HELMAR TO THE RESCUE
The third-class carriage in which George took his place was not the
comfortable, up-to-date compartment to be found on European
railways. At first glance it appeared to be more like a cattle-truck
than anything else, except that it lacked the white-washed walls and
healthy smell of such places.
The "pen," as he designated it, was filled with a contingent of all
classes of people, Egyptians predominating. The majority were
squatting on their haunches on the floor, regardless of those who
wished to move about, in an attitude reminding one for all the world
of the "Dusky Red Man" of America holding a "pow-wow."
Apparently this was the class principally catered for by the railway
company, for George had observed before entering the train that the
greater number of the carriages were labelled "third." In place of
windows, these fearful and wonderful structures possessed iron bars
placed horizontally along each side, still further likening them to
cattle-vans.
Amidst such cheerless surroundings Helmar slunk into a corner,
whence he could observe the country through which the train passed.
After leaving Alexandria the scenery became so interesting that he
forgot the condition of the cars, forgot the whining crowd of
mendicants, women and children, traders, etc., who were his
fellow-passengers; he even forgot the noisome smell of the place, so
taken up was he with the curious and novel scenes presented to his
wondering gaze.
The train sped past countless small villages, with their miniature
dwellings around which gambolled little black, naked Egyptians,
whose life apparently was a frolicsome pleasure. The larger towns,
such as Kafr Dowar, Damanhour, Tarraneh, El Wardan, with their
monuments and minarets, presented the aspect of busy cities. Then on
again, with the Nile on one side and the desert stretching further
away on the other. As the journey neared its end the Arabian
mountains came into view, whilst on the right, over the muddy banks
of the river and across the plains, he saw the everlasting Pyramids.
In this way he passed the weary hours of the journey, until at
length he saw in the distance the Mokhattam hills, at the foot of
which nestled the great Cairo he was bound for.
His feelings when he first set foot in the city were mainly of
intense relief at leaving the unwholesome car he had been travelling
in; then, as he gazed admiringly at the Oriental buildings around
him, they changed to those of satisfaction that he had reached the
spot at last, where there was a reasonable possibility of making a
start in his career for fortune. He looked upon the idea that had
first induced him to leave Alexandria as an inspiration.
He was not long in finding quarters, rough, it is true, but
compatible with the means he was now reduced to. What little money
still remained to him he calculated might, with care, last him a
week, and, if he did not find work, at the end of that time he would
be absolutely penniless.
These conditions having occupied his attention for a time, he set
about his quest for work at once. He had but vague ideas of how to
conduct his search, but instinct told him that his best tactics
would be to discover merchants of his own nationality, and try them
first.
With this object he walked about, carefully observing every business
house he came across. His wanderings took him through the broad
streets of the mediaeval quarter and along the principal boulevards
until he reached the main street. Here he found what he sought--the
European shops.
He was not long before he came upon a German bookseller's, and, with
his customary rapid decision, he entered and asked for the manager.
The clerk to whom he addressed himself led the way to an inner
office, where our hero was confronted with a little fat, bristly
man, with a keen though kindly face of undoubted Teutonic type.
Without pausing to consider his words, he plunged into the object of
his visit.
"I have just come from Europe, sir, and want work. Can you assist
me?"
"That depends," he answered quickly. "What can you do? Where do you
come from, and what recommendations have you?"
"I have no calling but that of medicine," replied Helmar with a
sinking heart. "And I come from the Koenigsberg University. As for
recommendations, I have none."
"Um! Not much to apply for work with," grunted the little man. "But
tell me," he went on, "you are a countryman of mine, and, if
possible, I should like to help you. Why did you come out here?"
Helmar then told him his whole story, disguising nothing; even going
so far as to tell him who his father was. The little bookseller
listened patiently to all he had to say, and at the conclusion of
his narrative rose from his chair and came towards him.
"Your story seems to me a straight one, and you appear to be an
open-hearted young man. I'll see what I can do for you. You say you
speak and write English and French?"
"Yes," replied George anxiously, "tolerably well."
The man left his office for a few moments.
Presently he returned. "I have a large catalogue to make out, which
requires a knowledge of two or three languages. It will take three
weeks or more to compile. If you like to undertake it, it will be a
means of keeping you until you can find something better. We are not
quite ready to start yet, but present yourself here the day after
to-morrow, and you can begin your duties. How will that suit you?"
George gratefully accepted the offer, and left the shop delighted
with his good fortune.
As he hurried along towards his quarters, it seemed to him that he
was walking on air. His wildest anticipations had been more than
realized. He had never for one moment expected that his first effort
could have possibly met with such success, and he wanted to laugh
aloud. He knew nothing of catalogue-making, but no doubt, he
thought, it required but a little common-sense, and he felt he
possessed that. At any rate he had undertaken it, and would go
through with it now.
On the appointed day George started his new task, and found it not
only easy but congenial work. The many books in various languages
attracted him further than their covers and titles, and he filled up
all the odd and spare moments he could afford in studying many of
them, particularly the Arabic ones. And so the days passed. In the
evenings he wandered about the neighbourhood as far as Boulak,
admiring the palaces of the Khedives, and watching the steamboats
and dahabiehs arrive and depart for the Nile. At times he would
stray further afield to the great Pyramids, and stand motionless
with astonishment before their towering stone wonders. His first
sight of the sun setting behind them, casting a golden-reddish glow
all around, amazed and allured him so much that he made frequent
visits to the same spot at the same hours.
But he wanted to see as much as he could during the next few days,
for he could not tell what would happen after his catalogue was
done. He therefore visited the regions of every-day commercial life;
the carpet bazaars decorated with their Oriental manufactures of all
colours; the Khan Khalili, wherein the Persian, Spanish, Jewish, and
Turkish merchants offer for sale their stock of jewels, silks,
brass-work, etc.; the silver bazaar, where the finest filigree work
is pressed upon prospective buyers. He brushed shoulders with
shoe-sellers, the pistachio-sellers, and the water-carriers, who
assure all who choose to listen that theirs is "Water sweet as
honey! Water from the spring!" and in a commanding voice invite you
to "Drink, O faithful! The wind is hot, and the way long!" but not
without the necessary piastres first.
During these few days George saw and learnt a good deal of Cairo,
but he had not learnt quite sufficient of its manners and streets.
The day came when the catalogue business was finished, and his
employer promised to find him some other occupation on the morrow.
George was quite pleased with himself, and started off for another
of his rambles.
For a while he was quite heedless of the direction he was taking,
busily building castles in the air as fast as his thoughts would
allow him; but he was brought to earth with a run as the fact dawned
upon him suddenly that for the first time he had lost his way. He
was in the densest part of the native quarter.
The evening was rapidly closing in, and he looked about for some one
to direct him. Not a European face could he see anywhere. The street
in which he found himself was filled with a chattering mob of
natives, the houses formed one continuous line of small, poky
stalls, where evil-looking Egyptians, Turks, and Arabs were offering
their worthless stock for sale.
Hurrying along, he wandered through a labyrinth of streets, all more
or less similar, until he became so confused that in despair he
appealed to one of the native vendors.
His efforts to discover his whereabouts from this man were futile.
The Egyptian was unable to understand him, and the fellow's jargon
was quite unintelligible to Helmar. In desperation he continued his
way; the prospect of spending the night in wandering through the
city being anything but pleasant to him. Night was fast closing in,
and he was apparently a long distance from his destination.
Suddenly, as he turned into an almost deserted street, he saw ahead
of him a man dressed in European costume, and he increased his pace
to overtake him.
To his annoyance, just as he was about to come up with him, the
stranger turned into a squalid house, and Helmar was left to rail at
his ill luck outside.
Realizing that there was nothing to be gained by going on, he
thought he might as well wait in the hopes of the man coming out
shortly. He was really feeling very uneasy; the neighbourhood was
filthy, and the quietness of the street depressed him.
Sauntering quietly up the street, his attention was unexpectedly
drawn to the figure of an Arab emerging from a house on the opposite
side. It was now growing dark, and Helmar was quite unable to
distinguish the fellow's face; but his furtive movements made him a
little curious, and his interest in the man became riveted. He saw
the Arab looking sharply along the street from end to end, and,
apparently satisfied with his survey, quickly draw back into the
shadow of the doorway. Helmar's curiosity now grew keener, and so
engrossed was he for the time in the man's stealthy movements that
he forgot the real object of his waiting. Consequently he failed to
observe that the European had come out of the house he had a few
minutes previously entered. Suddenly the figure of a crouching Arab
darted from the shadow and walked swiftly and silently up the
street.
Looking up the road in the same direction, Helmar was astonished to
see the European he had been waiting for hurrying along at a rapid
pace, fast disappearing in the gloom of the deserted slum.
The street, except for the two men in front of him, was now quite
deserted, and our hero quickened his pace for fear of losing sight
of his quarry.
The native had crossed the road, and was now running along with
silent footsteps some distance ahead of him. Suddenly, as the fellow
passed under the light of a dingy lamp, Helmar caught the glint of a
long curved knife he was carrying in his hand.
"Hallo!" he muttered, "there's crime afoot!" and dodging on to the
sandy road he hurried on. The European in front was walking
leisurely along, totally unconscious of any danger that might be
threatening him.
George began to fear something serious was about to happen. The
stealthy footsteps of the Arab, his long knife, the pace with which
he was overtaking the man ahead, looked decidedly unpleasant.
Ten yards only separated one from the other, while thirty or more
separated the Arab from George. Could he get sufficiently near to
warn the stranger?
Despite the roughness of the road, Helmar slipped his shoes from his
feet and hurried along with all possible speed. A couple of yards
only now separated the two men in front of him, and George had yet a
few yards to go before he could come up with them.
He was about to shout a warning when something seemed to attract the
European's attention. Turning, he came suddenly to a standstill, and
the pursuing Arab charged into him. For an instant the gleaming
knife poised in the air, but, ere it had time to fall on its
intended victim, George reached the struggling pair, and, with the
swiftness of a hawk, he seized the upraised arm in an iron grip.
Exerting his great strength to its utmost, he gave one terrific
wrench and the would-be assassin was forced to his knees, while his
shining blade fell clattering to the ground.
Helmar's assistance was only just in time; another moment and the
assassin would have accomplished his work. The freed stranger turned
at once to aid his preserver. He saw the native struggling to
release himself from George's terrible hold, and feared lest the man
should escape. There was no need, however, George held the fellow
with the greatest ease.
"Steady! Hold that end a minute.... That's it. Now tie it
tight ... pull ... hard. Good. I think we've got him safely this
time--the villain!"
These and other ejaculations were the only words passed between the
two men as they secured their prisoner with the folds of his own
sash. When this was accomplished, the stranger turned to Helmar and
held out his hand.
"You have saved my life, sir," he exclaimed, in English. "I cannot
thank you sufficiently, but it is best not to remain here. If you
will still further assist me in conveying this man to the police
quarters, we shall then have time to become acquainted."
As he finished speaking, he looked round sharply as if expecting a
fresh attack from another quarter. George noticed his glance and
looked inquiringly at him.
"You do not understand," went on the stranger, in answer to the
look; "this attack is part of a plot--there are others. Come!"
Without demur, George assisted in dragging the unwilling prisoner
along, and in a few minutes they reached the police head-quarters.
Here they disposed of the Arab, and turned into a private room.
Helmar was struck with the air of authority his companion displayed
as soon as the police station was reached, and, consequently, was
not surprised when he introduced himself.
"My name is Inspector Childs, chief of the detective department of
Cairo. Who may I have the pleasure of thanking for my preservation?"
George gave his name, and the two men shook hands again.
"It seems to me the most providential thing that you should have
been in that neighbourhood to-night," said the inspector, eyeing the
young man keenly. "But perhaps you are a stranger in the city, and
perhaps you do not realize the danger of walking in the native
quarter, after dark, just now."
"You are right; I did not know there was the least danger. The fact
is, I am a stranger in the country, having come direct from Germany
for the purpose of earning a living. I had really lost my way, and
was following you to ask for guidance. I have been here but a few
days."
"Ah, a living, eh!" said the inspector, repeating his words
musingly. "Then I presume you have got nothing definite on hand just
now." Suddenly he seemed to rouse himself. "You have rendered me the
greatest possible service this evening; I shall be glad to help you
in some way. Have you any particular profession or choice in the
means of earning the living you speak of?"
"None whatever. I have been doing a small job, but that is finished
now--in fact, I was returning from my place of employment when I saw
you. The work was nothing very great, but I was glad of it as a
start, and have been promised some further temporary employment by
the same man."
"If you are not bound to him I can offer you something perhaps a
little more profitable with the police staff here. Of course the
progress you make will depend on yourself."
"I should be glad to accept anything that offers me a future. The
work that I have been doing has only been given me to keep me going
until I can find something better. If you think me capable and can
offer me something more permanent, I should be delighted. What would
my duties consist of, and when would they begin?"
"Your work would begin at once, and it would consist of general
police duties; as for your capabilities, your exhibition of resource
and action to-night is quite sufficient recommendation. What do you
say?"
"You are very kind. I shall not hesitate to accept any position you
consider me fitted for. I will write to the bookseller to-morrow and
tell him."
The inspector paused for a moment, tapping his desk with his
knuckle, as if endeavouring to make up his mind to what use he could
put George.
"I have a very ticklish affair on to-night--an affair of so much
risk that I hardly like to ask you to take part in it as a start.
But if you care to," he went on thoughtfully, "I am quite willing to
take you with me, although I quite meant going alone. But you must
decide at once."
"Make your mind easy," exclaimed George, his eyes glistening at the
prospect of adventure. "Whatever it is, if you think I can be of
assistance, I am with you."
The inspector eyed the keen, eager face with approval.
"So be it, then! Here, put this in your pocket," he said, handing
him a revolver. "We will start at once."