CHAPTER IX
The Mirage
WHEN the lads awoke on the following morning they were astonished tosmell the appetizing odours of roasting meat.
The correspondent was sitting down, busily engaged in rubbing thesword with a piece of wet rag dipped in sand. Five yards away a fireburned dully in the sunlight, while across it a large piece of meatwas supported on the long ramrods of the Arab guns.
"Killed anything?" asked Hugh laconically, after the customarymorning greetings had been exchanged. Life in the desert is notconducive to good manners, although it may be to good fellowship. "Inever heard a shot."
"No, you did not," replied Reeves dryly. "If you had, I trust youwould have wakened instantly and stood to your arms. Unfortunately, Iwas compelled to kill one of our camels. The poor brute went lame. Ifeared as much yesterday, when I took them to the river to drink;this morning I found that it was a hopeless case. On the one hand,we've lost a good hierie; on the other, we've a good supply of meatand only one camel to feed, although where we are to get another mealfor it goodness only knows. But set to, boys, and have a goodbreakfast. We've more than we can carry with us."
"What are you cleaning up the sword for?" asked Gerald, as he helpedhimself to a second slice of the savoury meat.
"Only to see what marks there are on the blade," replied Reeves. "Sofar I've been successful. There are three crosses, some writing inquaint characters which up to the present I have been unable todecipher, and the date."
"What date is it?" asked both lads in the same breath.
"Here you are--MDCCIX, or 1709. So that explodes the Crusadertheory."
"Have you any possible explanation?" asked Hugh.
"Cannot say," replied Reeves; "but that will stand for the present.We've much to do before we can make another start."
By the time the remaining camel was loaded it was early noon; but thesun seemed not to affect the three Englishmen as it had during theearlier part of their wanderings. On a day's journey they invariablyrested during the heat of the day; but as several precious hourssince daybreak had already flown, Reeves decided that the customaryhalt should be for once dispensed with.
After about ten miles had been traversed, the party came to an abrupthalt. The river, never voluminous, entered into a swamp surrounded bylow sandhills. There, as far as they could judge, it ended.
The three comrades gazed at each other in consternation. AlthoughReeves had previously prepared himself for a discovery of this sort,he felt the disappointment acutely; while the lads, who had beenbuoyed up by hope and the energy of youth, seemed absolutely "knockedout of time". Retreat was impracticable, a dash into the tracklessdesert was little short of madness, while to stay where they were wasonly to court death by starvation.
"We may as well make for the top of that sandhill," said Reeves atlength. "Perhaps the river only filters through the sand, and appearsagain some miles beyond. Rivers do that kind of thing sometimes."
The hill that the correspondent pointed out was the highest of thechain surrounding the swamp, and about a mile from where they stood.It was a faint ray of hope, but in their condition the travellerswere glad to grasp even the most shadowy plan that might turndisaster into success.
"Fill up that goatskin before we start," said Reeves. "More thanlikely we'll feel the want of water before we return."
Gerald took the bottle to the river, but in a few minutes returnedwith the doleful intelligence that it leaked so badly as to beuseless.
"We ought to have kept it moistened. The heat has perished theleather," said Reeves. "Well, we must go without it. Meanwhile, sinkit in shallow water; it may take up in time. Be careful to weight it,though, or it may be carried away."
Having done so, Gerald again returned, and the little party, carryingonly their firearms, set out towards the hill, the hierie being lefthobbled with the rest of the baggage.
As soon as the low-lying ground was traversed, the journey becameheavy. Often the travellers were more than ankle-deep in the hotsand, while, as they came to the slope of the hill, they frequentlyfound that their feet slipped back more than they gained. But by dintof great exertion they reached the summit of the hill.
Here the three stood spellbound. Beyond, the desert extendedunbrokenly for nearly a mile, then the ground rose abruptly to aheight of about four hundred feet. The summit of this hill wasclothed in verdure, while above the tops of palms appeared thebattlemented walls and towers of a large town. Some of the latterwere flat-topped, while others were capped by conical roofs of brightmetal that glittered in the sunlight. From the topmost turret floateda banner, but the distance was too great for the spectators todiscern its device.
"Hurrah!" shouted Hugh. "We're saved. But what a strange sort of townto tumble against in the midst of the desert!"
"It looks more like a city in the fairy-tale books," said Gerald."Let's push on at once."
"Steady, lads!" exclaimed Reeves. The man spoke as if lost inthought. "It may be that---- Ah!"
Even as he spoke, the hill upon which the city stood appeared to beriven asunder. The walls and turrets oscillated as if shaken by anearthquake; then, as if wiped out by a titanic hand, the visionvanished, leaving only the trackless desert shimmering in the rays ofthe powerful sun.
"A mirage!" exclaimed the three simultaneously; then dismay once moreovertook them, as they saw only the pitiless waste in front of them.
"Surely there must be a real town over there!" exclaimed Gerald atlength, pointing in the direction of the vanished scene.
"Of that I have no doubt," replied Reeves. "A mirage is thereflection of a real object, but that object may be ten miles away,or it may be a hundred--or more. That sort of thing has often luredmen to death."
The lads did not reply. Hugh was looking steadily at a point on thedistant horizon.
"What's up, Rags?" asked Gerald.
"I believe I can see palm trees. There--more to your right. You arepointing straight at the place."
"So do I," assented Gerald, with no uncertain voice; then, as anafterthought, he added: "I hope it isn't a mirage as well!"
"What did you say?" asked Reeves, who was standing a short distanceaway.
"We can see palms."
"I believe you are right," was the response, "only I cannot be sureof it."
"Gerald suggested that it might be a mirage. If not, it's a clump ofpalms, right enough."
"We've had disappointments enough for one day," replied Reevesdecisively. He had shaken off his meditative mood, and was now alertand resourceful. "We'll go back now and rest till to-morrow. At dawnwe'll come here again, and if in the clear morning light the treesare still visible, we will then know that it is not a mirage. In thatcase we'll make a dash for it."
Turning on his heel, he led the way back to the river. In spite ofFortune's rebuff, he felt confident that a successful ending to theirtroubles and tribulations was in sight.