Through the very heart of the barren, naked Saharan country, that
boundless sea of red-brown arid sands, which, like the ocean itself, is
subject to fitful moods of calm and storm, there runs a deep rocky
ravine which has ever been a mystery to geographers. It commences near
the shore of Lake Tsad, and extending for nearly eight hundred miles due
north to Lake Melghir, is known as the Igharghar, and is the dried-up
bed of a river, which, with its tributaries, once rendered this bare
wilderness one of the most fertile spots on earth, but which, for
upwards of two thousand years, has ceased to flow. Strangely enough,
the country traversed by this great stony ravine is to-day the most arid
and inhospitable in the world. The river, which, according to the
legendary stories told in the market-places of the desert towns, must
have been as mighty as the Nile, dried-up suddenly from some cause which
has always puzzled geographers. A portion of its course, about two
hundred miles, half filled with sand, has for ages been used as the
caravan route between the city of Agades, the capital of the Air
country, and Temasinin, at the foot of the Tinghert Plateau; but the
remainder is of such a rocky character as to be impassable, and has on
many occasions served us as ambush when fighting the Ouled Sliman
marauders, our hereditary foes.
On one of these expeditions we were encamped in the shadow of some great
rocks, which had once been covered by the giant flood. Around us on
every hand was the sandy, waterless waste, known by the ominous name of
_Ur-immandess_, "He (Allah) heareth not," that is, is deaf to the cry of
the way-laid traveller. It is a dismal tract, one of the most hot and
arid in the whole of Northern Africa. The poison-wind blows almost
continually, and the general appearance of the sand dunes is altered
almost hour by hour. We were six days' march off an interesting little
walled town I had once visited, called Azaka 'n Ahkar, where stands the
curious tomb of a chieftain who fell during the Arab invasion over a
thousand years ago, and to the west, within sight, was the low dark hill
known to us as Mount Hikena, a spot feared universally throughout the
desert as the abode of the jinns.
Already had we engaged the fierce host of the Ouled Sliman in deadly
conflict at the well of Agnar, but finding our opponents armed with
rifles procured from European traders, we had drawn off in an endeavour
to entice them into the Wady Igharghar, where our superior knowledge of
the ground would give us distinct advantage. Our losses three days
before had been very serious, and our Sheikh Tamahu had despatched
messengers in all haste to the oasis of Noum-en-Nas, six marches
distant, to urge forward reinforcements. That night, when the moon had
risen, I accompanied Hamoud, one of my companions, as scout, to travel
northward along the dried-up watercourse, to make a _reconnaissance_,
and to ascertain if the enemy were in the vicinity. To ride up that
valley, choked by its myriad boulders, was impossible, therefore we were
compelled to journey on foot.
Had we ascended to the desert we should have imperilled our camp, for
our enemies in search of us would undoubtedly detect our presence. We
had pitched our tents at a secluded inaccessible spot, where the
dried-up river had taken a sudden bend, in the heart of a country
scarcely ever traversed. Through the long brilliant night with my
companion I pressed forward, sometimes clambering over rough rocks,
split by the heat of noon and chills of night, and at others sinking
knee-deep in soft sand-drifts. When dawn spread we now and then
clambered up the steep sides of the valley and cautiously took
observations. In that region, the surface of the desert being perfectly
flat, any object can be seen at great distances, therefore we at all
times were careful not to stand upright, but remained crouched upon our
faces. So dry also is the atmosphere that any sudden movement, such as
the flapping of a burnouse or the swish of a horse's tail, will cause
sparks to be emitted.
Beneath the milk-white sky of noon, when the fiery sun shone like a disc
of burnished copper, we threw ourselves down beneath the shadow of a
huge boulder to eat and rest. Hamoud, older than myself, was a typical
nomad, bearded, bronzed, and a veritable giant in stature. His physical
strength and power of endurance was greater than that of any other of
our tribesmen, and he was always amiable and light-hearted. While he
lit his keef-pipe and chatted, I gazed about me, noticing how, by the
action of the eddying waters of this dried-up river, the very name of
which is lost to us, the hard, grey rock above had been worn smooth and
hollow. The mystery of the Igharghar had always attracted me since my
earliest boyhood. Why this mighty stream, in some places nearly six
miles wide, should have suddenly ceased to flow, fertilise, and give
life to the great tract it traversed was a problem which the wise men of
all ages had failed to solve. True, the One Merciful heard not in that
wild, unfrequented region. It was the country accursed and forgotten of
Allah.
When, in the cooler hours, we resumed our journey, ever-watchful for the
presence of the Ouled Sliman, on every side we noticed unmistakable
traces of the enormous width and depth of the giant waterway. About
noon on the second day I had ascended to the desert to scan the horizon,
when I discovered some ruined masonry, half-buried beneath its
winding-sheet of sand. On the keystone of an arch I found an
inscription in Roman characters, and here and there stood broken columns
and portions of grey time-worn walls.
It was the site of an effaced and forgotten city; a centre of culture
and civilisation which had owed its very existence to this great river,
and had declined and fallen when the stream had so mysteriously ceased
to flow. The once fertile land had withered, and become a dreary,
sunburnt, uninhabitable wilderness.
Ask any marabout from Morocco to far-off Tripoli, and he will declare
that for some reason unknown, Allah, before the days of his Prophet, set
the mark of his displeasure upon the country known to us as the Ahaggar.
It is not, therefore, surprising that the Ouled Sliman, our enemies,
should be known throughout the desert as the Children of Eblis.
As, spear in hand, I walked at Hamoud's side along that vanished fluvial
basin, I discussed the probable causes of the sudden failure of that
mighty flow. He suggested that its source might by some means have
become exhausted; but geographers having ages ago disposed of that
point, I explained to him how every theory possible had already been put
forward and dismissed. The mysterious forgotten river was still a
geographical problem as great as the existence of open water at the
poles.
Through two more days we journeyed forward, ever-watchful, yet
discerning no sign of our enemies; but at length, coming to a steep bare
cliff, once undoubtedly a roaring cataract, we found its granite bed had
been worn into ridges two thousand years ago by the action of the
torrent. At this point the plateau over which we had journeyed
descended sheer and steep on to the plain, of which we commanded an
extensive view for many miles. An hour before sundown the sky had
suddenly darkened, indicative of an approaching sandstorm, therefore we
resolved to remain there the night and retrace our steps next day. Our
fears were realised. Shortly before midnight, as we sat together
smoking, the unclouded starry sky assumed an extraordinary clearness.
The atmosphere was perfectly still, when suddenly in the east a black
cloud began to rise with frightful rapidity, and soon covered half the
heavens. Presently a strong gust of wind enveloped us with sand, and
threw little pebbles as large as peas into our faces. Soon, while we
crouched beneath a rock, we were surrounded by a dense cloud of sand,
and stood still in impenetrable gloom. The storm was of unusual
severity. Our eyes were filled with grit every time we ventured to open
them. We did not dare to lie down for fear of being buried. The
tempest at last passed, the night quickly grew clear again, and,
extricating ourselves from the sand that had drifted high about us, we
lay down exhausted to sleep.
Before dawn I rose, and, without disturbing the heavy slumber of my
companion, strode forth along the brink of the dried-up cataract to
examine more closely the hitherto unexplored spot. The sun-whitened
boulders were all worn smooth where the gigantic rush of the waters had
whirled past them ere they dashed below into that once fertile plain.
And as I went along I presently discovered a place where I could descend
the face of the cliff. Without difficulty I at last reached its base,
and stepping forward, placed my foot upon soft drifted sand that gave
way beneath my tread.
With startling suddenness a strange sound fell upon my ears, deafening
me. I felt myself falling, and in clutching frantically at the objects
around, struck my head a violent blow. Then all consciousness became
blotted out.
How long I remained insensible I do not know. I have an idea that many
hours must have elapsed, for when painfully I struggled back to a
knowledge of things about me, I found myself enveloped in a darkness
blacker than night, my ears being filled by a continuous unceasing roar
like thunder. I was chilled to the bone, and on stretching forth my
hand, found myself lying upon a mass of soft slime, that splashing over
my face had half-suffocated me. With both hands outstretched, I tried
to discover into what noisome place I had so suddenly been precipitated.
Intently I listened. The roaring was that of some mighty unseen
torrent.
Creeping cautiously forward upon my hands and knees, fearing lest I
should stumble into any further chasm, I soon came to water flowing
swiftly past. Then the truth dawned upon me that I was beside the bank
of some unknown subterranean river. Of the extent of that dark
cavernous place I could obtain no idea. Thrice I shouted with all my
strength, but in that deafening roar my voice was echoless.
With a supplication to Allah to envelop me with the cloak of his
protection, I cautiously pursued my way over the stones and slime in the
direction the unseen stream was rushing. The incline was steep, and as
the air seemed cool and fresh, I felt assured there must be some outlet
to the blessed light of day. Yet onward I crept slowly, chilled by the
icy mud, until my limbs trembled, and I was compelled to pause and rub
them to prevent them becoming benumbed.
Truly mine was an unenvious position. Throughout my life it has been my
endeavour to tread those crooked and laborious paths whereby knowledge
of hidden mysteries may be gained, therefore I worked on like a mole in
the dark, and by diligent industry gained ground considerably. During
several hours I pushed my way forward, until at length my hands came
into contact with a wall of rock which barred all further passage,
although the water lapping it swirled past on its downward course.
Eagerly I felt about the rock, searching for some mode of egress, but
could find none. The wall of the enormous cavern extended sheer and
unbroken for five hundred paces, then turned back in the direction I had
already traversed. Thus was a terrible truth forced upon me. I was
entombed!
My injured head pained me frightfully, and I must have become weakened
by loss of blood. The terrors of that foul, fearsome place, where the
deafening roar was unceasing, and the blackness could be felt,
overwhelmed me. I groped back to the edge of the roaring torrent
exhausted, and sinking, slept.
When I awoke I was amazed to find the cavern illumined by a faint
greenish light, just sufficient to enable me to see that the rushing,
foaming waters were of great width and volume, and that the cavern
whence they came was low, but of vast extent. Then, turning towards the
light, I found that it shone up through the water beyond the wall of
rock which formed that side of the cave. At first the strange light
puzzled me, but I soon ascertained that the subterranean river emptied
itself into the open air at that spot, and that the sun shining upon the
water as it rushed out of its underground course, reflected the welcome
light up to where I stood. The discovery held me breathless. I saw
that in such enormous volume did those icy waters sweep down, that the
opening in the rock whence they were let free was completely filled.
There was, after all, no exit.
At the edge of the boiling torrent I stood calmly contemplating the
advisability of plunging in and allowing myself to be swept out into the
air. The only thing which deterred me from so doing was the fear that
outside the cataract fell down from some dizzy height into a foaming
flood below, in which case I must be either battered to death upon the
rocks or drowned beneath the descending tons of water. The thought of
this terrible fate thrilled me with horror.
Of a sudden I heard above the roar a man's voice; and startled, turned
round, and saw a long boat, shaped something like a canoe, containing
two dark figures, being propelled swiftly towards me.
Agape in wonder I stood watching them.
Ere I could realise the truth, they had run their craft up high and dry
where I stood, and were beside me, questioning me in some strange,
unknown tongue. In that faint green light they looked weird, impish
figures. Small of stature, their skins were a lightish yellow; they
wore curious necklets and armlets of chased bones, and their loincloths
were scaly, like the skin of some fish or serpent. In their hands they
both carried long barbed spears. They had been fishing, for their boat
was nearly full.
To their rapid questions I could only shake my head, when in an instant
the roar of the waters increased, until speech became impossible.
Terrified they both, next second, leaped into their boat and dragged me
in after them. Their promptitude saved my life, for ere an instant had
elapsed our boat became lifted by an enormous inrush, which flooded the
whole cavern to a depth of many feet. Our boat rose so near the roof
that we were compelled to crouch down to prevent our heads being jammed,
and soon I found myself being rowed rapidly along in triumph into the
impenetrable darkness. I had escaped death by a hair's breadth, but
what grim adventure was yet in store for me I dreaded to anticipate.
My impish captors bent hard at their paddles, exchanging muttered words,
until soon the roaring of the torrent sounded indistinct, and we found
ourselves out upon a great subterranean lake of limitless extent. The
eyes of my companions, accustomed to that appalling darkness, could
discern objects where I could distinguish nothing. As we went forward
the current became weaker, and now and then I felt a splashing as a
large fish was lifted from the water impaled upon a spear. Yet ever
forward we kept on and on, for fully two hours, until suddenly I saw a
faint glimmer of grey light upon the wide expanse of black water, and
when we neared it I discerned that there was a huge crack in the roof of
rock and it was open to the sky, but so great was the distance to the
world above, that only a faint glimmer penetrated there.
By its light I distinguished how clear and deep were the waters, and
noticed that the fish my companions had caught were of a uniform grey
colour, without eyes. In the impenetrable darkness of those
subterranean depths the organs of vision, I afterwards ascertained,
never developed. The eyes of the two men with me were also
strange-looking, set closely together, dark and bead-like.
But we paused not, holding straight upon our way, plunging again into
the cavernous blackness, until presently there showed before us a golden
shaft of sunlight striking full into the waters, and in a few moments we
emerged into an open space green and fertile, surrounded on every side
by high rocks, honeycombed with small caves, while the great unknown
river itself disappeared beyond into a wide dark tunnel.
Scarcely had we disembarked than the place literally swarmed with the
uncanny-looking denizens of this underground realm, who, issuing from
their cave-dwellings, eyed me curiously with greatest caution. I had
not removed my _litham_, and they undoubtedly were suspicious of a
stranger who veiled his face.
My captors, with much wild gesticulation, explained the circumstances in
which they had discovered me, and presently, when I had been thoroughly
inspected by all, and my appearance commented upon, my veil was
surreptitiously snatched from my pallid face, and I was hurried into one
of the small cell-like caverns, and there secured to the rock by a
rudely constructed chain. Soon food was brought me, and the inhabitants
of the curious unknown country formed a ring near the river bank, and
commenced to execute a kind of wild dance, accompanied by fiendish
yells, working themselves into a frenzy, like the dancers of the Ouled
Nails. For a long time I watched their weird pantomimic gyrations, when
at length my eyes were startled at beholding, in the centre of the
circle, a tall man of much paler complexion than my own, dressed in a
few dilapidated rags. Once or twice only I caught a glimpse of him, and
then I recognised that his face was that of an European, and his dress
the tattered remains of a French military uniform. His beard and
moustache seemed ashen grey, and upon his haggard countenance, as he
stood motionless and statuesque amid the dancers, was a weary look of
blank despair. He also was a captive.
The strange-looking, yellow-skinned people of this riparian region at
length ceased dancing, and with one accord knelt around him in
adoration, worshipping him as though he were an idol. The scene, as
they gabbled words in an unknown tongue, was weird and impressive. My
fellow-captive did not apparently notice me, therefore, fearing to rouse
the ire of this hitherto undiscovered people by shouting, I possessed
myself in patience. The curious form of pagan worship at last ended;
the unfortunate European was released and allowed to seek his abode, a
small hole in the rock close to mine, and the impish-looking men
dispersed, leaving me to my own dismal thoughts. Ere long the shadows
lengthened as the sun sank behind the high rocks, and dusk crept on.
About the open space which served as street, men and women of the
curious tribe squatted, smoked, and chattered, while others, entering
their boats armed with fishing-spears, paddled off down the subterranean
stream in the direction I had come. Night fell, and at last the
cave-dwellers slept.
Slumber, however, came not to my wearied eyes, and for many hours I sat
thinking over my strange position, my thoughts being suddenly disturbed
by a noise as of some one moaning near me. It was the mysterious
European.
With slow steps and bent head he passed by, when, in a low clear voice,
I accosted him in French.
Startled, he halted, peering towards me; and when I had uttered a few
reassuring words, telling him that I was his fellow-captive, he came
towards me, looking half-suspiciously into my face, and enquired my
name.