CHAPTER XIII
THE WHITE PRISONER
Wearily did the hours pass as Jim and his companion lay upon the summitof the hill, gazing down into the valley below. Indeed, it seemed asthough the sun would never sink, and as though its course from east towest was slower upon this eventful day than upon any other. At length,however, when they were almost worn out with impatience and anxiety, thehuge golden orb sank out of their sight below a distant line of bluehills, setting the sky aglow with every shade of the spectrum, blendedtogether to form one magnificent whole. Soon, too, sunset hues fadedinto mist, and with a suddenness which is peculiar to these latitudes, apall of darkness covered the earth. Then out came the stars, twinklingabove like so many diamonds, while down below a point of fire here andthere showed where the camp was situated.
For an hour Jim lay there busy with his thoughts, and listening to thesounds which were distinctly borne upon his ear, in spite of thedistance which intervened between himself and the village.
"It will take me the better part of an hour to get from here to theneighbourhood of the hut in which father sleeps," he said, "so I shallstart now. I have thought the whole matter carefully over, and it seemsto me that I cannot do better than leave my rifle and cartridges behindas Ali did. But I shall take a dagger with me--my hunting-knife willanswer the purpose admirably. Then if I knock up against anyone and heproves disagreeable, I shall have a weapon at hand with which toovercome him silently. If more than one should attack me, I shall haveto fall upon my revolvers, which I shall, of course, carry with me. Ali!I want you."
He called softly to his companion, who crept to his side immediately.
"What can I do, master?" he asked.
"I am going to start now," said Jim quietly, "and want you to accompanyme half-way. I shall then leave you with the camels and go on alone. Butit is important that we should arrange a meeting-place to which I shallbe able to find my way without fail. You have already made a trip to theMullah's stronghold, and may have fixed upon a likely spot."
"That is the case," answered the native follower. "I shall come with younow, and when within half a mile of the huts, I shall halt in a tinyravine. You will have no difficulty in finding your way to it on yourreturn, for a path leads to the entrance, where there is a well, andthen branches off to the right. Though the place is close to the enemy'ssleeping quarters, it is secluded, and will form good cover for myselfand the camels. There I shall await your coming, and that you may beaccompanied by your father is the sincere wish of your servant."
"I trust that it will turn out like that, Ali; and if hard work and alittle boldness on my part will help towards it, why, success ought tofollow. But we shall see. Now let us be going."
A few minutes later both were silently descending the hill, taking thegreatest pains to refrain from stumbling over boulders, or settingsmaller stones rolling down to the plain below; for there was never anyknowing when and where an enemy might be lurking, though the fact thatit was a cold night made it probable that all the Somali warriors wouldbe comfortably ensconced in their mud huts, enjoying the warmth to beobtained there. Indeed, there seemed to be none but themselves abroadthat night, for they caught sight of none, and, but for the yapping of anative cur, heard not a single sound. But that someone was awake andalert in the Mullah's stronghold was certain, for the reflection of abig wood-fire which burnt in front of the central building could be seenin the sky, while the peculiar smell came pungently to their nostrils.
"Here is the ravine," said Ali at last, when they had descended to theplain, and had traversed a mile of the level country. "Look at the spotclosely, master. There is the well. You cannot mistake it, for the lightof the stars is reflected from the water, while here is the entrance tothe ravine of which I spoke. I shall await your coming some yardsfurther in, and should it fall out that you do not return, I shall makemy way back to the hill-top an hour before the day dawns. To-morrownight I shall be here again, and if it should happen that you, too, aremade a captive, then I will find my way into the village, and seek tohelp you. Ali Kumar has sworn to stand by his brave master, and he shalldo so, even though he comes by his death in keeping to his word. And nowgood-bye. I wish you all success."
"Good-bye," repeated Jim heartily, gripping his dusky comrade by thehand.
"I have little fear of failure, though I shall not allow that to preventmy taking every precaution. If I should have bad luck, I know that I cantrust you to keep your promise, and I shall expect to hear from you. Butlet us hope that it will not come to that. Stay quietly where you are,and when you hear a low cough, step forward and declare yourself, forwe shall have arrived. Good-bye."
Releasing the native's hand, Jim at once strode off into the darkness,and in another moment was lost to view. But as he stood there at themouth of the ravine, listening with all his ears, the faithful Ali couldhear the sound of his muffled footsteps shuffling along over the loosesoil of which the path was composed.
"Farewell," whispered Ali, as the sound died away. "May fortune smileupon you, for you are a brave and loyal son, and are deserving of muchreward."
Turning his face towards the glare of the distant camp-fire, Jim struckoff into the darkness, and was soon close to the huts which stood on thefringe of the village. By now the moon had risen higher, and enabled himto see his way more clearly, though, being only a small crescent, it didnot give sufficient light to show his figure at more than a few paces.Taking advantage of this fact, he pressed on without hesitation, and,before he had expected it, was close to the dwelling which stood in thecentre. Yes, there it was without doubt, for he could see the folds ofthe red flag floating lazily in the still night breeze, beating ever andanon against the spear-shaft which supported it, and giving rise to aflapping sound, which, until the cause of it was clear, was decidedlydisconcerting.
"At last!" murmured Jim. "Over there is the hut which shelters theMullah, while in the other sleeps his slave, my dear father. Whateverhappens, I must and will reach him and rescue him. But how?"
The question was one which could not be answered easily, and which sethim puzzling his brains. Half an hour before it had seemed to him moreor less a simple matter to creep close to the mud dwelling beneathwhich his father slept and to gain access to him by means of a doorway,or perhaps by cutting a hole through the wall. Now, however, when thereality was before him, and he was actually brought face to face withthe difficulty, he could not but admit that the danger and magnitude ofthe task were far greater than he had ever imagined. But he was not thelad to give way, or to be easily discouraged, particularly where hisfather's life was concerned.
"It looks rather difficult, I must admit," said Jim to himself, going onall-fours at the same moment, and then lying flat upon his face. "Itseems to me that I cannot do better than wait here, hidden in this longgrass, until I am certain of the whereabouts of the sentries. During thedaytime I know that four keep watch over the Mullah, while one sitsbefore the door of the prisoner. But do they still act as sentries whennight has fallen? I should think that their number is reduced,particularly now, when all seems at peace, and the British have not yetentered the country. Still, it will be well to make certain of the fact,for it would be fatal to walk into the arms of one of these Somaliwarriors just as I was about to communicate with the prisoner."
Many minutes passed as he reclined full-length in the grass, and it wasonly when his stock of patience was well-nigh exhausted that he observeda movement close to the door of the hut in which the prisoner lived.
"A sentry," he said to himself, as a figure suddenly rose from theground and stood erect, with arms wide outstretched. "And evidentlysleepy, too," he added, as the native again raised his limbs and yawneddeeply, showing a profile which was clear and distinct against thewatch-fire which burnt some paces beyond. "I must keep my eyes upon him,and see where he rests, for that is what the fellow will do, I shouldfancy. He knows, or rather thinks, that there is nothing to fear, andbeing tired, he will indulge in a snooze. Well, if he do
es so, all thebetter for my hopes."
A few moments later the native slouched across to the opposite dwelling,the one in which the Mullah lived, and after looking about him andconversing for a short while with a second sentry who marched at thefront, sat down deliberately against the wall, and folding his arms,gave himself up unrestrainedly to sleep.
"They have most likely arranged to keep watch for one another," thoughtJim. "This fellow will have a couple or more hours' rest, and then willhave to relieve his comrade. If that is the arrangement, it will suit mevery well, for the man who is on duty now will devote himself to theMullah, and will pay only casual attention to the prisoner's hut. Ishall wait till he has strolled round this way, and then I shall make adash for the door, and trust to getting in before he takes it into hishead to have a second look. Ah, here he comes!"
The guard came sauntering round the larger of the two huts, and allowedJim to obtain a good view of his features, for he, too, as if he hadcaught the infection from his comrade, stopped in the glare of thefirelight and yawned loudly, throwing his head back and stretching in amanner which showed how drowsy he was. Then he went to the mud hut, andfumbled at the door. To Jim's delight, it opened, showing that it wasnot secured in any way. But the sentry had another object in view thanto test the fastenings, for, drawing it back as far as it would go, hestepped on one side so as not to obstruct the rays of the moon, and thenpeered in. Evidently he caught sight of the prisoner, for he gave ventto a guttural murmur of approval, and then closed the door to with ajar. Then he slouched away, carrying his spear over his shoulder, withhis shield dangling to it by a length of twisted leather.
"Now is my chance," murmured Jim. "I'll give him a moment to get roundthe corner, and then I'll make a dart for the hut. Here goes!"
Turning his eyes for one second to the figure of the sleeping man, hesprang to his feet, and crept softly across the ground. An open spacewas before him, but he did not hesitate, and, pressing on, was beforethe door of the prison in half a dozen strides. A moment sufficed tounlatch it, and swinging it back, he crawled in on all-fours, closing itafter him with the greatest caution.
"And now for the prisoner," he said. "I must be careful how I awake him,for in his astonishment he might unwittingly give the alarm and ruin allmy plans. But first, where is he?"
Kneeling upon the floor of hard-beaten clay, he stared into the darknessin which the interior of the dwelling was buried, endeavouring to makeout the figure of the prisoner. And all the while, though he fought tosteady himself, and struggled to keep his limbs from trembling, hisheart would beat against his ribs with such force, and with such aresounding noise, that it threatened to betray him. And who could blamehim for being so excited, for being so unnerved that he was almostincapable of any movement, and knelt there as if carved in stone? Who,indeed, with such interests at stake? Had he not toiled over miles andmiles of sandy desert and sun-baked ground to reach this spot? Was notthis almost the summit of his hopes and his ambitions? Here he was,after long marching and infinite toil, in reach of his prize at last,within sight of the end of his arduous task, and, wonder of wonders, thethought of it all had so excited him, so unmanned him, indeed, that formore than a minute he was helpless, a mere child in the heart of theenemy's camp. But the change did not last for long; for of a sudden hiseyes fell upon a huddled figure lying in the corner, and with a thrillhe realized that it was the white prisoner.
"Father! father!" he murmured, with lips which would tremble in spite ofhimself. "I am here--Jim! Your son--come to rescue you! Wake up, andtalk to me."
But there was no answer to his words save a deep snore, and the sound ofheavy breathing, which showed that the white prisoner was still fastasleep. A moment later, however, Jim had crawled to his side, and takingthe very necessary precaution to place a finger upon the sleeper's lips,shook him gently with his other hand.
"Wake up, father," he whispered, placing his lips close to his ear. "Itis Jim. Don't you know me?"
"Who's that? What's the matter?" asked the prisoner, suddenly sitting upand speaking as if bewildered. "I swear that I heard someone talking inEnglish. But no, it cannot be the case. I've dreamt the same thing timeand again, until my heart is sick at the thought. No, I am a slave tothese brutes, and shall remain so till the end of my days."
Strange! The voice seemed harsher than that to which Jim was accustomed.But, no doubt, hardship had altered it.
"Don't try to sleep any more," he whispered eagerly. "The voice is real.I am here--Jim! Can't you tell?"
The prisoner, who had again thrown himself upon the floor, shot up intoa sitting position as if he had been struck, and sat there staring atthe figure beside him, as if unable to believe his ears.
"It's true, then?" he said huskily. "But who are you? Jim? Who's Jim? Iknow of none of that name, save an old shipmate who sailed a trip or twoto the 'shiny' with me. Who is it, then? But anyway I reckon that it isa friend."
At the words a dreadful fear fell upon Jim, and crawling closer to theprisoner, he stared eagerly into his face, endeavouring to make out inthe obscurity of the hut what were the features. As if to help him inhis trouble, a few stray rays of the moon managed at that moment topenetrate a chink between the door and its post, and, falling upon thewhite stranger, allowed a closer scrutiny than would otherwise have beenpossible. To describe the disappointment, the dismay, which Jim feltwould be impossible; for, after all his care, after all his labours andtrials, he saw that a hideous error had been made, and that the whiteprisoner was not the Colonel Hubbard who was reported to have escapedthe wreck in the Gulf of Aden.
"Not my father?" murmured Jim brokenly, feeling crushed by the weight ofthe blow. "I have marched miles to win this meeting, and came here thisnight in the hope that I was about to release my father from prison. Andnow I find that you are a stranger. The disappointment is almost toohard to bear."
"And where have you come from, may I ask?" whispered the stranger. "Asyet I, too, am bewildered, and it is as much as I can do to understandthat at last I am listening to another Englishman. Why, man, it seemsyears since I heard the language, though in reality it's a matter of aweek or so only. But you say you have come here to rescue. Where from,then? I cannot make head or tail of this affair. But steady! As youvalue your life, keep your words low, for our guards have sharp ears,and sharper and more ready spears."
For some minutes Jim could make no reply to the man's questions, for hefelt stunned with the blow, indeed, so dazed and bewildered that hemight have been totally unconscious, so still did he lie. His breathcame in gasps and catches, and it was with difficulty that he couldrepress the tears which welled to his eyes, and made frantic efforts tooverflow.
"Not my father?" he repeated at length. "But who are you?"
"An unlucky dog who happened to be thrown ashore after a wreck in theGulf of Aden," was the answer. "For three years have I been a prisonerto this fiend who goes by the name of the 'Mad' Mullah."
"Then, do you know of another?" asked Jim eagerly, seizing the strangerby the arm, and bringing his face so close to his that they almosttouched. "Tell me at once! Quick, I cannot wait!"
In his anxiety to hear the news, Jim shook the stranger and whisperedthe question fiercely in his ear, feeling as though his own life andhappiness depended upon the answer.
"Hush! Steady, man! You will have our guard rushing upon us if you arenot careful. There! What is that? I can hear the man outside coming tomake his usual inspection. We are discovered, and shall be killed."
For the space of a few seconds both sat upon the mud floor, staring atthe wicket and listening attentively. As they did so, the shufflingsound made by a man walking with sandals upon his feet could be heardapproaching, and instantly Jim realized that this must be the sentry whowas doing duty for himself and for his comrades.
"Lie down just here, and pretend to be asleep," he whispered quickly."He will do as he did before, and will throw open the door so as toobtain a clear view of the interior. But the light of the moon
will onlyfall just where you are, while the remainder of the hut will be indarkness. I'll get over into the corner, and level my revolver at hishead. If he discovers me, I shall shoot, and you had better be ready tojoin me at once. In the confusion we shall make a bolt for thehiding-place in which I have a follower and two camels. Do youunderstand? Quick with your answer!"
The white prisoner gave a rapid response in the affirmative, and at oncelay down in the attitude of sleep, whilst Jim leaped across the hut intothe darkest corner. Then gently drawing a revolver from beneath hiswaistcloth, he shuffled a few inches to the left until he could get apartial view of the doorway, at which he at once presented his weapon.
Almost immediately the sound of the latch was heard, seeming to breakupon the stillness with startling loudness. Then the twisted leatherhinges creaked, while the foot of the door scraped over the ground,allowing a flood of moonlight to pour into the room. In the centre ofthe brilliant patch could be seen the dark shadow of the sentry,slanting across the floor until it fell upon the sleeper, and hung overhim. But a moment later the man stepped on one side, and then there wassilence once more as he peered in. Sitting there, in his dark corner,Jim could hear the man's heavy breathing, and kept his revolver steadilylevelled, knowing that if he were to be discovered it would be duringthe next few seconds. Breathlessly he waited, not daring to move afinger, but feeling all the while as though the man's eyes weresearching every nook and cranny of the hut, and had fixed themselvesupon him. Indeed, so firmly was he convinced of this that he began tostretch a little farther to one side till the head of the sentry cameinto view. And there he remained in his strained position, the muzzle ofhis weapon covering the intruder, and his finger on the trigger, readyto press it and send the death-dealing bullet home. An age seemed topass before the Somali warrior ended his scrutiny of the hut, and it waswith a feeling of indescribable relief that Jim saw his head withdrawn,and heard the rasping of the wicket again as it closed. As iffascinated, he watched the patch of moonlight diminish, and then satthere with the moisture pouring from his forehead, listening to thesounds outside.
JIM KEPT HIS REVOLVER STEADILY LEVELLED.]
"A narrow squeak, I think," said a voice from the farther end. "Thatbeggar seemed to be suspicious, and as I lay there watching him througha half-closed eye, I felt sure that he was about to enter. Had he doneso, and you had not fired, I should have been upon his back in a moment,and you could have trusted me to bring him to the ground with a brokenneck, for that is a trick of which these Somali people are very fond.Come over and join me, and I will go on with my tale."
Creeping across the floor, Jim took the precaution first of replacinghis revolver, for in the darkness there was the danger always of anaccidental explosion, which would have been a very serious matter. Thenhe seated himself close beside the stranger, and together they conversedin whispers.
"Answer my questions," said Jim eagerly, "then you can tell all aboutyourself."
"Make your mind easy," was the answer, "for I have good news for you.But first, say who you are."
"Jim Hubbard, son of Colonel Hubbard, wrecked on the Somali coast amatter of six weeks ago."
"And a gallant young fellow!" was the energetic response.
"Your father, I am glad to say, is alive, and at this moment withinthree hundred paces of you. Like myself, he is a slave to the Mullah,but being new to the work, he has not yet lost his independence andspirit, and a week ago, hearing news the facts of which never reached myears, he made a desperate attempt at escape, but was discovered andrecaptured. I have been a prisoner so long that I can speak the languageperfectly, and have many friends amongst the natives, and from them Ilearnt that the colonel had made a desperate resistance, and had beenwounded. But the injury is not severe, though it prevents him fromwalking, and has given him a blessed release from slavery, for the timebeing at least."
Jim listened to the news with feelings of the deepest gratitude, andwhen the stranger had finished, sat there without answering a word,thinking the whole matter out.
"A few minutes ago I felt like a baby," he said. "The disappointment wasso great that, if I had been a girl, I should have cried. But theinformation which you have just given me raises my spirits again, and Ifeel that, after all, things are about to turn out as I wished. Can youlead me to my father? If you can, we must go at once and rescue him.Then we shall rejoin my follower, and when the morning dawns we shall bemiles away amongst our friends, ready and willing to make a fight forit, should we be followed."
"And you'll take me with you?" asked the prisoner. "Just think of it fora moment! I'm John Margetson, third mate aboard an ocean-going steamer,and no great person at any time. In the search for your father chancehas brought you to my side, and I tell you candidly to leave me where Iam, and go on with the business you have in hand, for if you include mein your party your risks will be doubled. For think, in another quarterof an hour that sentry outside will poke his ugly head into the hutagain, and then the cat will be out of the bag. On the other hand, I cantell you where your father lies, and can describe the position soaccurately that you will be able to find him without further help."
The stranger caught Jim by the hand, and whispered the words eagerlyinto his ear, repeating them in his unselfish attempt to persuade thislad to leave him to his fate.
"Do you think I am a coward?" asked Jim quietly. "Should I be worthy tobe called the son of my father if I left you in the lurch? Ask yourselfthat question, and then give me the answer, though, whatever it is, Itell you that if you will come I will gladly take you with me, andshould never forgive myself if I were to leave you behind."
"Spoken like a man!" exclaimed John Margetson. "I wanted to put the casebefore you clearly, but you cannot tell what your answer meant to me,for I have endured three years of hopeless slavery. For all that time Ihave been the butt of every man, woman, and child who owed allegiance tothe Mullah, and whenever his adherents met with a reverse, I have gonein terror of my life. I have been threatened, beaten, starved, untillife has become at times such a misery that, but for the fact that atthe worst it is dear to every man, and that our religion forbids it, Iwould have thrown myself into the river yonder and ended my wretchedexistence. Rescue me from my captors. Take me back to my old life, to myold friends and associates, and I shall be your debtor till the end ofmy days. I shall, indeed."
There was no doubt of John Margetson's earnestness, for his voicetrembled as he spoke, and his lips twitched so violently that he couldscarcely form the words.
"I know what you feel," responded Jim soothingly. "Help me to find myfather, and then all that I may have done for you will have been amplyrepaid. And now let us discuss our plans."
For some twenty minutes the two sat side by side with their heads closetogether, whispering in the darkness, and then separated, for theshuffling step of the sentry was again heard. But on this occasion heseemed to be satisfied with a casual inspection, and barely troubled todo more than place the wicket ajar and peep in. The sight of theprisoner's legs, upon which a patch of light fell, made his mind easy,and he at once retired, and, striding to the front of the largerbuilding, walked to and fro within a few paces of the log-fire whichblazed there. Then he shivered, and, drawing his blanket closer abouthim, thrust the haft of his spear into the blaze and stirred the emberstill the flames leapt high into the air. And all the while the secondwarrior sat propped against the opposite hut, a blanket drawn tightlyabout him, and his chin resting upon his breast. There was no doubt thathe was fast asleep, for his snores proclaimed the fact, while he made nomovement, though Jim and his companion stared at him through the opendoor for the space of five minutes. As soon as they were satisfied ofthis, they went out and pushed the wicket to. Then John Margetsonstepped to the front to lead the way, and at once began to cross theopen space which surrounded the dwellings, Jim falling silently behindhim. Like ghosts they flitted across the ground, and, hastening from themoonlit area, dived into the deepest shadows that could be found. Ahundred y
ards farther on both came to a sudden halt, and crouched in thedarkness, listening apprehensively.
What was that? A shrill cry of alarm suddenly rent the air, and wasfollowed by another. Then there was a loud report of a gun, andinstantly, it seemed, the village hummed and buzzed with life. Doorsflew open, and men came rushing out with arms in their hands, each oneshouting to the other to ask what the trouble was, till the air wasalive with their voices. Then, as a sudden silence settled over theMullah's camp, for the space of a few seconds, a tall man was seen to bestanding beside the flagstaff upon the roof of the central house. Hishand was uplifted as if he were about to speak, and instantly all turnedtheir heads in his direction and ceased their clamour.
"Awake!" shouted the man. "The prisoner has escaped, and is even nowwithin our reach. I, the Mullah, order you to arm and separate inparties. To the one who returns with the infidel I will give a greatreward."
At once all the men of the village ran back to their houses, and withinfive minutes there was silence once more, save for the pattering of manyfeet, as the warriors left the camp in search of their prisoner.