, though wearing the
dress. Perchance he came from Bokhara, or Yarkhand, or, God knows, from
India. But whatever land gave him birth must be glad to be rid of him,
for he showed not the courage of an Arab townsman. When we bore down on
the band he incontinently rode off, and did not rein up and turn to see
what was going on until at a safe distance. The dog valued his skin
greatly."
"And you put them all to flight?"
"Surely did we," answered the sheik, vehemently, "and sent that black
villain, Abbas, to Gehennum."
"What, Abbas-ibn-Rashid?"
"Even so, he who nearly killed you outside Baghdad, when our good
friend, the Hakim, here, saved your life. It was an old score, my lad,
and I wiped it out, praise be to Allah! We would have sent some more of
his followers after the scoundrel, had not the soldiers come down on
us, and I doubt not but that Abbas himself had previously warned them to
be prepared."
"I am almost sorry, father, that you slew Abbas," said Sedjur, softly.
"Why?" asked the sheik, frowning at his son. "Have you turned woman? Do
you wish to show mercy to your bitterest foe?"
"Nay, father, but I had lived for the day when I should meet the man
face to face, sword to sword, and spear-point to spear-point. I grieved
that you had robbed me of my chance of revenge."
"Well, well, Sedjur," laughed the sheik, "save his ghost, the desert
will hear no more of Abbas."
"You secured no booty, then?" inquired Sedjur.
"His mare galloped off when her master fell," replied Faris, "and I
brought away only his broken spear, and this."
The sheik raised his cloak, and revealed to our astonished eyes _my
chamois-leather money belt_. Edwards and I instantly recognised it, and
involuntary uttered an exclamation of surprise, when Faris, not
understanding the reason for our excitement, but thinking that we were
admiring his prize, took it off and handed it to us to examine.
"It is filled with money," said he, "and of much value. How Abbas gained
possession of it I neither know nor care. It became the prize of war,
and is now mine."
"Sheik of Sheiks," I exclaimed, holding the belt in my hand, and looking
into his flashing eyes, "I can tell you what money that belt contained a
little while since; for it was stolen from my waist as I slept outside
the khan at Mahmoudieh not half a moon ago."
"Wonder of wonders!" ejaculated Faris and Sedjur simultaneously, the
former appearing to be somewhat sceptical, though fearing to show any
distrust of his guests.
"Let us examine the pockets one by one," I said, wishing to prove my
_bona fides_. "In each of the five small pockets on either side of the
buckle there should be five English gold pieces, and in the larger
pocket at the back some odd kerans and rupees. Come, let us count them
out."
I turned out the pockets one by one, and emptied their contents on to
the sleeve of Sedjur's cloak. The thief had had no opportunity for
spending the money, which was found to be exactly as I had stated.
Faris's face wore an expression of utter bewilderment.
"We knew," said he at last to Sedjur, "what manner of man was our guest
the Hakim, but we knew not that his friend was a magician, who, when he
lost his property, could recover it at his pleasure. Yet now that I
bring it to mind, he did but last night read to me the true description
of Shahzadi, the grand-dam of my beloved Kushki, and, moreover, he
showed me, on a paper, the impression of her eight-nailed shoe, the old
Talisman of the Muntafik of which we have heard. All this is magic."
I felt that I had suddenly acquired a reputation by no means desirable,
and I hastened to reassure my host, who, having replaced the money in
the belt handed it to me, saying that, now that he knew that it was
stolen property, he wished to restore it to its rightful owner.
"Nay, nay, sheik," said I, "you obtained it in a fair fight. I lost it
through my own carelessness, and I can no longer claim it by right. I
never thought to see it again."
"Then," answered Faris, "I see but one way out of the difficulty. If you
refuse to take back your own, I offer the belt and all it contains to
your friend the Hakim, as a present, in return for all the kindness
which he showed to my son Sedjur. We of the desert have an unwritten
law, by which no guest of the Aeniza can decline to accept a present
from a sheik. Were this not so, then would I straightway ride to the
Euphrates, and hurl the thing into its depths; for, knowing what I know,
I can never now lay finger on it again. Come, Hakim, my honoured guest,
buckle on the belt, and end the trouble; otherwise, who knows? it may
prove to me as evil a possession as did that golden curse to many a
Bedouin in the days gone by."
So Edwards, at my suggestion, took the belt and fastened it round his
waist, offering profuse thanks to his host, who was apparently greatly
relieved.
"Tell us, sheik," I said, seeing that he had recovered his equanimity,
"something of the golden curse to which you alluded just now, and about
which I spoke to you last night. We are all friends here; Sedjur has
doubtless heard it all before, and the Hakim and I are one."
Faris looked stealthily round, to make sure that there were no
eaves-droppers, and then suddenly turning his eyes on me exclaimed:--
"Think no more of it; forget it; for it will bring you nothing but ruin.
I called you 'magician.' Whether I did so rightly or wrongly I cannot
say, but this I do know, that your magic, be it ever so strong, can
avail nothing against that circlet of gold. As you are aware, it
disappeared long years back--even before dear Kushki saw the light of
day. No man could ever say what became of it, though there be
necromancers (not reckoned by us as men) who have the reputation of
knowing all things, and who have been heard to affirm that they could,
were they so minded, unearth that hidden curse. Yet even they fear to be
so rash. As soon would they let loose in the world Shaitan and all the
Jins. Do you suppose your Western magic to be more powerful than that of
the East? Do you imagine that you are capable of combating all the evil
that fell on every man who ever touched the dreaded thing? No, I cannot
believe that you have such conceit."
"I am no magician, sheik," I said, interrupting him, "and I make no
pretence to any power not possessed by yourself or any other man. We
Englishmen consider all those who practise magic to be impostors. In all
honesty, I told you last night that I had come to the desert in search
of the Golden Girdle of the Great Queen; and I told you how my
acquaintance with the story of the Muntafik talisman had led me to seek
information from you."
"I know," said Faris, sorrowfully, "I remember all you said, and if I
ever doubted you, the doubt has left me. I believe all that you told me.
I swear it. Gladly would I help you to carry out the task imposed upon
you; yet, I, Faris-ibn-Feyzul, Sheik of the Jelas Aeniza, who have faced
death on countless occasions, and who would face it again at a moment's
notice, out of pure love of fighting, I confess to you that I fear to
have a hand in resuscitating the golden circlet. Mere death I count as
nothing. All must die--whether it be sooner or whether it be later; and
so long as I die, as every true Bedouin should, fighting the foes of his
forefathers, I care nothing for myself. But how should I feel if, when
dying, I knew that I had been instrumental in reviving, and in leaving
behind me as a legacy to posterity, a curse on the inhabitants of the
world?"
I began to think that the Golden Girdle had a most fearsome reputation,
but I remembered that my uncle had specially warned me not to be
influenced by the superstitious dread of the natives. I had always
laughed at superstition, and though I had sufficient good sense not to
laugh at the sheik, I inwardly considered his fears as ridiculous and
childish.
"So be it, sheik," I said. "Far be it from me to attempt to influence
you to do anything against the guidance of your conscience. Let us
forget that we ever spoke of the Golden Girdle. Let us forget that it
ever existed. There are troubles enough in the world without adding to
them. We will converse on other matters."
"What thought you of the horse you have been riding?" inquired Faris
proudly.
"Perfection," I replied. "Never have I sat on the back of his equal."
"I thought so," said Faris, beaming with delight "He is indeed a worthy
son of my Kushki."
"And to think that we foreigners," said I, "possess her grand-dam's
shoe!"
I had hardly finished speaking, when the sheik sprang to his feet,
seized sword and spear, and rushed to his horse, shouting as he did so
that the Shammar were upon us. Sedjur was in the saddle almost as soon
as his father; and Edwards and I, not fully realising what was going on,
followed suit in all haste. Then we saw what our host's keen eyes had
seen a couple of seconds earlier. Over the ridge above us a long line of
horsemen were sweeping down into the valley; the watchmen posted among
the rocks fired their matchlocks as a signal of alarm, and ran for their
horses, which were mostly tethered close to the spot where he had been
resting. There was little time to think, but it was easy to understand
the enemy's intentions. The mares and camels were all grazing down the
valley, a quarter of a mile or so below us, while the herdsmen, in order
that they might be able to obtain a wide view of the surrounding
country, had been stationed on the higher ground above us and to our
right and left. The raiders, evidently well aware of this somewhat
faulty arrangement, had somehow crept up unnoticed to the vicinity of
the ridge, and had then galloped in between the herdsmen and the herd,
the foremost horsemen descending swiftly into the valley and rapidly
working round and overlapping the grazing animals. This was an almost
instantaneous evolution; in fact, when Faris first gave the alarm, the
line had already shaped into a crescent, and before we had mounted, it
had become a semicircle, separating the mares from the camels, and
driving the former before it and away from us. The camels, being too
refractory and slow to carry off, were left behind.
"Quick, Sedjur lad," shouted the sheik without any sign of excitement,
"rally the herdsmen, and get ready for pursuit, while I watch the
direction they take."
Then the lad, as his father called him, opened his lungs and sent up a
war-howl, which rang through the whole valley, and came echoing back
from every rock and every hollow. If it did not strike terror into the
hearts of the raiders, at any rate it had a most inspiriting effect on
the wretched herdsman, who showed the greatest keenness to get to their
horses and form up for pursuit. How long it was before all the men had
come in I do not remember; it could not have been many minutes, though
it seemed like an hour. At last all were ready, and away we went at a
hand-gallop, up the stony side of the valley, to the spot where the
sheik awaited us. Sedjur--no longer the calm, imperturbable youth, but a
fierce warrior, with long, gleaming spear raised aloft--led the party,
Edwards and I abreast of him, on either side.
"This is no work for you," said Sedjur, addressing me as we rode along.
"You and the Hakim had best drop behind and await our return."
"Have you such a poor opinion of us town-dwellers, then?" I replied. "We
are your guests, and it is our duty to assist you. Besides, we want to
see the fun."
"Bravely said," exclaimed the sheik, who had overheard my reply as we
approached him. "Come on and help us to deal death to the Shammar
thieves. They have crossed the plain, and are away on the other side of
the ridge yonder."
How our little well-bred horses flew over that sandy strip! Their hoofs
seemed barely to touch the ground. In front galloped the sheik; close
behind him, we three; then the Bedouin herdsmen, some twenty in number,
like a troop of cavalry in single rank.
We topped the ridge, and without drawing rein drank in the scene before
us. There lay another stretch of rolling desert, which in the far
distance appeared to slope gradually up to a network of bold hills.
Midway between us and the hills, we could see clearly enough the mares
being driven off, and raising a vast moving column of dust, resembling a
sand-storm. That our enemies were expert cattle-lifters was evident,
for they kept the beasts all going at a swinging trot, in one compact
body.
Faris raised a wild shout as his quarry came in view, and pressed
forward into the plain.
"Take half to the left, Sedjur; quick lad, and work round, so as to head
them off from the hills. I will take the rest to the right. If the
devils reach the hills, we shall not recover a single mare."
A strong breeze was blowing from one side, and carried the dust raised
by the fugitives well away to leeward, enabling us to see and almost
count the number of men with whom we would have to reckon. That they
out-numbered our party was certain; though, as far as we could judge,
not by very many. For the moment, however, actual numbers were of small
account; speed was the sole thought; for the necessity of cutting in
between the enemy and the hills was now very apparent. Though they were
almost a mile away from us, and had little more than another mile to
traverse before reaching the shelter of the hills, we certainly had the
great advantage of being unhampered by loose beasts; while our opponents
had to keep the mares together, so as to prevent them from breaking
away. As our party divided, Edwards and I happened to be rather more to
the left than to the right, so we naturally drifted off with Sedjur,
who, waving his spear above his head, led his handful of men away to the
flank. Rapidly we gained on the bulky column of dust; we were soon
abreast of it, and it blew across our path and enveloped us, so that we
were almost choked. As we emerged from the dense cloud, we saw that the
sheik's party had out-distanced us by a little, and had already reached
a point between the enemy and the hills, so Sedjur wheeled half right,
and went straight for the stolen mares; while his father, observing the
movement, instantly swung round and brought his men down pell-mell on
the foremost of the enemy. Panic seized the raiders, and before we could
reach them, they abandoned their booty, and fled in a disorganised mass
away to the flank farthest from us. The mares were saved, though there
was still the risk of their terror causing them to scatter over the
desert. Sedjur and his party, however, understood their business, and
rounding them up, soon pacified them. Meanwhile, the sheik had seen his
opportunity, and at the very moment that the enemy took flight, he
suddenly changed his direction, and went off in hot pursuit of the
fugitives.
"Come on, Henderson," said Edwards, "let's be in at the death."
"Right you are," I shouted. And away we went. It was a stern chase and a
long one; but when we had almost caught up our friends, we found that
they had overhauled the tailmost of the band, and that a brisk fight was
imminent. Then Edwards, who was a little ahead of me, suddenly reined up
his horse, so that it nearly fell over backwards, and I instinctively
did the same.
"What is the matter?" I asked.
"This is not _our_ game," replied Edwards, somewhat sternly. "The poor
devils could not stand our revolvers. It would be sheer butchery to use
them. _I_ don't want to shoot any of them, and I am sure _you_ don't.
Besides, look, the sheik is drawing off his men, and I expect he
considers that honour is satisfied."
At first I felt that I had been rebuked; for, on joining in the pursuit,
I certainly had had every intention of using my revolver freely. But I
soon saw that my companion's argument was perfectly sound, and I was
glad that the combat had suddenly come to a close without our being
called upon to take part in it. The sheik and his party presently
returned, the enemy having disappeared into the hills, and we now
learned the reason of the rapid withdrawal.
"They were leading us into an ambuscade," said Faris, as he rejoined us.
"If it had not been for you, I, in my excitement, should have gone on,
and doubtless we should all have been killed. I saw you pull up, and I
instantly understood that you realised the stratagem I thank you both
for giving me the signal."
Now, although I believe that Edwards and I were as honest as most men,
we did not think it at all necessary to enlighten the sheik as to our
real motive in suddenly coming to a halt. As a matter of fact, we were
so astonished at what he said that we did not reply, thus leaving him
with a high opinion of our astuteness, which, as we never undeceived
him, he probably retained to the end of his days. There was, however,
little time to think about what had occurred, for the main object now
was to return to the mares, and conduct them back to a place of
security. Naturally, everyone was very jubilant at having recovered the
stolen beasts, and Sedjur and his party had already set them in motion
towards home. Then the great cloud of dust once again rose upwards,
almost obscuring the fast sinking sun, and darkness had set in before
the mares were once again at the grazing ground from which they had been
carried off.