THE DESERT JOURNEY.
The journey was a long one. The winds were often so light that the
vessels scarcely moved, and the heat was greater than anything they
had felt during their journey. They stopped at many small ports on the
Arabian side; the captain trading with the natives--selling to them
articles of Egyptian manufacture, and buying the products of the
country for sale in Egypt. The party had, before starting, arranged
that they would land at Ælana, a town lying at the head of the gulf of
the same name, forming the eastern arm of the Red Sea.[E] By so doing
they would avoid the passage through Lower Egypt.
[E] Now the Gulf of Akabah.
The question had not been decided without long debate. By crossing
from Arsinoe[F] to Pelusium they would at the latter port be able to
obtain a passage in a Phœnician trader to a port in the north of
Syria, and there strike across Asia Minor for the Caspian. Jethro was
in favor of this route, because it would save the girls the long and
arduous journey up through Syria. They, however, made light of this,
and declared their readiness to undergo any hardships rather than to
run the risk of the whole party being discovered either upon landing
at Arsinoe or on their journey north, when they would pass through
the very country that Amuba and Chebron had visited and that was
inhabited by Ruth’s people.
[F] Now Suez.
All allowed that the time had long since passed when the authorities
would be keeping up a special watch for them; but as upon entering
port a scribe would come on board and make a list of the passengers
with their place of birth and vocation, for registration in the
official records, it would be difficult in the extreme to give such
answers as would avoid exciting suspicion.
When the vessel reached the mouth of the long and narrow gulf the
party were struck by the grandeur of the mountains that rose from the
water’s edge on their left.
The captain told them that the chief of these was known as Mount
Sinai, and that barren and desolate as the land looked, it contained
valleys where sheep were pastured and where wandering tribes found a
subsistence. No hint had been given to the captain that they had any
intention of cutting short their voyage before arriving at Arsinoe,
for it would have seemed an extraordinary proceeding for a trader
journeying with his family to leave the ship at any of the Arabian
ports. While sailing up the gulf Mysa complained of illness, and
indeed so overpowered was she by the heat that there was but little
fiction in the complaint. Upon arriving at Ælana Jethro had her
carried on shore, and, hiring a house there, stayed on shore while
the ship was in port.
There was a small Egyptian garrison in the town, which carried on
a considerable trade with Moab and the country to the east. No
attention, however, was paid to the landing of the traders, for, as
the country beyond the walls of the town lay beyond the limit of
Egyptian rule, the landing and departure of persons at the port was a
matter of no interest to the authorities. Two days later Jethro went
on board again and said that his young son was so ill that there was
no chance of him being able to proceed on the journey, and that
therefore he must forfeit the passage money paid to Arsinoe.
He said that as it might be many weeks before another vessel would
come along, he should endeavor to pay his way by trading with the
natives, and he therefore wished to purchase from him a portion of his
remaining goods suitable for the purpose. As the captain saw that he
would save the provisions for five persons for the month or six weeks
that the voyage would yet last, and at the same time get rid of some
of his surplus cargo, he assented without question to Jethro’s
proposal. Several bales of goods were made up, consisting principally
of cloths of various texture and color of Egyptian manufacture,
trinkets, and a selection of arms.
These were landed, and two days later the vessel set sail. Jethro
called upon the Egyptian commandant, and by making him a handsome
present at once enlisted his aid in his enterprise. He said that as he
had been detained by the illness of his son, and it might be a long
time before any vessel came, he thought of getting rid of the rest of
the merchandise he had brought with him by trade with the people of
Moab.
“That you can do if you reach Moab,” the Egyptian said, “for traders
are everywhere well received; but the journey from here is not without
dangers. It is a country without a master; the people have no fixed
abodes, moving here and there according as they can find food for
their animals, sometimes among the valleys of Sinai, sometimes in
the desert to the east. These people plunder any whom they may come
across, and not content with plunder might slay or carry you away as
slaves. Once you have passed through as far as Moab you are safe; as
you would also be if you journeyed to the west of the Salt Lake, into
which runs the river Jordan. There are many tribes there, all living
in cities, warlike and valorous people, among whom also you would
be safe. We have had many wars with them, and not always to our
advantage. But between us is a sort of truce--they do not molest our
armies marching along by the seacoast, nor do we go up among their
hills to meddle with them. These are the people who at one time
conquered a portion of Lower Egypt, and reigned over it for many
generations until, happily, we rose and drove them out.”
“Is the journey between this and the Salt Lake you speak of an arduous
one?”
“It is by no means difficult, except that it were best to carry water
upon the journey, for the wells are few and often dry; but the country
is flat for the whole distance; indeed, there is a tradition that this
gulf at one time extended as far north as the Salt Lake. The road,
therefore, though stony and rough, offers no difficulties whatever;
but I should advise you, if you determine upon the journey, to leave
your son behind.”
“It is better for him to travel than to remain here without me,”
Jethro said; “and if we go up through the people you speak of to the
west of this lake and river, it would be but a short journey for us
after disposing of our goods to make our way down to a port on the
Great Sea, whence we may take ship and return quickly to Pelusium, and
thus arrive home before we should find a ship to take us hence.”
“That is so,” the Egyptian said. “The winds are so uncertain on these
seas that, as far as time goes, you might journey by the route you
propose and reach Egypt more speedily than you would do if you went on
board a ship at once. The danger lies almost entirely in the first
portion of your journey. The caravans that go hence once or twice a
year through Moab to Palmyra are numerous and well armed, and capable
of resisting an attack by these robber tribesmen. But one left a few
weeks ago, and it may be some months before another starts.”
“What animals would you recommend me to take with me?”
“Beyond all doubt camels are the best. They are used but little in
this country, but come down sometimes with the caravans from Palmyra;
and I believe that there is at present in the town an Arab who
possesses six or seven of them. He came down with the last caravan,
but was taken ill and unable to return with it. Doubtless you could
make a bargain with him. I will send a soldier with you to the house
he occupies.”
Jethro found that the man was anxious to return to his own country,
which lay on the borders of Media, and therefore directly in the
direction which Jethro wished to travel. He was, however, unwilling to
undertake the journey except with a caravan, having intended to wait
for the next however long the time might be; but the sum that Jethro
offered him for the hire of his animals as far as Palmyra at last
induced him to consent to make the journey at once, bargaining,
however, that a party of ten armed men should be hired as an escort as
far as the borders of Moab. Highly pleased with the result of his
inquiries, Jethro returned home and told his companions the
arrangements he had made.
“I have only arranged for our journey as far as Palmyra,” he said, “as
it would have raised suspicion had I engaged him for the whole journey
to Media; but of course he will gladly continue the arrangement for
the whole journey. He has bargained for an escort of ten men, but we
will take twenty. There is ample store of your father’s gold still
unexhausted; and, indeed, we have spent but little yet, for the sale
of our goods when we left the boat paid all our expenses of the
journey up the Nile. Therefore, as this seems to be the most hazardous
part of our journey, we will not stint money in performing it in
safety. I have told him that we shall start in a week’s time. It would
not do to leave earlier. You must not recover too rapidly from your
illness. In the meantime I will make it my business to pick out a
score of good fighting men as our escort.”
In this the Egyptian captain was of use, recommending men whose
families resided in Ælana, and would therefore be hostages for their
fidelity. This was necessary, for no small portion of the men to be
met with in the little town were native tribesmen who had encamped at
a short distance from its walls, and had come in to trade in horses or
the wool of their flocks for the cloths of Egypt. Such men as these
would have been a source of danger rather than of protection.
By the end of the week he had collected a party of twenty men, all of
whom were to provide their own horses. The sum agreed upon for their
escort was to be paid into the hands of the Egyptian officer, who was
to hand it to them on their return, with a document signed by Jethro
to the effect that they had faithfully carried out the terms of their
agreement.
Jethro found that the expense of the escort was less than he had
anticipated, for when the men found that the party would be a strong
one, therefore capable of protecting itself both on the journey out
and on its return, they demanded but a moderate sum for their
services. When the owner of the camels learned that they had decided
positively to pass to the east of the Salt Lake, he advised them
strongly, instead of following the valley of Ælana to the Salt Lake,
where it would be difficult to obtain water, to take the road to the
east of the range of hills skirting the valleys, and so to proceed
through Petra and Shobek and Karik to Hesbon in Moab. This was the
route followed by all the caravans. Villages would be found at very
short distances, and there was no difficulty whatever about water.
“My camels,” he said, “can go long distances without water, and could
take the valley route, but the horses would suffer greatly.”
Jethro was glad to hear that the journey was likely to be less
toilsome than he had anticipated; and all the arrangements having been
concluded, the party started soon after dawn on the day at first fixed
upon.
The girls were still in male attire, and rode in large baskets, slung
one on each side of a camel. The camel-driver walked at the head of
the animal, leading it by a cord. Its fellows followed in a long line,
each fastened to the one before it. Jethro, Amuba, and Chebron, all
armed with bows and arrows, as well as swords, rode beside the girls’
camel. Half the escort went on ahead; the other half formed the rear
guard.
“Which is the most dangerous part of the journey?” Jethro asked the
camel-driver.
“That on which we are now entering,” he replied. “Once we arrive at
Petra we are comparatively safe; but this portion of the journey
passes over a rough and uninhabited country, and it is across this
line that the wandering tribesmen pass in their journeys to or from
the pastures round Mount Sinai. The steep hills on our left form at
once a hiding-place and a lookout. There they can watch for travelers
passing along this road, and swoop down upon them.”
“How long shall we be reaching Petra?”
“It is three days’ fair traveling; but as the beasts are fresh, by
journeying well on to sundown we could accomplish it in two days.
After that we can travel at our ease; the villages lie but a few miles
apart.”
“Let us push on, then, by all means,” said Jethro. “We can stay a day
at Petra to rest the beasts, but let us get through this desolate and
dangerous country as soon as we can.”
The girls had been greatly amused at first at the appearance of the
strange animal that was carrying them; but they soon found that the
swinging action was extremely fatiguing, and they would have gladly
got down and walked.
Jethro, however, said that this could not be, for the pace of the
animal, deliberate though it seemed, was yet too great for them to
keep up with on foot, and it was needful for the first two days to
push on at full speed.
The sun blazed with tremendous force, and was reflected from the black
rock of the hills and the white sand lying between the stones that
everywhere strewed the plain along which they were traveling, and the
heat was terrible. After traveling for three hours they halted for an
hour, and Jethro managed, with the poles that had been brought to form
the framework of tents, and some cloths, to fasten an awning over the
baskets in which the girls were riding. The camels had lain down as
soon as they halted, and the girls stepped into the baskets before
they arose. They gave a simultaneous cry as the animal rose. They had
prepared for him to rise on his fore legs, and when his hind quarter
suddenly rose in the air they were almost thrown from their baskets.
“I don’t like this creature a bit,” Mysa said as they moved on. “Who
would suppose that he was going to get up the wrong way first?
Besides, why does he keep on grumbling? I am sure that Ruth and I
cannot be such a very heavy load for such a great beast. I believe he
would have bit us as we got in if the driver had not jerked the rope
at its head. It must be much nicer to sit on a horse. I am sure that
looks easy enough.”
“It is not so easy as it looks, Mysa,” Chebron replied; “besides, you
know women never do ride horses.”
“They do in our country,” Amuba said. “When we get there, Mysa, I will
teach you how to sit on them.”
“Ah! it is a long way off, Amuba,” Mysa replied; “and I believe this
creature has made up his mind to shake us to pieces as soon as he
can.”
“You should not try to sit stiff,” Jethro said. “Sit quite easily, and
sway backward and forward with the motion of the basket. You will soon
get accustomed to it, and will find that ere long you will be able to
sleep as if in a cradle.”
They traveled on until the sun was just sinking, and then prepared to
camp for the night. They had brought with them several skins of water,
and from these a scanty drink was given to each of the horses. A few
handfuls of grain were also served out to each. The drivers stuck
their spears firmly into the ground and to these fastened them. The
camels were made to kneel down so as to form a square. In the center
of this the tent was pitched for the girls, the horses being arranged
in a circle outside.
The men had all brought with them flat cakes, and with these and a
handful of dates they made their meal; and there was no occasion for
lighting a fire, for Jethro’s party had brought an ample store of
cooked provisions for their own use. In a short time quiet reigned in
the camp. The journey had been a hot and fatiguing one, and the men
wrapping themselves in their cloaks lay down, each by his spear, and
were soon asleep, with the exception of four who took their posts as
sentries. Jethro had agreed with Amuba and Chebron that they also
would divide the night between them, taking it by turns to keep watch.
The men of the escort were, however, of opinion that there was very
little probability of any attack before morning, even had they been
watched by a party among the hills.
“They could hardly hope to take us by surprise, for they would be sure
that we should set a watch in the darkness. They could not make their
way down the hills without some noise; besides, they believe the
powers of evil are potent at night, and seldom stir out of their camps
after dark. If we are attacked at all, it is likely to be just before
sunrise.”
Jethro had therefore arranged that Chebron should keep the first
watch, Amuba the second, and that he himself would take charge four
hours before daylight.
The night passed without any cause for alarm. As soon as daylight
broke the camp was astir. Another ration of water and grain was served
out to the horses, a hasty meal was made by the men, and just as the
sun rose the cavalcade moved on. They had journeyed but half a mile,
when from behind a spur of the hills running out in the plain a large
party was seen to issue forth. There must have been fully a hundred of
them, of whom some twenty were mounted and the rest on foot. The
travelers halted and had a short consultation. Jethro with one of the
escort then rode out to meet the advancing party, waving a white cloth
in token of amity. Two of the Arabs rode forward to meet them. It was
some time before Jethro returned to the party, who were anxiously
awaiting the termination of the colloquy.
“What do they say, Jethro?” Amuba asked as he rode up.
“He says, to begin with, that we ought to have purchased from him the
right of traveling across the country. I said that I would gladly have
paid a moderate sum had I been aware that such was required, but that
as he was not in Ælana I could not tell that he claimed such a right.
At the same time I was ready to make an offer of four rolls of
Egyptian cloth. He rejected the offer with scorn, and after a long
conversation let me know pretty plainly that he intended to take all
our goods and animals, and that we might think ourselves fortunate in
being allowed to pursue our way on foot. I said that I would consult
my friends; that if they agreed to his terms we would keep the white
flag flying; if we refused them, we would lower it.”
“Then you may as well lower it at once, Jethro,” Amuba said. “We might
as well be killed at once as be plundered of all we possess by these
Arab rascals. Besides, as there are twenty-three of us, and all well
armed, we ought to be able to cut our way through them. At the worst
the girls could mount behind us, and we could make a circuit so as to
avoid the footmen, and if the horsemen ventured to attack us we could
soon give a good account of them.”
“Yes. But we should lose our seven camel-loads of goods, and we shall
want them for trade as we go along,” Jethro said. “I propose that we
should form the camels into a square, as we did last night; that you
two and six of the men armed with bows and arrows shall occupy it and
take care of the girls, while the rest of us charge the Arabs. If we
can defeat the horsemen it is probable that the men on foot will draw
off. But while we are doing so some of those on foot may rush forward
and attack you. We will take care not to pursue, and you can rely
upon our coming to your assistance as soon as you are attacked.”
“I think that is the best plan, Jethro. We can keep them off for some
time with our bows and arrows, for certainly Chebron and I can bring
down a man with each shot at a hundred yards.”
Jethro chose six of the men who professed themselves to be good
archers. Their horses’ legs were tied and the animals thrown down just
outside the square formed by the kneeling camels. Strict instructions
were given to the girls to lie down, and the saddles and bales were
arranged outside the camels to shield them from missiles. Then when
all was prepared the white flag was lowered, and Jethro with his
fourteen men rode at full gallop against the Arabs.
Trusting to their somewhat superior numbers the Arab horsemen advanced
to meet them; but Jethro’s party, obeying his orders to keep in a
close line together with their spears leveled in front of them, rode
right over the Arabs, who came up singly and without order. Men and
horses rolled over together, several of the former transfixed by the
spears of the horsemen. Jethro called upon his men to halt and turned
upon the Arabs.
Some of the latter fled toward the footmen, who were running up to
their assistance, but were pursued and cut down. Others fought to the
last silently and desperately; but these, too, were slain. As soon as
the footmen approached they opened fire with slings and stones. Jethro
rallied his men and formed them in line again, and at their head
charged the Arabs. The latter fought steadily. Giving way for a
moment, they closed in round the little party of horsemen, throwing
their javelins and hacking at them with their swords. Jethro spurred
his horse into their midst, dealing blows right and left with his
heavy ax. His followers pressed after him, and after hard fighting cut
their way through their opponents.
Again and again the maneuver was repeated, the resistance of the Arabs
weakening, as most of their best men had fallen, while the large
shields carried by the horsemen repelled the greater part of the
missiles they hurled at them. Another minute or two and the Arabs
broke and fled from the hills, leaving over twenty of their number on
the ground, in addition to the whole of their mounted men. Jethro had
now time to look round, and saw for the first time that he had not, as
he supposed, been engaged with the whole of the enemy’s party. While
some fifty of them had attacked him, the rest had made direct for the
camels, and were now gathered in a mass around them.
With a shout to his men to follow him Jethro galloped at full speed
toward the Arabs, and with a shout flung himself upon them, clearing
his way through them with his ax. He was but just in time. A desperate
conflict was raging across the camels. At one point several of the
Arabs had broken into the square, and these were opposed by Amuba,
Chebron, and one of the men, while the others still held back the
Arabs on the other side. The arrival of Jethro, followed closely by
the rest of his men, instantly put a stop to the conflict.
The Arabs no longer thought of attacking, but with cries of dismay
started for the hills, hotly pursued by the horsemen, who followed
them until they reached the foot of the rocks. As soon as the Arabs
gained their fastnesses they again betook themselves to their slings,
and the horsemen fell back to the camels. Jethro had not joined in the
pursuit, but as soon as the Arabs fled had leaped from his horse.
“You were almost too late, Jethro,” Amuba said.
“I was, indeed,” Jethro replied. “I thought that I was engaged with
the whole of the footmen, and in the heat of the fight did not notice
that a party had moved off to attack you. You are terribly hurt, I
fear, both you and Chebron. Are both the girls unharmed?”
Mysa and Ruth had both risen to their feet as soon as the attack
ceased.
“We are both safe,” Mysa replied. “But oh, how terribly you are hurt,
both of you; and Jethro, too, is wounded!”
“My wound is nothing,” Jethro said; “let us look to those of Chebron
first,” for Chebron had sat down against one of the camels.
“Do not be alarmed,” Chebron said faintly. “I think it is only loss of
blood; my shield covered my body.”
“Now, girls,” Jethro said, “do you get beyond the camels, open one of
the bales of cloth, and set to work tearing it up in strips for
bandages. I will look after these two.”
After an examination of their wounds Jethro was able to say that he
did not think that any of them would have very serious consequences.
Both had been wounded in the leg with javelins, the side of Chebron’s
face was laid open by a sword cut, and a spear had cut through the
flesh and grazed the ribs on the right side.
Amuba’s most serious wound had been inflicted by a javelin thrown at
him sideways. This had passed completely through his back under both
shoulder-blades and had broken off there. Jethro cut off the ragged
end, and taking hold of the point protruding behind the left arm, drew
the shaft through. Then taking some of the bandages from the girls, he
bound up all the wounds, and then proceeded to examine those of the
men who were already occupied in stanching the flow of blood from
their comrades’ wounds. It was found that one of the defenders of the
square was dead and three others severely wounded.
Of Jethro’s party two had fallen and all had received wounds more or
less severe. Had it not been for the shields that covered their
bodies, few would have emerged alive from the conflict; but these gave
them an immense advantage over the Arabs, who carried no such means of
protection. The owner of the camels had escaped unhurt, having
remained during the fight hidden under some bales. As soon as the
wounds were all bandaged and a drink of wine and water had been served
out to each, the camels were unbound and permitted to rise.
Three of the men most seriously wounded, being unable to sit on their
horses, were placed on the bales carried by camels, and the party
again set out. It was well that they were obliged to proceed at the
pace of the camels, for several men could scarcely sit their horses,
and could not have done so at a pace exceeding a walk.
“Now, Amuba, let us hear about your fight,” Jethro said. “I have not
had time to ask a question yet.”
“There is naught to tell,” Amuba said. “We saw you charge down upon
their horsemen and destroy them, and then ride into the middle of
their foot. At once a party of about thirty strong detached themselves
and made straight for us. As soon as they came within range of our
arrows we began. I shot four before they reached us, and I think
Chebron did the same; but the men with us shot but poorly, and I do
not think that they can have killed more than seven or eight between
them. However, altogether, that accounted for about half their number,
and there were only about fifteen who got up to a hand-to-hand fight
with us. For a bit, aided by our breastwork, we kept them out. But at
last they managed to spring over, and although we were doing our best
and several of them had fallen, we had been wounded, and it would have
gone very hard with us in another minute or two if you had not come up
to the rescue. Now let us hear what you were doing.”
Jethro then described the encounter he and his party had had with the
footmen.
“They fight well, these Arabs,” he said, “and it was well for us that
we all carried shields; for had we not done so they would have riddled
us with their javelins. As you see, I had a narrow escape; for had
that dart that went through my ear been an inch or two to the right it
would have pierced my eye. I have two or three nasty gashes with their
swords on the legs, and I think that most of the other men came out
worse than I did. It was lucky that they did not strike at the horses;
but I suppose they wanted them, and so avoided inflicting injury on
them. However, it has been a tough fight, and we are well out of it. I
hope I shall not be called on to use my battle-ax again until I am
fighting in the ranks of the Rebu.”