CHAPTER XXV
Going for Help
When Bob reached the ground, he was sore from numerous bruises, but tohis great joy his legs and arms responded to his efforts to move them.
He glanced up the side of the peak, but the darkness veiled hisvision.
"Wonder what became of the old flashlight?" he mused, feeling about onthe soft ground.
Finally his hand came upon something hard, and a thrill of delight ranthrough him as he realized that he had found the electric torch. Buthis heart sank as he saw that it had been damaged by the fall.
"Lens wasn't broken, though," he observed. "Must be the bulb."
Without the light there was no way of knowing how far he had fallen.But he readily guessed that it was not over eight or nine feet.
The moon was just beginning to show itself from behind the thinclouds, and it might be possible to travel in its light. Whether to doso or not, Bob could not easily decide. He knew that Fekmah would beextremely worried if no one returned to camp that night, but hedoubted if he could keep awake long enough to direct his dromedaryover the right way. He finally made up his mind to stretch out besidethe mountain and surrender himself over to sleep.
"I hate to treat Fekmah that way, but I don't believe I could make itback," the youth thought, closing his eyes.
A second later he fell asleep, not to awaken until the sun was well upin the sky.
"Eight o'clock!" he cried, looking at his watch. "By George! I betFekmah is throwing a dozen fits."
Bob at once jumped up and untied his dromedary. He was on the animalin a moment and rode back toward camp.
"I hope I know the way," he thought, as he was carried to the spotwhere his father, Mr. Lewis, and Tishmak had been captured.
But the youth had carefully observed the landmarks as they left campon the search, and had no difficulty in recognizing the way.
First, however, Bob had made a small sketch map of the distant cave inwhich his father and friend were being held captive. He was positivehe could locate it, perhaps without the use of the map.
Bob was now passing up the path that Tishmak had believed made byTuaregs. For a good distance it would be necessary to follow thislane; then he would turn off on a level stretch.
Suddenly, as Bob made a sharp bend in the path, his jaw fell insurprise and horror.
Not twenty feet away sat a native, a Tuareg, with his back against alow rock. The man was terror-stricken as he watched a long reptilemove toward him with a slow, terrible fascination.
That the man knew not what to do, Bob rightly guessed. If he shouldmake the slightest move, the reptile, a deadly horned viper, wouldstrike.
"It's up to me to come to his rescue," thought Bob, and, raising hisrifle, he took steady aim.
The report of the gun was followed by a terrible twitching of thesnake. Meanwhile the Tuareg had jumped in surprise at the sound of thegun and was now looking at his benefactor thankfully.
Bob rode on up to the man and dismounted, to be met by the Tuareg. Thelatter was of unusual height, towering several inches above Bob, whowas himself six feet.
The man quite promptly threw his arms around Bob and hugged him, toothankful for words that he had escaped a terrible death. It was ratherembarrassing for the young American, but he smiled modestly and passedthe thanks aside as best he could.
Finally the Tuareg stood away and motioned for Bob to follow him upthe path. The youth did as directed, even though he was anxious aboutgetting back to camp.
As Bob followed his newly made friend up the lane, he took note of theman's dress. He was garbed in a loose black robe, which reached almostto his feet. On his chest were numerous decorations that distinguishedhim as a man of some importance among his people. What seemed mostunusual was a black veil that covered his face, leaving little morethan his eyes visible. On his head was a strange high cap of black andwhite.
"Quite a specimen," thought Bob. "And evidently a chief or nobleman."
Ten minutes of walking brought them to the top of the hill. Then, asthey moved around a large rock, Bob caught sight of several tentsplaced about a hundred yards apart on a vast plain.
Several natives came running out, followed by a score more. Theyrushed forward as they caught sight of Bob and his friend.
The latter at once spoke excitedly to his fellow people, and Bobrightly guessed that he was telling of being saved from the snake bythe white youth.
When the man had finished, the Tuaregs looked at Bob with gratitudeand admiration. They asked him by signs to come into their tentvillage, and he did so.
"Wish I could speak some of their language," he thought, as he wasbeing shown the various things about the tents.
It now became apparent that the man whom Bob had saved from death wasthe chieftain of the tribe, as he was held in high esteem by all. Andno one else wore such decorations as did he.
Suddenly a thought struck Bob, and he smiled in renewed hope. Perhapsit would be possible to engage the aid of these Tuaregs in rescuinghis friends from the Arabs. Could it be worked?
Bob was now extremely anxious to get back to camp, for he knew thatDr. Kirshner had prepared a paper with many Tuareg words on it forreference. The youth would get that paper and then come back and askfor help in rescuing his father and the others. Perhaps they would bewilling to give aid.
As best he could, Bob told the Tuaregs by signs that he must beleaving, and it was evident that they understood. With a lastfarewell, the youth turned his dromedary away.
His hopes were high as he rapidly covered ground toward camp. Beforecoming across these Tuaregs, Bob was in doubt as to whether he couldtackle so many of the Arabs alone in order to rescue his father andfriends. Now, with the prospects of getting aid from the Tuaregs, thefuture looked brighter.
"Still they might not be willing to help," he thought. "But at least Ican ask them."
After winding in and out among the huge rocks and peaks for well overan hour, Bob turned his camel up a little hill and came in sight ofcamp.
How good it looked! Since his friends had been captured by the Arabs,the youth had had an uneasy feeling that perhaps he could not find hisway back.
"Where's Fekmah, I wonder," he mused, looking about.
A moment later the Arab came running up, delighted beyond words atagain seeing him alive and well.
"What kept you away so long?" Fekmah asked. "And where are theothers?"
Bob's face darkened. He told of his father, Mr. Lewis, and Tishmakbeing captured by the Arabs, and of his own good fortune in gettingaway.
"But," he said, "I have a plan to bring about their rescue."
"What is it?" Fekmah waited breathlessly.
"On the way back to camp this morning, I came upon some Tuaregs wholive in a tent village several miles from here. They were veryfriendly and wanted me to stay longer, but I told them I had to getback.
"Now Dr. Kirshner has a paper with a good many Tuareg words on it. Iremember hearing him tell about it several days ago. If we can findthat, everything will probably be all right. We'll take it with us totheir village and ask them in their own language to help us. How doesit sound?"
"Very good," Fekmah returned. "But do you think they will?"
"Won't do any harm to find out," Bob said, going in the tent.
Dr. Kirshner's large satchel was on a box, and the young man at oncetook it down and searched its contents for the paper of Tuareg words.His nerves were on edge with a terrible fear that perhaps it would notbe there.
Papers and books and pamphlets were all taken out and hastily read.Scarcely would the youth glance at one sheet when he would pick upanother. Under ordinary circumstances, Dr. Kirshner would not havepermitted anyone to go through his belongings, but now it was a caseof necessity.
Suddenly Bob straightened up in great relief. He had at last found theobject of his search.
"Here it is," he said to Fekmah, who was standing beside him. "Atranslation of about three hundred Tuareg words. Now I guess we'llfool tho
se Arab crooks."
Bob had had nothing to eat that morning, and he was very hungry. Helost no time in preparing a satisfying breakfast. When he hadfinished eating, he turned to Fekmah.
"Now," he said, "I'm going to that Tuareg village and ask for aid inrescuing Dad and the others. You had better stay here with the camelsand supplies, hadn't you? It would probably mean tragedy for us ifanything should happen to them."
"Yes," the Arab returned, "I will stay. And I not afraid that you willfail."
"I'll try not to," Bob said, getting on his dromedary.
With a warm farewell the youth rode off at a rapid pace. His mind wasdesperately set upon a purpose. He would rescue his father and friendsif he had to do it himself.
The Tuareg village was several miles away, but his fleet-footed camelcovered the distance in no time.
"Here's where I get busy with this new dialect," Bob thought, gettingout the paper of native words.
A score or more Tuaregs came running up, led by the chieftain, whomBob had saved from death previously. The people shouted sincerewelcomes.
Bob glanced down at the paper and found a few words for casualconversation. They were not difficult to pronounce, and the effectupon the natives was astounding. They were indeed surprised to findthat this white youth could speak any of their language.
But before long Bob got to the purpose. There was one word that stoodout in his mind more prominently than any of the others. It was_reeskra_ (help).
As best he could, the young American picked out several words and putthem in sentences. He outlined briefly and simply that his father andfriends were being held captives in a cave not a great distance away.If the Tuaregs would give aid, they would be rewarded. Would theyhelp?
The result of his request was instantaneous. The Tuareg men, nearlyall six-footers, waved their guns in the air and commanded Bob to leadthem to the cave where the whites were being guarded.
A thrill of joy ran through Bob's veins, and he ordered his dromedaryto move forward. At last his father and friends would be released.