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In the Mahdi's Grasp, a fiction by George Manville Fenn |
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Chapter 39. Tightened Chains |
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_ CHAPTER THIRTY NINE. TIGHTENED CHAINS Those were minutes of agony to all concerned, for there was the trouble of Frank's calls while the doctor was speaking. It was nothing that the strange officer had heard them, but the fact that they must have been heard by the guard, familiar with them all was startling, and the position was excitedly discussed. The Sheikh said that the officer had made no allusion to it since, and the doctor recalled to them the fact that the man could not have recognised the voice, for he had never heard Frank speak. Besides he did not know that Frank was lying there ill. "Let him think that there was a mystery about it all, Excellencies," said the Sheikh; "and when he sees Ben Eddin again going about his business as of old, making his desires known by signs, he will never think that it was he who spoke." "But who will he think it was then?" said the professor. "Who can say, Excellency? They are superstitious children, these strong fighting men of the desert, and believe in demons, genii, and afreets. He will say to himself that it was the voice of the Hakim's familiar, that he heard the invisible spirit by whose help he works his cures, and be glad of heart that the djin, or whatever it might be, did not strike him dead for being there." A couple of hours or so later they were startled by the appearance of the very man of whom the Sheikh had been speaking, and all fancied afterwards that he looked very hard at Frank, who was sufficiently recovered by the success of his plan to be able to keep about, and hence was present in the room. The chief of the guard had come to announce the return of the Emir's officer with a message to the Hakim, and when the Baggara was ushered in it was to announce that his master thankfully accepted the Hakim's pledge, but felt that it was not right for so great a sage, mullah, and prophet, to be asked to waste his time over a dog of a white slave. In conclusion he prayed that the great Hakim, whose very touch bore healing to the sons of men, would deign to accept the gift he sent him by his servant--the offering being a costly emerald ring, roughly and clumsily set in gold. One difficulty was at an end, for all felt that the doctor might insist upon the prisoner staying till such time as they could ripen their plans for escape, while in addition that night, the Sheikh learned from their guard that Harry Frere's master had marched with all his force to join the Emir and his son, who were camping out waiting the arrival of other bands before joining forces with the Khalifa. "Many have left the city, Excellency," he said, "but more have come in, and the streets are filled with strangers who know us not." "Then now ought to be the time for us to escape." "Yes, Excellency," said the old man sadly, "but we are watched and guarded here. I fear that our chief guard has begun to doubt us, and he will watch us more closely still." "That is awkward," said the professor. "Yes, Excellency, and it is impossible to journey now with all these strangers here ready to stop us, to plunder if not to slay." "More awkward still, Ibrahim." "Yes, Excellency, for if we started some night, instead of all being of good courage, light and rejoicing in our strength and in having saved the young Excellency's brother, we have two sick men." "Most awkward of all, Ibrahim," said the professor. "But never mind; we have mastered all difficulties so far, and it will go hard if we do not conquer after all." "Yes, Excellency, and we will try." The professor went and talked over all he had heard with the Hakim, and as he did so he felt that there was a compensation for it all in the sight of Harry Frere lying upon the angareb, peaceful and at rest, with his brother grasping his uninjured hand. "The sight of Harry did more good," he muttered, "than all the doctor's stuff." During the next few days the dread of the guard's suspicions died out and was pretty well forgotten in the wild excitements which followed one upon another. For the Khalifa's troops came pouring into the place and camping around in all directions, till the poorer inhabitants, and those who lived by trade, began to long for a deliverance from their so-called friends, feeling truthfully that the occupation of the place by the enemy--British and Egyptian--from the north, would be a welcome blessing. Meanwhile fresh news was always being brought in by spies and scouts. The enemy was approaching fast; he was devastating all before him and covering the banks of the river with the slain, who were being swept down the rapid streams by thousands. The enemy had come by boat, by camel, by horse, and by means of the strange litters which ran on rails of iron. They had advanced in all their proud strength, with standards flying and their men playing savage, barbarous strains upon hideous instruments; and as they came on they shouted in their pride and folly, little thinking what was to come. For the new Mahdi had come down from Khartoum mounted upon a jet black horse whose eyes blazed fire, whose mane and tail streamed out like the wind-swept sand in a storm; and he had with his chosen joined all his Emirs and wisest generals--a mighty host greater than the desert sands-- and then with standards flying and drums beating he had, in the name of the Prophet, joined battle with the infidel. He had opened out the fore-front of his host as the Christian dogs cowered back in fear, forming his attack in the shape of the crescent moon, and then to the war-cry of "Allah il Allah!" they had swept down upon their enemies as the sand of the desert sweeps down in a storm. The spears and swords flashed as they drank the infidels' blood and rode on, crushing them into the sand, till the Mahdi's conquering host stood breathless upon the banks of the river Nile, into which the Christian and the Egyptian armies had been driven, and not one was left to tell the tale. The Emir's chief of the guard bore the first account to Ibrahim, and told it stolidly, his forehead in lines; but within two hours he came again and told him the second tale. But his face bore no trace of elation. He merely told the tale as it had been brought to him, finishing by saying-- "If the battle is won, my master, the Emir, will soon be back." "Then he did not believe the account?" said the professor coolly. "I thought not at the time, Excellency. Perhaps he knows what his people can say. But what does his Excellency think? The camels are all healthy and strong; my young men are ready; and the great Hakim has but to give the word. Then we could lift the two brothers upon the swiftest camels, taking nothing but the few poor things we need, and fly as soon as it is dark, for there is no moon now." "Let us hear what my brother says," said Frank, who was listening to all that had been said. "What do you think, Hal--could we escape?" "No," was the decisive answer. "The country round swarms with armed men--bloodthirsty savages, panting like the jackal and hyaena for blood and spoil. We could not go a mile without being stopped, and if we were the next hour we should all be slaves, or the camels would be driven off while the sand was soaking up our blood." "You hear, Ibrahim?" said Frank. "Yes, Excellency, I hear, and the Excellency your brother speaks the words of truth. The risk would be too great unless the Khalifa's army had been put to flight." "But you have heard these two accounts." "Yes, Excellency. What does your brother think?" "I think," said Harry Frere, "that the first was invented by some Emir, jealous of the Khalifa; the second by the Khalifa himself. All false as the people themselves. We shall have more such tales." "Then you think you would still defer our start, Hal?" said the Hakim, who had sat listening in silence. "Certainly, for we should only be riding to our death. We must accept our position of prisoners until the Khalifa's men have suffered some real reverse. Then strike off at once for the desert and make a long _detour_ upon the camels before trying to reach one of the British positions on the river." "Not make for our army at once?" said the Hakim quietly. "No, for we should come upon them in the first flush of victory, and the chances are that we should encounter Egyptian regiments, who would take us for--what do we look like, Frank?" "So much like the enemy that we have deceived them so far. Look at us, Morris, Hal and I are as if we were native born; Landon is little better; then there are Ibrahim and his men; while there is not enough of the Englishman about you now to save our lives." "You are right," said the doctor. "Ibrahim, we must wait." "I think you are right, Excellency; but you bade me be quite prepared, and I am ready to start at a moment's notice." "We will wait," said the doctor; "and meantime go on bringing us news." The old Sheikh bowed and left the place, to return in an hour with another completely different account of the state of affairs, and by nightfall he had brought in eight more circumstantial reports, every one of which was a tissue of fables, invented to support or weaken the new Mahdi's power. And so the days wore on in a continuous state of excitement, the prisoners--for such they were now more than ever, with the exception of Ibrahim--being fully prepared to start upon their return journey at any moment when the opportunity should offer, the madness of any attempt as matters were being only too evident; and finding that the Emir's officer and the guards were rigorously faithful to the trust placed in their hands by their master. For as soon as Frank had recovered from his attack, he determined to have a ride round the city and its suburbs to judge for himself how matters stood, and gave orders through the Sheikh for his horse to be brought round; but upon their guardian being summoned they were met by a point-blank, though respectful, refusal. "I am answerable with my head for the safety of the Hakim and his people," said the guard; "and for the Hakim's friend, Ben Eddin, to ride out now means an attack by some one or other of the wandering bands. I and my men will defend him to the last, but what are we against so many? I have been left with the twenty men to defend the Emir's house and those he has left behind, and if the Hakim's friend rides out I and half my men must go with him; then what are ten to protect all that is here from danger?" Frank angrily bade Ibrahim to tell the man he exaggerated matters, and that he was sure that both the Emir and his son desired that their friend should be free to go about the city. The officer bowed respectfully, but he was immovable. The Hakim and his people must stay within, he said. If the Emir or the young Emir were angry when they returned he must bear it, but they could not blame him much, for he had done his duty, and that he felt he would neglect if he let the Hakim's young friend go into danger. Frank, feeling how much there was at stake, became more importunate, and then the officer turned to Ibrahim, after listening to the Sheikh's interpretation of Frank's signs, most of which took the form of angry pointings towards the camels. "Speak for yourself," said the officer, "and make the Hakim's friend know the truth. Tell him whether you think it is safe for him to go out of this place, and whether it is just for him to order me to neglect my charge by leaving the house unguarded." "The man is right, Excellencies," said Ibrahim at once. "It would be like riding out to tempt death for us all." There was nothing for it but to resign themselves to circumstances, and the expedition was given up, the party being now the closest of prisoners; but as if to make up for it their guards were more respectful than ever, and their head was indefatigable in his endeavours to forestall all their wants. As Frank said when they were alone, it seemed as if they were neglecting their opportunities by not making their attempt while the Emirs were absent, for at any moment they might return and Harry's owner be sending a party of his men to fetch the injured slave back to his duties. But this did not happen, and though much of the information which Ibrahim brought in was simply rumour, he was able to supply facts, and among these were the announcements that the house of Harry's master was closely shut up and guarded by a few men, and that the whole city was thronged with savage-looking dervishes who plundered as they chose slaying and destroying where there was any resistance, while the whole place was in a state of siege. "The time has not come yet, Excellencies," the old man said, "but it may arrive at any moment, and we will be ready to start." "Where for?" said the doctor sternly. "Who can say, Excellency? That must depend on fate. If we can, our place of refuge must be with the British troops; if we cannot reach them there is the desert." "But why not try for the desert now, striking right away for the open parts, far away from the ordinary caravan routes?" said the professor. "Because we should be cut off by some of the wandering bands before we could reach those distant parts, Excellency; and yonder there are other enemies: the sun to strike us down, and the dry sand. How can we journey on through the burning desert where there are not springs or wells?" "Could we not keep to the river?" said the doctor. "If there were none of the dervishes there we could, Excellency," said the Sheikh; "but it is certain now that the British force is steadily coming on to reach Khartoum, and the Khalifa's men are gathered all along the river banks, increasing daily like the desert sands. There is nothing open to us but to wait." "And the Emir and his friends will return, and we shall be worse off than ever." "Can the young Excellency say for certain that the Emir and his friends will return?" continued the Sheikh. "Surely it is more likely that the dervish army will be scattered like dust before the desert wind. Think of the long preparations that have been made, of the steady, slow advance of the English army. Every step of the way has been made sure with road and station, where are supplies for the fighting men. This will be the great blow struck at the new Mahdi's power, to put an end for ever to the bloodshed, pillage, and outrage of his savage bands, and I dare prophesy that this time he and his will be driven back into the desert from whence they came--a plague of locusts that they are; while if this great blow is struck--" "It will be here in this city first, and at Khartoum later on?" "No, Excellency," replied the Sheikh; "the men of the desert are men of tents. They do not, like you of the West, make great cities with walls and cannon; they come from the desert, and they will fight in the desert. When the time comes they will advance from the city, to strike their blow in the plain. We must try and make our effort then, for Omdurman will be deserted whichever way the fight may go. Till the time comes be watchful; help the Excellency Harry to grow strong; it will make the journey easier for us all." "I am ready now, Sheikh," said Harry gravely; "the strength is coming fast, and as to my arm, it grows less painful day by day. You need not stop for me." "That is good news, Excellency," said the old man, smiling. "We have only to be patient, for I have great hopes. We have conquered in everything up to now, in spite of all, and we shall go on to the end. Only have faith, and trust to me." _ |
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