CHAPTER XXI
"A Proper Lash Up"
FINDING himself covered by Webb's pistol, the Greek's companionpromptly extended both arms above his head as a token of surrender.
The fellow was attired in characteristic Bedouin dress. His face wasof a deep olivine, his features being partly concealed by a heavyblack beard and by the front of his burnous. In the folds of hisvoluminous sash were thrust an automatic pistol, and a couple ofknives of Arab manufacture protected by sheaths of undressed leather.
"Take charge of that gentleman's armoury, old man," said Osborne. "Itseems most discourteous to deprive such a meek and mild old buffer ofhis playthings, but needs must!"
Webb complied, dexterously removing the knives; but, just as he wastaking possession of the pistol, the latter slipped from his graspand clattered on the stone floor. With a deafening report one of thecartridges exploded.
In a trice the wily Hymettus saw his chance and took it. With a swiftsideward movement he interposed the body of the Arab between himselfand the muzzle of Osborne's revolver; then turning, he dashed for anarrow doorway with the Lieutenant in pursuit.
"About turn; off you go!" ordered Webb, unconsciously addressing hisprisoner in English. "No hanky-panky tricks, mind, or I'll shoot!"
He pointed to the opening through which the Greek and Osborne hadvanished. The Arab obeyed, still keeping his hands above his head.
The doorway opened upon the flat roof of the portico. Without was anexpanse of stone slabs, roughly fifty feet by ten. In front and onone side a parapet of about thirty inches in height affordedprotection from a sheer drop of thirty feet to the ground. On theremaining side no such wall existed, owing to the partial collapse ofthe masonry. Where the portico had fallen, the face of the buildingwas pitted with holes, caused by the wrenching away of the dovetailedstones. Each aperture formed a convenient foothold, and from thishazardous path to safety Hymettus ran. Could he but make hisprecarious way along the sheer face of the wall, comparative safetyawaited him, for beyond was a place where one man could defy ahundred unless his assailants were provided with ladders.
But at the brink of the riven masonry the Greek paused irresolute.The sheer drop had more terrors than the weapon of his pursuer.Before he could finally make up his mind, Osborne, laying aside hisrevolver, gripped him by the neck and laid him on his back.
Hymettus made no attempt at resistance, but the Lieutenant, mindfulof the previous encounter on Spanish territory, was taking no furtherchances. With a sailor's deftness he bound the spy's arms behind hisback, and secured his ankles with a length of leather belt thatenabled the prisoner to make a stride of a bare eighteen inches.
"That's all serene," remarked Osborne with a tone of relief, as heregained his feet and took possession of his revolver once more."Now, old man, we've a good ten miles to tramp, with two villainousrascals for company."
"How about the camel?" enquired Webb.
"I haven't overlooked the fact," rejoined the Lieutenant. "It's notmuch use to us as a mode of conveyance. After our meteor-like flightfrom the backs of those donkeys, I don't fancy an aerial perch on aship of the desert. Humanitarian reasons won't permit us to leave thebeast to die of starvation in this sand-blown spot. We'll make theGreek ride, and that white-livered Arab will conduct the brute. Ifthey attempt to sheer off--well, that's where our revolvers will comein handy."
"And the wireless gear?" asked the Sub.
"Let it stop as evidence. The Royal Engineers will see to thatto-morrow. Now, best foot for'ard: it's a long, long way toAlexandria."
To his unbounded relief Osborne convoyed the prisoners into the open.He was unfeignedly glad to get clear of the frowning walls of theruined building, with its labyrinth of side passages and weird nooksand crannies.
"Now then, don't lag," said Webb sharply, addressing the Arab, whoseemed loath to keep up with his fellow-prisoner.
The man shot a curious glance at his captor and stood stock-still.
"No, you don't," continued Webb, giving the prisoner a sturdy shove."We mean business, my bearded friend. Thank goodness I have a pistolin my hand and you haven't. I wouldn't trust you with a halfpenny."
Thus urged, the Arab resumed his pace, until they came to the spotwhere the camel was hobbled.
"I suppose the Greek hasn't any weapons concealed about him?"enquired Webb.
"Trust me for that," was the Lieutenant's reply. "I passed my handsover his carcass right enough. Now then, Ben Hazi Notion, or whateveryour tally happens to be, bear a hand and hoist this rascal up."
The Arab spoke a few words to the camel. The animal immediatelycrouched on the ground.
"I say, this condemned nigger understands English," declared Osborne."He knew exactly what I said. Now, how far is it to Alexandria?" heasked, addressing the Bedouin.
But the latter's face wore a mask of imperturbability. When thequestion was repeated, he rolled his eyes and raised his hands with agesture of utter incomprehensibility.
"He must have guessed what I meant," commented Osborne as he signedto the Arab to make the camel regain its feet.
Progress was tediously slow. The camel would not be hurried, whilethe two Englishmen found that the sand was growing more and morefatiguing to their feet as mile after mile was covered in the stillhot sunshine.
The Arab trudged stolidly, holding the gaily coloured head-rope ofthe ship of the desert. At intervals the Greek would give furtiveglances around the horizon, as if he expected help to be forthcomingfrom some quarter of the trackless desert.
By the time the weary officers reached the outskirts of thecotton-fields the sun was low in the west, and the lengtheningshadows betokened the fact that soon it would be night. A few of thefelaheen peasants, still toiling, paused in their work to contemplatethe unusual spectacle of a couple of Englishmen trudging at the tailend of a camel, while a Greek--there were many such in Alexandria--rode, seemingly in indolent ease, upon the animal's back.
Ahead, silhouetted against the sky, could be discerned the loftylighthouse of Ras - el - Tin, dominating the slender minarets, andthe masts of the shipping in the harbour. Just then the still air wasrent by the shrill blast of a bugle. The sound was taken up in otherparts of the town, while, as if to emphasize the contrast,'twixt Eastand West, the voices of the muezzins calling the Faithful to prayercould be faintly distinguished amidst the warlike notes of thebugles.
"PROGRESS WAS TEDIOUSLY SLOW"]
"I won't be sorry to have a jolly good meal and a rest," remarkedOsborne. "We'll have to be sharp if we are to get in before sunset.With two slippery customers like these, our work will be cut out toprevent them giving us the slip."
"It's only that Greek rascal that worries me," said Webb. "The otherfellow doesn't seem to have the courage of a worm, the sagacity of abat, or the energy of a snail. Hallo, here's a squad of 'Gippytroops!"
Marching at the quick step affected by the native African troops, thewhite-clad soldiers drew near, all but the leading files enveloped inclouds of dust. At their head were two British officers in whitetropical uniforms, and wearing the scarlet tarboosh of the EgyptianGovernment service.
Seeing the two naval men approach with their bound prisoners, theofficer in command ordered the troops to halt.
"Hallo, what game has he been up to?" enquired the Major, indicatingthe secured Hymettus. "Trying to rob you, and caught a Tartar, eh?"
Briefly Osborne explained the situation, adding that he would begreatly obliged if the prisoners could be handed over to the custodyof the military until the Lieutenant could report the facts to theSenior Naval Officer.
"Certainly," was the reply. "I'll furnish a subaltern's guard. Mr.Fordyce!"
"Sir!" replied an alert, bronzed Second-lieutenant.
"These two men are to be marched back under escort. See that they areplaced in the guard-room. You will be responsible for their safecustody."
At an order from a tall, smiling-faced, native sergeant, who appearedto take a delight in having a rascally Gr
eek in his charge, GeorgeosHymettus descended from his lofty perch. Surrounded by men with fixedbayonets he was hurried off to a distance of fifty yards, while othersoldiers took up their position around the Arab prisoner.
The latter, now that his companion in misfortune was out of ear-shot,addressed a few rapid sentences in Arabic to the British Major. Then,to Osborne's and Webb's astonishment, the officer drew them aside, atthe same time halting the escort and signing to the Arab to follow.
"The courage of a worm, the sagacity of a bat, the energy of a snail,by Jove! Gentlemen, I begin to feel particularly cheap."
Osborne stood stock-still, dumb with amazement. Webb, hardly able torealize the situation, looked at the speaker with ill-disguisedastonishment. The utter surprise of being reminded of his own words,by a man who appeared to be a genuine Bedouin, literally took thewind out of his sails.
"Thanks for a very pleasant afternoon!" continued the disguisedprisoner. "It is indeed most unfortunate that your misplaced zealprompted you to raid friend Georgeos's secret wireless station. I'vebeen on his track for weeks. I may as well introduce myself as MajorFerriter, of the Intelligence Staff. If necessary, my friend MajorScott here will guarantee my _bona fides_."
"For weeks?" echoed Osborne. "Then why didn't you nab the spy before?He must have been doing tons of mischief."
"Not so much as you have done by chipping in," replied MajorFerriter. "Unwittingly, of course, but none the less unfortunate. Iassume that what I tell you will be treated in strict confidence. Fornearly two months the authorities have been aware of the Greek spy'sactivities. He was shadowed from Barcelona to Athens, and thence toPort Said. I was instructed to keep in touch with him, and as luckwould have it I succeeded. In this disguise I completely hoodwinkedhim; lived with him; assisted him at his work of espionage--only Itook care to transmit the messages sent by wireless from the GermanU-boats to the Eastern Mediterranean myself. It paid the Governmenthandsomely to let the fellow pursue his activities. It enabled us toaccount for nearly a dozen hostile submarines, and now you've put thehat on it all."
"Couldn't you arrange to escape with the spy?" enquired Osborne,almost panic-stricken at the result of his unintentional blunder.
"Might," replied Major Ferriter. "Only Hymettus might smell a rat andslip away to some more congenial atmosphere. I must think it over.Now, Scott, I think you had better hand me over to the tender merciesof your men. I must keep up the disguise a little longer, but forgoodness' sake, old man, see that I am smuggled out as soon as it issafe to do so. After weeks of existence upon dates, pilau, and goats'milk, I pine for the flesh-pots of civilization."
Osborne and his chum waited until the supposed Bedouin prisoner wasmarched off under escort; then, bidding the infantry Major farewell,they set off in the gathering darkness, to their quarters.
For some minutes they spoke not a word; but when at length theLieutenant broke the silence, his remark was brief, forcible, and tothe point:
"My word, old bird; what a proper lash up!"