CHAPTER IV
The Sheikh's Salt
THE Englishman looked at his sleeping comrades. The lads wereslumbering deeply, too fatigued even to dream of their tribulations,which, indeed, were hardly begun. Separation was one of the worstthings that might befall them, and, if possible, Reeves meant toprevent it. But how? He racked his brains to think of a plan. Schemeafter scheme rapidly suggested itself, only as rapidly to be passedby as impracticable. He strove to remember what rituals the Arabsobserved when they swore blood-brotherhood. He would willingly claimrelationship with the lowest of the tribe, could he by so doing keepthe lads with him. At last a dim recollection of bygone days, a talehe had heard in his youth, flashed across his mind. "Give me thechance," he muttered to himself, "and I'll risk it!"
Presently Hugh opened his eyes, and groaned as the pain of histhong-tied arms recalled the desperate situation in which he and hiscompanions were placed.
Without hesitation, and as if the action was perfectly natural tohim, the lad moved till his body shielded his chum's face from thenow strengthening rays of the sun.
"The youngster's learning his lesson, poor chap!" thought Mr. Reeves."I remember him at home as a selfish, unthinking little prig. Alreadyhe's beginning to think of others."
The camp was soon astir. The camels, horses, and cattle were takenout to the wells--mere dipping holes of brackish water--andafterwards allowed to graze upon the scanty pasturage of sun-scorchedgrass. Ere the disturbed water had been given time to settle, afierce-looking Baggara, armed with spear, short knife, and circularshield of hide, made the captives go to the wells and drink. Bothlads remembered how careful Mr. Frazer had been to warn them aboutdrinking unfiltered water. The fountain water of Naples was perfectnectar to this muddy liquid, but thirst compelled them to drinkdeeply in spite of their qualms.
"I wish we could place our hands in the pool," said Gerald.
"You'd be sorry if you did, my boy," replied Mr. Reeves. "Themoisture would cause the leathern thongs to shrink, and they arequite tight enough already."
"Are we going to be kept long in this place?" asked Hugh.
"That I cannot say," replied the correspondent. "Perhaps only a day.The Arabs will make another march to-night, I believe."
Thoughts of the impending separation were still uppermost in hismind. He was torn by the vital question: Ought he to warn the lads?On the one hand, being prepared is forearmed; on the other, he wasadding to their miseries by suggesting a situation that might not,after all, come off. It was like meeting trouble half-way. Then herecalled the sheikh's words, "the white unbeliever who was broughtfrom the south". The south? What European was likely to havetraversed the vast, trackless desert of Sahara from the south?Nigeria, the Cameroons, French Congo--all lie to the south; but wasit possible that a white man could make that fearsome journey? Butperhaps the south was a term used in a vague, elastic sense, and thecaptive referred to was a survivor of the prisoners of the Mahdi?Reeves determined to keep his ears open, and for the present he wouldsay nothing to his young comrades about the conversation he had heardbetween the Sheikhs Wadherim and Abdullah.
"Look here, boys!" he exclaimed; "I may want you to do something.What it is I won't tell you at present, but you must act immediatelyI give the word. You understand?"
For a wonder, Reeves remarked, neither of the lads asked why. Bothsignified their readiness to comply with their friend's instructions.
On being brought back to the encampment, which was separated from thefollowing of the Sheikh Abdullah by about a hundred paces, thecaptives were permitted to lie down under the shade of a tree. Theirbonds were cut, and save for the camel rope they were comparativelyfree. But not for long. An old Arab, his face wizened into a thousandwrinkles, came up with a brazier full of burning charcoal, and a bagof tools slung at his left hip. Setting down the brazier, he fannedthe flame into a fierce heat, chanting the while a doleful kind oftune. Presently he clapped his hands, and three other Arabs appeared,bearing light iron chains in their hands.
Each of the three captives was in turn fastened by the wrist, thegyves being riveted by means of bolts made red-hot in the brazier,the smith flattening out the rivets to the accompaniment of hisdolorous chant.
"Well, this is better than a hide rope," said Mr. Reeves, after theman had taken his departure. "It gives us a certain amount offreedom, and the chains are not heavy. And, if the opportunityoccurs, I believe I can snap them with very little effort."
"They seem rather strong," remarked Gerald.
"But still, I can manage it," replied his elder comrade confidently."Now, be ready, for I think something is going to happen."
At that moment four armed men came up to the place where the captiveswere resting, and by suggestive signs made it clear that they werewanted.
Reeves set his jaw tightly as he arose and, with one of the lads oneither side, accompanied the guards through a part of the encampmentto the tent of the Sheikh Wadherim.
The chief was sitting on the ground, with the Sheikh Abdullah on hisright hand and a mop-haired Baggara on his left. In front of themwere spread the remains of a meal--a bowl containing a sticky messof boiled flour, honey, and dates, in which the men had apparentlydipped their fingers in common; small brass cups containing strongcoffee; and an earthenware basin half-filled with a brown substancewhich the correspondent recognized as salt. Having finished theirmeal, the Arabs were smoking.
At a sign from their captor the three Englishmen were made to standin front of the sheikhs, about five yards from them. For aconsiderable time the Arabs regarded the captives in silence, as iftaking stock of their physical condition.
"As you say, brother, the two beardless unbelievers look the betterfor their rest," remarked Abdullah, removing the stem of his hookahfrom his lips, and speaking in a low, guttural voice. "I do notgainsay you on that point, but still----"
He paused, and spread out the palms of his hands with a deprecatorygesture.
"There is no time to be lost," replied Wadherim. "I have sworn by theProphet to reach the oasis of El Keifa ere to-morrow's dawn,otherwise I would be content to abide here and bargain with you. Notthat it would make any difference. The full-grown infidel I will notsell without the others; perchance the two beardless ones would droopif taken from the one who, it seems, is their father."
"I have no work meet for these," said Abdullah, pointing to Hugh andGerald. "Toiling in the salt lakes of El Sog would turn their brains,even as it did that of the unbeliever from the South. Nevertheless,Wadherim, I am indifferent. Either the man or none."
The other sheikh paused ere replying.
"Then I must ask half a score sacks of dates besides the gunpowder weagreed upon," he replied. "Abdullah, you were ever a hard man, but inthis matter I must have my way, since you will have the best of thethree."
The bargaining proceeded with considerable vehemence. Reeves realizedthat unless something were done the dreaded separation would becomean accomplished fact, for the Sheikh Wadherim was wavering in hisdemands.
"Boys," he said in a low voice, "eat what I give you;" and ere thelads could comprehend the meaning of his words, the correspondentbounded forward, dragging Hugh and Gerald with him. The guards raisedtheir spears and tried to intervene, thinking that the Kafirs wereabout to throw themselves upon the sheikhs; but, ere they couldprevent it, Reeves had thrust his hand into the bowl of salt.
"Eat!" he exclaimed; and, to his satisfaction, both lads obeyedwithout hesitation, placing the salt to their lips, while he did thesame.
Abdullah gave a shout of rage, and called to the attendant Arabs tosecure the unbelievers; but the Sheikh Wadherim silenced him byholding up his hand.
"Peace be with you, brethren!" he exclaimed. "These Kafirs, eventhough they be the sons of Shaitan, have shown no little courage andcunning. They have partaken of my salt."
"Without your leave," muttered Abdullah.
"But they have claimed a right, notwithstanding, and I mustacknowledge it."
The
correspondent could hardly conceal his satisfaction. His ruse hadsucceeded. By partaking of the sheikh's salt he and his companionshad, according to the custom of the Arabs from time immemorial,secured his protection, and nothing short of the shedding of blood bythose who were under this protection could release the chief from hisobligations.
As for the lads, unable to understand the significance of theiraction, they were beginning to feel the effects of the salt.
"Swallow it!" said Mr. Reeves sternly. "Swallow it! For Heaven's sakedon't spit it out! I'll tell you why later."
Striving to conceal his bad temper, the Sheikh Abdullah stood up,grimly saluted the imperturbable Wadherim, and strode back to hisencampment, followed by the Baggara, while the now more friendlychief clapped his hands as a signal for the three Kafirs to beremoved.
"You see, Hugh, I heard we were to be separated," explained Mr.Reeves.
"Separated!" exclaimed both lads, in dismay. "When?"
"We were to have been, I ought to have said. But sneaking thesheikh's salt altered the case. I don't think we shall be now. We mayalso be better treated, being sort of inferior guests of the sheikh.I only hope he won't put us under too much of an obligation, or itwould be rather low-down to give him the slip."
"If we do, where can we make for?" asked Gerald. "There are miles ofsand, and not a thing to guide us."
"Except the sun and the stars," replied Mr. Reeves. "But the time ishardly ripe to make an attempt yet. When we do, we must have a goodchance of success. Failure would be worse than death."