CHAPTER XIV
HEMMED IN BY THE ENEMY
Nothing but misfortune seemed to be in store for Jim Hubbard upon thiseventful evening. First, he had experienced the bitter disappointment oflearning that the white prisoner at whose rescue he had aimed, and forwhose sake he had marched so many miles, was, after all, not the onewhom he had hoped to find. But the news that his father was actuallyalive and within a few yards of him had revived his flagging energy, andwith his new-found friend, John Margetson, he had set out for thepurpose of reaching him, only to hear suddenly that wild shout, tocrouch there in the shadow cast by a large square hut and watch thattall uncouth figure standing on the roof beside the flag in the light ofthe flames from the watch-fire below. It was a bitter blow, and in hisanger and desperation Jim even levelled his revolver at the Mullah, andwould have fired in the hope of slaying him. But he had beside him a manwhom long-suffering had taught to be cautious, and instantly a gentlebut firm grasp was laid upon his arm, and his companion whispered in hisear.
"You are mad!" he said fiercely. "Drop your weapon, and lie down closeagainst the foot of this wall. We are not discovered yet, and may evenescape if we make use of our wits."
"But how?" asked Jim. "Already the place is alive with search parties,who will run over every inch of the ground, and are certain to fallupon us. I tell you that our chances are ended, and that we shall neverget away from here. But I admit that it would have been a foolish act tofire at the Mullah. I was in a temper, and felt that if I could onlykill him I should be satisfied. However, we shall do as you say, andwait to see how things turn out."
Throwing themselves upon the ground, with their heads close together,they lay so still that they might have been logs of wood. Around them,and stretching away from the wall for the space of some five feet, was adense shadow cast by the roof. But there it ended abruptly in a sharpclear line, from which point the ground was lit by the rays of the moon.And across this, hurrying hither and thither, and searching everycorner, went parties of fully armed Somali warriors, each numbering fromsix to a dozen. Like hounds in search of a fox, they thrust their bodiesinto every crevice, prodding walls and ground with their spears, anddrawing the covers blank, turned away with a snarl of rage, to proceedwith the hunt elsewhere.
"If we can only manage to give them the slip here, there will be stillsome chance of safety," whispered Jim, with his eyes fixed upon thesearch-parties. "Put yourself into their position, and ask yourself whatwould be the natural act of any prisoner who was attempting to escape."
"He would be a fool to stay here," was the emphatic answer. "It would besheer suicide to remain in the Mullah's village, and, were I flying formy life alone, I should have turned away to the open country, andendeavoured to place miles of plain between myself and my enemies."
"Just so," replied Jim coolly, seeming to become more collected as thedanger increased, "and, as one of the Mullah's followers, I shouldleave the search of the village to the women and children and the straycurs with which it is infested, and, mounting my fastest horse, shouldgallop so as to get beyond the prisoner and head him. That is what thesefellows will do, and we must consider ourselves fortunate in that we arewhere we are. Let us move along to the corner, and then, if a partyapproaches, we can slip round to the other side."
"Why not try the roof?" suggested his companion eagerly. "It's as flatas a pancake, and has a ridge all round it, which will effectually hideus. I quite agree with you that, desperate though our position seems, weare far safer here than we should have been had we ventured beyond thevillage. Come, let us get up on the top, for I can see a group ofSomalis coming this way."
In a moment both were on their feet and endeavouring to get a grip ofthe coping of the roof. But, though they stood upon their toes, and evenleapt into the air, they found, to their disappointment, that it wasstill well beyond their reach.
"Then we must try another way," whispered Jim. "Are you fairly strong inthe arms?"
"I ought to be," was the answer, "for I have had three years of slavery.What do you propose?"
"Up on to my back! Quick! That's it. Now lean against the wall, andsteady yourself while I straighten to my full height. Can you reachnow?"
Without wasting a moment, for time was of the utmost value to them, Jimplaced his hand against the side of the dwelling and rounded hisshoulders. Grasping his meaning, his companion leapt upon him with oneagile spring, having the fortune to alight on the very centre of hisback. Then, gingerly advancing his sandalled feet, he placed them oneither side of Jim's head, and leant forward till his hands came incontact with the wall. He was a big man, and weighed some twelve stoneor more, but though Jim groaned under the burden, and at any other timewould have found it a difficult matter to raise himself to the erectposition, he now stood upright with scarcely an effort, fear lendingstrength to his muscles.
"Got it! I've a grip of the coping, and can hang on here until you areup," whispered John Margetson. "But hurry up!"
Stepping back from the wall so as to obtain a little run, and yetcarefully keeping within the shadow, Jim leapt forward, and then spranghigh in the air, grasping at the dim figure of his companion with bothhands. As he dangled there, with fingers clasping his comrade's limbs,he could almost feel the man's sinews crack with the strain, andwondered whether the weight would be too much for him, whether his graspwould be torn from the coping above, and with what sort of crash theywould tumble to the ground. Then, as nothing happened, he drew his legsup, and obtained a grip of his living rope. Another hoist, and his handclosed upon his comrade's hair; but, unheeding the pain it must havegiven, his fingers gripped it, and he pulled without remorse, andtugged, till, little by little, he won his way upwards. Another moment,and the arm was within his reach, then the wrist, and with one last,almost superhuman effort, he found himself clambering over the lowparapet. To turn and help his comrade was his next duty, and then boththrew themselves upon the hard-beaten mud, breathless with theirstruggles, but glowing with excitement and the feeling of success.
"Look out! Here they come!" whispered Margetson at this moment.
Taking a hasty look over the parapet, Jim saw some ten men hurryingtowards the building, and at once flattened himself upon the roof,squeezing as close to it as he could. Then his hand stole down to hisrevolver, and he drew it silently. Scarcely had he done so whenfootsteps and voices were heard below, and, though he dared not look, hewas well aware that the very shadow which had proved their hiding-placebut a few seconds before was now undergoing a thorough search, fromwhich they could not have hoped to escape had they not climbed to theroof.
"Ah, what is this?" asked one of the Somali warriors, suddenly stoopingand picking something up. "I have found a knife, which I am sure did notbelong to our prisoner. Here, let me get into the light and look at it."
Following their comrade, the others at once left the shadow and wentinto the open, where they pressed about him, and gave vent toexclamations of anger and astonishment, for the prize which had beenfound was Jim's hunting-knife, which must have slipped from his beltduring his efforts to reach his position above. Fortunately for him,however, he did not know more than a word of what was being said, andcertainly did not grasp the meaning. But his friend did, and trembled ashe lay.
"I tell you that someone else has had a hand in his escape," cried thefirst speaker again. "I have been to the coast, and I say that this is aknife which has but lately come from the country of the infidel. Have wenot heard already that one of them is bound hither for the rescue of oneof our slaves?"
"That is the case," was the excited answer.
"Then this man has arrived, and released the prisoner to-night. Theyfled here in the darkness, and then, at the alarm, hastened off into thecountry, where they will be captured to a certainty by our brothers."
"And what if they have not done as you so wisely guess?" sneered one ofthe group. "Look at the question for yourself, and remember the shorttime which elapsed between their leaving the hut and the raising o
f thealarm. This dagger tells us that another has been here to lend a hand,but it does not state that the men are fled to the hills. More likelythey are within hearing at this moment. Perhaps even lying upon the topof the house against the wall of which the find was made. Let us searchthere."
He started towards the dwelling, intent on carrying out his purpose, butat that moment the arrival of another dusky warrior arrested him, whilea harsh voice took up the question.
"You are too clever for this tribe," said the new-comer, in tones whichJim at once recognized as belonging to the man who had shouted from theroof of the central building--in fact, no other person than the Mullah."In your foolishness you would send my followers climbing like cats tothe roofs, when, had you any sense, you would know at a glance thatdesperate men would scoff at such shelter. Hiding up there, forsooth!Why, you will tell us soon that they are in my house!"
At this sally all laughed merrily at the expense of the man who hadsuggested that the roof should be searched, and he at once slunk away tothe back of his comrades, where he stood biting his lips with anger andannoyance.
"But show me this weapon," continued the Mullah haughtily. "Ah, it isEnglish made, and shows without a doubt that there is a spy in our camp,or, rather, that there was but a few minutes ago. The impudent infidelmust be captured, but take care of him, as you value my good will andyour lives, for I have need of prisoners. One day they will proveuseful, for when these dogs advance against us, we will show them theirbrothers, and then slay them before their eyes, just to let them seethat we have power to do as we will, and have no fear of them. Then,with Allah to aid us, we will scatter the enemy. But we are wastingtime. Off, all of you, and search farther afield for your man."
He stood there in the moonlight watching as they departed, and shoutedout to them a second warning to protect the captives from harm.
"Yes," he murmured to himself, as the last of the warriors departed,"keep them alive, and I shall make use of them. If we conquer theBritish forces, I can keep or slay them at my will. If otherwise, and wefall into their hands, I can still treat for my own life by using thesewhite slaves as hostages, and giving them up to their fellows inexchange for my own liberty. It is in such ways that I show my power tolead these ignorant men. For I think of more than the needs of thepassing hour, and, knowing that the time for action arrives, I prepare aloophole of escape for myself, which I shall use when all my followersare slain. And then----"
Deep in thought, the Mullah walked away to his own hut, and disappearedinto the interior. Not till then did John Margetson allow himself tobreak the silence, for all this while he had been flattened upon theroof, scarcely daring to move, and yet drinking in the words of hispursuers. Now, however, there was little fear of being overheard, and atonce shifting his position, he crept close to Jim's side, and narratedall that had passed.
"Jove! What a narrow squeak!" exclaimed the latter. "Of course, I couldnot make head or tail of their jabber, but I knew that it referred tous, and I can tell you that my heart went into my mouth, for at anymoment I expected to have them up here. But all's well that endswell,--only this matter hasn't finished yet. What are we to do now? Itseems to me that we have a little breathing-space, and that we hadbetter make the best of it to hunt about and ascertain what oursurroundings are like, for this may not prove a very good hiding-placeonce the day dawns."
"We shall certainly be seen if we remain," answered his comrade, withconviction. "I know every inch of the spot, and to-morrow, when theMullah goes upon the roof of his dwelling to pray before the eyes of allhis followers, he will catch sight of us, and capture will be ourreward. But I can see no other way out of the difficulty."
"Who lives below us?" asked Jim suddenly.
"Not a soul. The hut, as you can see, is a very large one, and in it arestored bags of dates and native wine for the use of the Mullah and hisspecial favourites when on the march. There are a few weapons also, ofthe usual muzzle-loading variety, and occasionally powder and shot, too.This I know, for I have been working here as a slave, and have carriedthe things to their places."
"How does one enter?" asked Jim again.
"There is a door, such as the other huts have, and on the farther side aroughly constructed hole in the roof, through which the smoke from thefire below passed. I suppose it was the residence of a native chiefbefore the Mullah came this way, and that he liked a little comfort.Now, of course, no wood is burnt, and the aperture is covered with astrip of hide. But why do you ask these questions? It would be madnessto go into the place."
"Then what are we to do? Suggest some better plan which gives areasonable hope of escape."
Jim turned upon his companion curtly, and demanded an answer with nolittle impatience, for now was the time for action. To hesitate was tobecome a prisoner.
"Well, what have you to propose? Shall we leave this place, and make adash for the open?"
"It would be useless," was the emphatic answer, given with a vigorousshake of the head. "I know the ways of these Somali warriors too well,and I am as certain that we should fall into their hands as I am that weare here. Why, a hare could not hope to get through their lines, for nowthey are arranged three or four deep, and if we crept past the first andwent on our way, the second, or a later one, would spy us out, and comegalloping after us. No, the attempt would be hopeless, for the countryis alive with their horse and foot."
"Then is there any other way? Would the river help us?"
"Had we a boat it might, but without that we should soon fall victims tothe alligators which abound."
"How often is this hut visited?" asked Jim quietly.
"Perhaps once a week, and then not for a month. This is a reserve store,and it is only when the Mullah is about to give a feast to his followersthat there is need to draw upon the contents."
"Then let us take our place amongst the stores," said Jim coolly. "Therewe shall find food and drink sufficient to keep life in us, and there,it seems to me, we can repose with some amount of safety. After all, theidea is a good one, for it offers some chance of a hiding-place."
For long John Margetson lay at his side, considering the question erehe ventured a reply. Then he turned slowly to Jim, and stretching outhis hand in the darkness, pinched the latter sharply upon the arm.
"George!" he whispered, in tones of mingled delight and amazement. "Youare a regular general. You ought to have been a scout, or something ofthat sort, for you are as cute and as slim as they make 'em. At anyrate, you have spied out the only path for us. I've looked at the matterfrom every point of view. I admit that I've said to myself that you areevidently a youngster with the usual impetuosity of your age, and thatyour schemes were not to be listened to with much attention. Then I'vetried to find a better plan, and have failed miserably. At last I havecome back to this dodge of yours, and, hang me, it's just the thing.It's the cheek of it, the impudence, if I may call it so, which willhelp towards its success, for who amongst these Somalis would dream thatwe had elected to remain in hiding amongst them? Yes, it's the veryboldness of it all that will make us safe, and--look here, I haven't aghost of an idea what your age is, or what you're like, for I've onlyseen you in this moonlight, but after this you must take the helm.You'll act as skipper, while I take my old place as mate. Tell me, whatare you? A young chap with a budding moustache, and heaps of go; or alad with scarcely a hair on his face?"
"The second," answered Jim, blushing at his youthful looks, even thoughthere was no fear of observation. "A few weeks ago I was one of thesenior fellows at a public school, but now--well, I feel years older.But what about this hut? If we're going to retire to the interior, thesooner we do so the better."
"Then we'll disappear at once. Come along, but be very careful to keepbelow the level of the parapet, for here we are in shadow, while if westood above the edge, our figures would at once be outlined by themoon."
Bearing this warning in mind, the two slowly crept round the edge of theroof, not daring to take the shorter cut and cross directl
y to the otherside, for to have done so would have been fatal, the centre of theenclosing parapet being brightly illuminated. Arrived at the farthercorner, Margetson halted for a few seconds, while he removed the skincovering. Then he began to wriggle his way through the hole, and in duetime disappeared in the dark depths below.
"Hold on," whispered Jim, who was on the point of following, and,indeed, had already allowed his legs to dangle through the opening."What if someone happens to notice that the covering has been removed?"
"Ah, that would be awkward, lad. It's fixed by pegs, and we cannot verywell fasten them from the inside, though we could easily burst them openif we wished to do so."
"Then how's the door held?" asked Jim, lying down full length, andthrusting his head through the aperture.
"Just latched, that's all. No one would dare to meddle with the Mullah'sgoods, you see. It would mean certain death."
"Very well," responded Jim. "I'll fix this thing up here, and then slipover the wall. The drop's nothing, and I shall not be seen if I choose amoment when a cloud is passing over the moon. Hurry up, for there's oneabout to cross it now, and it won't do to be kept waiting."
Fumbling about in the darkness, it was not long before he had contrivedto cover the opening in the roof, and to peg the skin down securely.Then he waited, with his eyes upon the disc above, and when it wasclouded by a dense mass of vapour, he looked to see that no one was nearat hand, and then clambered over the parapet and dropped noiselesslyupon the soil below. The door was standing open, and as he enteredMargetson closed it carefully behind him. Then they buried themselves inthe darkness of the interior, carefully picking their way amidst thebundles and bales which were stored there.
"We shall be as cosy as possible," remarked John Margetson, indulgingfor the first time in a laugh. "Take care where you tread, for otherwiseyou will be tumbling into one of these bags of dates, or kicking againsta skin of wine. Why, man, this is just the place for us, for we havefood at hand, and can dine like gentlemen, with wine to wash the stuffdown. An alderman could not hope for more. But supposing these ruffiansfind us out!"
"You said that we were not to be injured," answered Jim, "and thereforewe have very little to fear. Let us make the most of our good fortune,and be content. What we have now to think about is not the possibilityof capture, though we should do well to bear that in mind and take alldue precautions, but our action in the future. How are we to get awayfrom here when the scent and search are less keen, and how can we manageto take my father with us? There, you have enough to keep you awake allnight."
"It's likely to prove a puzzling question, my lad, and at present I cansee no more daylight through it than I can--well, through these walls.And talking of light, how are we to keep in touch with the outsideworld, and learn what is happening? To attempt to leave these snugquarters and slip out into the village would be suicidal policy. Itwould not help us in the slightest, and would lead to certaindiscovery."
"Then we must have a peephole," responded Jim promptly. "Perhaps thereis one already in this hut. Let us look round, and watch for a ray ofmoonlight. It is more than likely that we shall find something to suitour purpose between the roof and the walls."
Accordingly, both crept round the confines of the building in search ofa chink, and very soon came to the conclusion that there would be littledifficulty in overhearing any conversation that might take place in theimmediate neighbourhood. Then they made a tour of the place, andsatisfied themselves of the position of the various bales and bags.
"We'll set to work as soon as there is a ray of light," said Jim'scompanion, "and rig up a kind of cabin amongst all this stuff. If we'recareful to move only those which lie out of sight of the door, we arenot likely to be discovered. Then, too, it ought to be possible to leavea hole here and there through which we could fire at the beggars. But Iam forgetting. You are the only one in possession of a weapon."
"I've two, and you are welcome to one of them. But what of themuzzle-loaders which you stated were kept here? If they have not beenremoved, we might press them into our service, and rig up a regularbattery."
"It's the very thing I meant," was the answer. "With half a dozen wecould make these beggars sit up, and unless they managed to rush us, orbring the hut about our ears, we could keep them at their distance. Butwhat do you say to a bite at something? I own that I am precious hungry,for this excitement has given me an appetite; and then you mustrecollect that the diet of a slave is never noted for its liberality."
"I'll join you willingly," answered Jim with promptness. "Let us borrowa few of the Mullah's dates."
"Yes, and wash them down with some of his best wine," laughed hiscomrade.
Nothing loth, and, indeed, in the highest spirits at their unexpectedgood fortune, both at once went in search of a bag, and quickly secureda handful of dates apiece. Then they retired to a point as far from thedoor as possible, and sat down in comfort, John Margetson dragging askin of wine to their feet.
Their meal finished, each indulged in a draught of the fluid, and foundthat it braced them up in a marvellous manner.
"You need not fear the consequences," said Jim's companion. "This wineis made from the fat removed from sheeps' tails, and is notorious fornothing more than for its taste. To the natives it is a great luxury,though to a stranger, I fancy, it is anything but appetizing."
"It has a most horrid flavour," answered Jim, "but beggars must not bechoosers. We have much to be thankful for, and particularly for theseskins of wine, for they will keep us from thirst. And now tell me moreabout yourself, and of your life with these followers of the Mullah."
Making themselves comfortable upon the floor of the hut, the two satclose together and passed the remaining hours of the night inconversation, taking the precaution, however, to lower their tones tillthey were little above a whisper. Then, as the interior of the dwellingbecame lighter, and they could see their surroundings, they set to workin earnest to build a hiding-place. Fortunately there was ample materialat hand, and as it lay at their feet, the task was soon completed. Asearch also quickly brought to light a dozen old guns, which hadprobably been made by some dishonest European for the special purpose ofbeing sold to the Mullah. But, bad as they were, they were too valuableto be tossed aside with contempt. Therefore, having discovered a smallstore of powder and shot, the fugitives loaded them at once, crammingthe weapons to the muzzle with slugs.
"That will do capitally," said Jim, surveying the work when it wasfinished. "These beggars can come right into the hut without suspectingthat we are here, for this place shelters us. If they happen to find us,we shall give them a warm reception with the guns, though at any othertime I should be sorry to be called upon to fire them, for they look asthough they would burst at the slightest provocation."
"Beggars cannot be choosers," replied his comrade, with a laugh,repeating the words which Jim had used but a short while before. "If theenemy comes here with the intention of molesting us, I should fire fiftyof the muzzle-loaders, and chance a burst with the greatest calmness.But we're ready for them now; and as we have a moment to look round,permit me to see what my young comrade is like. Up to this you have beenmore or less of a mystery, for since the morning dawned I have been toooccupied to take stock of you."
Catching Jim by the arms, John Margetson turned him round till the twostood face to face, and then treated him to a long and curious stare.
"Yes," he said at last, finding that Jim returned his gaze without asign of flinching, "a bold, high-mettled lad, filled with a feeling ofduty. Shake hands!"
The request came so suddenly that Jim started, but the next second heclasped his companion warmly by the fingers, showing equal eagerness toreturn his good feeling.
"Straight and true, and sturdy to the backbone," continued Margetson. "Iadmire you, and I thank you for what you have done for me. Had it notbeen for you, I should still have been in my prison, a spiritless slave,doomed to lifelong serfdom. But now I am free--free, I tell you; and nowthat my liberty
is regained, no one shall wrest it from me. I live toescape with you, to reach friends and old England again; or I diefighting for my life, my own master at the end."
He ended his impassioned words with another squeeze of Jim's hand, andthen, as if to hide the evident excitement under which he laboured,turned towards the door, and, applying his eye to a crevice, stared outinto the open. As for Jim, he was deeply impressed by his friend'sspeech, and followed him thoughtfully with his gaze. Then he, too, tookpost at an aperture, and sought to discover what was going on outside.
And meanwhile, what of Ali Kumar, and what of the numeroussearch-parties which had raced into the plain? Then, too, what fortunehad befallen the troop of horsemen which had ridden from the village insearch of Jim's camp?