In the grip of the Mullah: A tale of adventure in Somaliland

  CHAPTER XVIII

  IN THE GOLD MINE

  While the Mullah is busy in the interior of his hut, making preparationsfor the following of the fugitives, should his men have failed tocapture them before the morning dawns, let us go back to the threeEnglishmen, whom we last saw before the store-house of the village. Fromthe moment when Colonel Hubbard had pursued the inquisitive Somali, andhad brought him down in his tracks, events had happened with bewilderingrapidity, and indeed Jim, when he had brought the sentry to the ground,seemed for some moments to be stunned.

  Luckily, however, the others were fully alive to the danger in whichthey stood, and well knew that delay would be fatal.

  "Rouse yourself! Quick! We must fly!" cried the colonel, in accents ofalarm.

  "Yes, pull yourself together, for you are the only one who can lead us,"said John Margetson, grasping his young companion by the shoulder toemphasize his words. "Which way do we go, and where do we fly to?"

  At first the words had fallen upon Jim's ears indistinctly, and as iffar away. But the rough shaking he received, the reminder that thesafety of all the party depended upon himself, aroused him effectually,and with a start he was himself again.

  "Follow me to the ravine! This way!" he cried; and turning upon hisheel, at once sped down the village street, with his comrades closebehind him. When they reached the open, they swerved sharply to theleft, and soon struck upon the rough path which Jim had used when comingto rescue his father. Without pause, without even turning his head tosee if the others were following, Jim kept on at his fastest pace, beingspurred to even greater exertions by the shouts and turmoil which heheard behind him. Not till he had put at least three-quarters of a milebetween himself and the Mullah's village did he venture to come to ahalt, and then it was to throw himself full length upon the grass, withwhich the countryside was thickly clad, and lie there breathing heavily,for the long sprint had told upon him severely. A short space of time,however, enabled all three to regain their breath once more, and thenthey discussed the situation in low tones.

  "What is the move now?" asked the colonel shortly, in the tones of a manwho demands only what is absolutely necessary, and expects to receive aconcise reply.

  "That depends, father. The ravine in which I left one of my followerswith a couple of camels is situated barely a quarter of a mile away, andif it has proved sufficient to shelter him, it will also afford us asafe hiding-place. The question is, has he been discovered; and, if hehas, then what shall our action be?"

  "H'm! I understand from what you whispered to me when I was still aprisoner that the Somali natives are stationed away in this direction,"said the colonel slowly, "and that another force has been despatched toattack your zareba. That being the case, we cannot hope to move duringthe daytime, and our only chance of safety is this ravine of which youspeak. Therefore, I say, lead us to it at once, and should it prove tobe occupied by the enemy, then let us go back on our trail, and whilethe Mullah and his following are hastening this way in pursuit, let ustake post in the store-hut again. A few short moments will suffice toplace it in a condition of defence. You tell me that there aremuzzle-loaders there, and that there is an ample supply of ammunition,and of food and drink. Well and good; our movements are perfectly clear,and there can be no doubt of the course we must take. Failing theravine, we'll look round as desperate men do who are cornered, and likerats who have no chance of escape; we will make for a spot in which wecan die fighting, and which will give us an ample opportunity of makingthe enemy pay dear for their hatred of us."

  "Yes, father," chimed in Jim, catching his enthusiasm. "Should it turnout that we are compelled to do as you say, I have a little plan bywhich we could do even more harm to these warriors; for once safely inthe hut, and our defences prepared, we could set fire to the remainderof the buildings, and with a few handfuls of gunpowder, which could beeasily spared, blow down any of the surrounding walls which would belikely to offer covert to the enemy. But the ravine is our object now,and I propose that we make our way there quietly and without unduehurry, for were we to run towards it at any great pace, we should, aslikely as not, come suddenly upon one or more of the scouts who areposted in this direction. That would be worse than finding that theravine was already occupied, for a shout would bring scores of theSomalis about us, and we should be hemmed in in the open. Therefore, letus take it easy. If only we can choose a defensible site in the ravine,and finally reach the zareba, we need have little fear, for at anymoment one or other of the forces about to march upon the Mullah mayarrive upon the scene."

  "Put shortly and clearly, like a soldier!" exclaimed the colonel. "Leadon, my boy, for until we are out of this country you are in command. Notfor one instant will I permit myself to interfere in your task. Carry itthrough by yourself, and thereby show your independence and yourmanliness. But when in a tight corner and uncertain how to act, do notfail to take counsel with those whose age and experience may prove ofhelp, for that is the action of every astute leader."

  By now, all were sufficiently rested and had regained their breath, andtherefore were in a position to take the path once more. Springing totheir feet, they stood for the space of a few seconds to listen to thedistant sounds which still came from the village, and to others whichcould be heard away in the open country towards which they were making.Then they pressed onward in single file, each one with his hand upon hisweapon, his eyes peering into the darkness on every side, and his earslistening attentively for any noise which might betray the approach ofan enemy.

  They had not gone many yards before Jim suddenly became aware of thefact that a couple of dim figures were advancing from the oppositedirection, and instantly, without venturing to utter a word of warning,he stopped abruptly, and catching his father and John Margetson by thearms, pushed them to the right until they were in the centre of a clumpof thorn-bushes, which grew thickly on either side. Neither of hiscompanions needed an explanation of such conduct, for they, too, hadcaught sight of the strangers, and at once, obeying their leader'sdirections, crouched in the undergrowth, Jim and Margetson covering thestrangers. And now as they watched, the soft call of an owl was heard,and, to the astonishment of Jim, it was repeated by the two men at whomthey were looking. Again the sound broke upon the stillness, coming froma distance, and then, with the silence of ghosts, some fifteen nativesfiled into view, half a dozen being mounted upon ponies.

  "That is evidently their signal," whispered the colonel, "and we must becareful to remember it, for it may yet be of use to us. But--hush! Theyare talking."

  By now the group of warriors had halted upon the path within a few pacesof the fugitives, and, little dreaming that the men they sought were soclose at hand, began to discuss the situation in animated tones.

  THE WARRIORS HAD HALTED UPON THE PATH WITHIN A FEW PACESOF THE FUGITIVES.]

  "We are bewildered," said one of them, "for some minutes ago a comradereached us from the village, telling us that the other white prisonerhad escaped, and had flown beyond the river. But how can that be, for weknow that the zareba away in the desert is still surrounded, and therecan have been no one to help the slave? And yet this man of whom I speakreports that there is evidence that at least a hundred crossed to thevillage on the farther side of the water, and then went their way againin a southerly direction. The orders are that we at once return, andmake ready to pursue them."

  "It is strange, indeed," chimed in a second. "As I stood at my post,thinking that nothing would occur to disturb the silence, I heard thereport of a gun, and realized that the enemy was at work again. But I,too, cannot understand how there can be men abroad to harm us. Perhapsthis is a mistake, and we shall do well to pause ere we draw in ourlines, for it may fall out that this is only a ruse, and that theescaping prisoner is even now making his way in this direction."

  "Hark!" cried a third at this moment. "I think the sound of a gallopinghorseman just now fell upon my ears. Stand still, brothers, and besilent while I signal to him. If it is not answered, we
shall know thatit is this infidel for whom we are waiting; and then----"

  "Ah!"

  Each one of the group gave vent to a guttural exclamation, which denotedthe delight he would feel should his long watch prove successful in theend. Then all waited in silence, while the man who had last spoken didas he had suggested. It was weird to hear that low cooing noisevibrating upon the midnight air, and still more wonderful to note howaccurately the cry of the owl was reproduced. Twice in succession was itsent out from the throat of the warrior, and then as they listened,hoping against hope that it would not be repeated from the stranger, thedistant splash and clatter of hoofs striking upon the path and upon thespringy turf at its side ceased suddenly, and a wailing cry came shrillyin response. Then once more the galloping hoofs could be heard and verysoon a horseman dashed up to the party. Not till he was almost uponthem, and ran the danger of riding them down, did he attempt to pull inhis steed, for the Somali loves a brilliant equestrian, and rather thansave pain and distress to the animal he rides, prefers to pull upon itsmouth until the bit cuts into the flesh, and the poor beast is draggedupon its quarters.

  "The order is reversed," cried the horseman, flinging his reins upon theneck of his mount and springing to the ground. "Our father, the Mullah,has with his great wisdom discovered a ruse, cunningly planned by theenemy. He finds that they have not fled beyond the river, but in thisdirection. He commands, therefore, that you set a careful watch, andbring the captives to him by dawn. If you are not successful, hehimself will come out in the daylight and lead you. Those are hisorders."

  "And we will see that they are carried out at once," cried one of thegroup. "Listen, comrades. It is useless for us to wait here expectingthese infidels, for they would never dare to come by the path. It is inthe bush that we shall find them, and in all probability nearer to thevillage than we are now. Let us separate from here, therefore, and rideaway to right and left."

  The remainder of the natives hastily expressed their approval, and astime was of much importance, and they could not afford to indulge indelay, they at once parted with one another, and melted into thedarkness as silently as they had come.

  "Things look brighter for us," said John Margetson, in a whisper,hastily interpreting all that had passed. "These men declare that it isuseless watching the path along which we came, and that is a fact whichwill serve our purpose admirably, for, if I remember rightly, the ravinehas its opening close beside a turn in the road, and it, too, shouldescape observation. Lead on, Jim, and let us make a run for thishiding-place."

  Springing to their feet, the trio emerged from the thorn-bushes, andtaking the beaten track again, pressed on at a rapid pace, for, now thatit was certain that their ruse had been discovered, it was of greatimportance to them to find a lair at an early moment. Otherwise, howevercarefully they hid themselves in the undergrowth, the search-partieswould be certain to discover them at the first streak of daylight, andthen their fate would be settled. Having traversed a few hundred yards,Jim, who was again leading the party, broke into a walk, and began tostudy carefully the left-hand edge of the road. Then he suddenly turnedaway on to the grass, and striding forward, halted, as the pale glimmerof water caught his eye.

  "The well which lies at the entrance to the ravine," he explained in awhisper. "We pass it by and then sweep round to the right until we areout of sight of the path. Then I shall give the signal arranged uponbetween Ali and myself. Follow closely, and be ready to come to a stopat any moment."

  He pressed forward, and gradually inclining towards his right till hejudged that the path would no longer be visible had it been daytime, hestopped and gave vent to a low cough. Again he repeated the signal, andwaited in silence for the answer. So long an interval elapsed that atlast it appeared as if Ali Kumar must have been forced to leave hispost, or as if he had fallen into the hands of the enemy. But just asJim was about to repeat the signal for the third time, there was a coughclose at hand, and someone seemed to start from the darkness and standbeside him.

  "I am here, master, and rejoice at your return," was said in a voicewhich was undoubtedly that of Ali Kumar. "Speak! Are you unhurt, andsound in wind and limb? And is one of the two who accompany you theMullah's white slave, the father for whose rescue you yearned?"

  "I am strong and well, and my father is here, Ali. In addition, I havebrought with me a second prisoner, the one whom you saw when you went tothe village, and whom you took to be the colonel. But we have no time tochatter here, for the Mullah's followers are hotly in chase. It is arelief to find that you are still in the ravine, for it shows that ithas escaped the search of the enemy. Take us farther into it, and showus a spot where we can defend ourselves, for you may be sure that theseSomali people will go over the road again, and hunt each corner of theland as if they were dogs."

  "We have a grand hiding-place, master," was the answer, "though I cannotsay that the ravine will escape a further search. However, there is thatwithin these walls of earth which will aid us, should we be discovered,and from which we should be able to drive away every follower that thistyrant possesses. But, come, follow closely, and do not hesitate to holdout your hands on either side, for the path is rugged and dangerous, andin the dark it may well happen that one of you might strike his headagainst a rock, or tumble and break a limb."

  "Right! Push on like a good fellow! We'll look to ourselves."

  Ali at once turned about, and pushed on into the ravine at a swift pace,which taxed the efforts of those who came after him. Striking to theright, he soon came to a part which was shrouded in even denserdarkness, and then began to mount slightly, following a track whichseemed to cut its way along the side of the tiny valley.

  "Have a care, my masters," he whispered suddenly, turning round when hehad traversed some forty yards of this path. "At this point our roadbends abruptly to the left, and comes to an end at the entrance to anancient mine, which your servant discovered by the merest chance. It isfaced outside with hewn blocks of stone, and from that point runs backfor some little way, widening as it does so. Then it divides, andnumerous galleries pass away into the hill, but how far I dare not say,for I would not explore one of them to save my life. The opening isclose at hand, and when we reach it, I warn you to bend low, for thearchway is of no great height and would injure men of your stature."

  This news was a surprise indeed, and in other circumstances would havealmost taken their breath away. But the excitement of the past fewhours, the numerous incidents which had been crowded into their liveswhilst in the Mullah's village, had left but little room for wonder.With scarcely a murmur, therefore, at the strange tidings which they hadjust heard, they demanded to be led on again, and followed the native,with only one thought in their minds--the longing to find themselves insome hiding-place, some haven in which they could take refuge, and, ifnecessary, defend themselves against attack.

  Pressing swiftly forward, Ali Kumar swung to the left, and ere long cameto a halt for the second time.

  "We are here, my masters," he said. "Take heed of my words."

  Once more he advanced into the inky darkness, Jim and his two companionsfollowing without hesitation. It was soon evident to all that they hadentered some underground chamber, for each felt a rough archway of hewnstones above his head, while his surroundings suddenly became evendenser and less visible. Then the pungent smell of smouldering logs fellupon their nostrils, and in the distance they saw the faint glimmer of afire. At the same time they noticed that camels were in the place, forthe irregular outlines of two of these animals could be seen upon thefloor away on the right, while, closer at hand, was a large pile ofnewly cut grass with which to feed them.

  Striking across the large entrance-hall of the mine, Ali strode to thefire and seized a brand, then he raised it above his head, and bade hisfollowers look about them.

  "I have seen places like this elsewhere," he remarked, "and a hunterwhom I accompanied from the coast informed me that they were the workof an ancient people who lived and throve hundred
s of years ago. Theydiscovered by their wisdom that gold lay hid among the hills and rocks,and straightway set their slaves and captives to labour in the mines.But these races of which my master spoke must have died out, and becomealmost forgotten, though the tribes who live in Africa still havelegends which tell of their existence."

  "He speaks the truth," said Colonel Hubbard, going to the fire andhelping himself to a piece of flaring timber, with which the better toinspect his surroundings. "I, too, have seen such works as theseelsewhere in the continent of Africa, and so greatly has my curiosityand interest been aroused that I have explored some of the mines, andhave gone to the trouble of hunting up literature upon the subject. Itis currently reported, on the strength of an old legend, that QueenSheba herself set sail from a point on the northern coast of Africa, notfar removed from Berbera, and made her historic journey to the court ofSolomon. No doubt her wealth was derived from mines like these, and itis even possible that as soon as this country is opened up, others maybecome rich from the same source, for an expert, who accompanied me whensearching the old workings of which I have spoken, assured me that manyof them were still capable of producing gold. But I must not forget thatwe are fugitives, and that even now the Mullah's followers are huntingfor us. The question arises as to whether we should remain here or pushon for Jim's zareba. I shall not venture to offer my opinion until Ihave heard him speak, for this is his adventure, and it is my wish thathe should carry it through to the end."

  "And mine, too, colonel!" exclaimed John Margetson.

  "What you say is fair and right, for our young friend has shown mostadmirable coolness and a ready wit. We must remember that it was he whothought of entering the country on your behalf, and that he has alreadybeen the leader of a small following. To deprive him of that post atthis moment would be mean indeed, and would cast a slur upon him. Formyself, I have the utmost faith in his decision."

  At the words Jim flushed red with pleasure, for there was no doubt thatthey were said in earnest.

  "It is more than kind of you both," he began, after a short pause,during which he looked sharply about him. "As you have left this matterto me, I will settle it, if possible, but I ask you to correct me shouldyou consider my decision unwise or unreasonable. When I consider thatthe surrounding country is overrun by enemies, and that to venture fromthis curious place would mean capture, I say at once that we should befools even to dream of quitting such a spot. Why, look at it! That lowand narrow arch is just the position which four desperate men should beable to defend so long as food and drink lasted, and it is my advicethat we at once make plans to keep watch at the entrance, in case ofdiscovery. Our future actions absolutely depend upon the existence ofsufficient supplies."

  "Then you may call it certain that we have flesh and water to last usfor a month," interposed Ali Kumar. "Look there, master! There we have astore of food, while yonder, in the corner of this great chamber, is apool of clear spring water, into which a stream drains from the hillsidecontinually, while the overflow disappears through a crevice in thefloor."

  Turning suddenly upon his heel, the native shikari pointed to the twosleeping camels, and then away to one side of the entrance-hall. Lookingin that direction, and by the aid of the torches, Jim and his comradesat once caught the reflection from the surface of a large pool of water,while a moment later, as they stood there listening, the gentle splashof a falling stream came to their ears.

  "Good!" said Jim, in tones of pleasure. "I reckon that, if we were toslay one of the beasts, we could cut the flesh into strips, as the Boersand Red Indians do, and cure it by placing it outside in the sun, or bydrying it over a smoky fire. Yes, in my opinion, that absolutely settlesthe question. Our game is to stick to this place through thick and thin,and resist all attacks; and meanwhile two of our number can easily bespared to explore some of these workings which I see lead from thishall. Indeed, the more I think of it, the more certain am I that Ali'sfind will prove to be the very thing for us; for, supposing the Mullahand his men rush the entrance, we can still retire into one of thetunnels, and make things hot for them."

  "I fully agree with you, my boy," said Colonel Hubbard heartily. "Solong as powder and shot last, we four men--for I count you equal toourselves in strength and pluck--should be able to keep the enemy out.Then, if things get too hot for us, we shall retire, with food, andwater too, if we can carry it, into the old workings and defy theMullah's army. Indeed I doubt whether one of them would have the courageto pursue us underground, for these natives are superstitious fellows,and fear all kinds of imaginary things. Had it not been for that, theyor their ancestors would have quickly investigated these mines, andwould have turned them to account. But for generations they have beenlittle better than savages, and have been pleased with an existencewhich has been spent partly in agricultural pursuits, and partly inraids upon their neighbours. And now, how are we to defend theposition?"

  "I've an idea," cried John Margetson, suddenly snatching the torch fromthe colonel's hand and advancing to the entrance. "But, first of all, Ishould like to know from Ali the condition of affairs outside, for Iconfess that, though I have been for three years a slave to the Mullah,I have never been in this ravine. Indeed, amongst the Somalis, it isscarcely known, and I doubt whether a single one of them has venturedinto it; for it is considered to be haunted, and that is quitesufficient to keep all inquisitive people away. But answer my question,Ali, like a good fellow."

  "The valley is a narrow one, and, indeed, when looked into from thehills above, is more like a deep pit with steeply sloping sides. A wellstands at the opening, which is but a few yards in breadth. But, fartherin, the walls give back quickly, and then slowly approach again, till asharp angle is formed, in which this mine is situated. In the old days,of which my master's father has spoken, a paved road led down the centreof the ravine, and ascended easily to this entrance, and by that, nodoubt, the slaves were wont to come to their work. But the store ofwater in this chamber has cut its way through the floor, and, issuingupon this stone, has, in course of time, cut a deep and wide furrowacross it to its bed beyond, from which it flows to the well beside thevillage path. For that reason, my masters, I led you by a track whichascended the slope of the hill."

  "Then my plan should be of service to us," said John Margetson, who hadclosely followed Ali's explanation. "It seems to me that when themorning comes, and we have daylight to help us, we shall have anuninterrupted view of the whole ravine from this low-arched entrance ofthe mine, and shall be able to cover every foot of it with our rifles.But we must remember that these Somalis possess many firearms, and ifthey happen to discover us, and can get rid of their fears of thesupernatural, they will lie upon the slopes about us and pour in theirfire with certain aim, for the range will be a close one. Only thenshould we learn that to lie at the entrance would be impossible, for itwould cost us our lives. Do you follow me, my friends?"

  "Quite easily!" exclaimed the colonel. "Had you had the training of asoldier, you could not have seen the danger more clearly. I am waitingimpatiently to hear how you propose to get over the difficulty, which,there is no doubt, is a very real one."

  "Then listen, colonel. My idea is a very simple one, and had I notthought of it, you or your son would quickly have done so. Since life tous would be impossible, even though we were to lie flat upon the floor,my suggestion is that we set to work with what implements we have anddig a trench of sufficient depth just within the opening to allow us toobtain shelter. The earth which we remove can be thrown up in front, sothat the hole need not be more than three feet in depth."

  "It seems a splendid proposal," cried Jim, who had been listeningattentively. "I notice that the floor here is also paved with slabs ofstone, but the earth beneath is soft, and quite loose, as you will seefor yourself if you look at this large patch here, where the coveringhas been removed. That being the case, the sword which I took from thesentry who was watching over father's prison should be sufficient tothoroughly turn it up, and the remainder of the
work can be finishedwith our hands. If we were to set to at it now, the job would befinished by daylight, and then all would be in readiness in case ofattack."

  For some little time the fugitives stood thoughtfully considering thequestion, and then, taking care that the torches should not be broughttoo close to the entrance, they went there in a body and closelyinspected the ground. Thrusting the long native sword into a crevicebetween two of the paving-slabs, the colonel rapidly levered one of themup, and lifted it out of its place. Then he put the point of the weaponupon the bare earth, and pressed firmly upon the handle, with the resultthat the blade sank into it easily until the hilt stopped its fartherdescent. A gentle tug released it, and, when it was held up to thelight, they saw that it was not even stained.

  "We're in luck!" cried the colonel. "The soil beneath is composed ofpure sand, and can be removed with the greatest ease. Look here!"

  Dropping upon his knees, he thrust his hands into the opening which hehad made and drew them out filled with shining particles.

  "That explains the reason for these slabs, and for the paved roadoutside," he said; "for if they were not here, movement would havebecome most difficult, and the slaves, as they trudged to and fro withtheir bags of quartz or of gold-bearing sand, would have had a wearytime indeed. Let us get to work at once, for the sooner the task isfinished, the better."

  Placing their weapons upon the pavement close at hand, the party at oncebegan to tear up the square slabs of stone. They found that, when onehad been removed, the rest gave little trouble, and ere many minutes hadpassed they had cleared a long and narrow track across the opening ofthe mine. Then they began to shovel out handfuls of sand, and did notdesist from their labour until a deep trench had been dug. And now, atJim's suggestion, the slabs were relaid at the bottom, while a few wereused as a narrow coping on the summit of the bank which they had thrownup in front of the trench. Through this four narrow embrasures were leftto accommodate the muzzles of the guns, and were cut so deeply that theweapons could be fired whilst the heads of the defenders remainedcompletely under cover.

  Two hours later the arched opening became more visible, and soon therays of the sun were pouring down upon the land.

  "I vote for a meal," sang out the colonel cheerily. "We may as well haveit now, while we are undisturbed, for we may not have the opportunitylater, and besides, you remember the old tale that men fight better andmore bravely when they have had all their wants satisfied."

  Nothing loth, for their exertions during the night had sharpened theirappetites, the remainder of the party hastily agreed, and turned withquestioning eyes towards Ali Kumar. The shikari was by no meansdisconcerted, and instantly crossing the entrance of the mine to wherethe camels lay, he returned with one of the saddle-bags, in which wasstored the greater portion of the food which he and Jim had thoughtfullybrought from the zareba.

  The fugitives had barely done justice to the meal when a low cry fromAli alarmed them, and, looking out through their embrasures, they caughtsight of a group of dusky figures standing at the mouth of the ravine.That their eyes were fixed upon the old mine-workings was evident, andsoon there was little doubt that the sight had attracted theirattention. They remained close together, talking and waving their arms,and then, to the consternation of the defenders, they were seen to besearching for marks upon the ground. That success was likely to attendtheir efforts was without question, and indeed but a little time hadelapsed before one of them gave vent to a shout, and called to hiscomrades to join him. An instant later the party separated, scramblinglike so many monkeys up the steep slopes of the tiny valley, and, whenthey arrived at the top, each man instantly began to wave his armsaloft, and shout the news of the discovery to all who were withinhearing.