Jim’s threat, that they should not hold him alive, had thus proved but an idle boast.
Harry, Colin, and Bill, now turned back, dismounted, and showed their determination to remain with their companions down along side of them.
“These Christian dogs do not wish for liberty!” exclaimed one of the merchants. “Allah forbid that we should force them to accept it. Who will buy them?”
These words completely upset all Jim’s plans. He saw that he was depriving the others of the only opportunity they might ever have of obtaining their liberty.
“Go on, go on!” he exclaimed. “Make no further resistance. It is possible they may take you to Mogador. Do not throw away the chance.”
“We are not goin’ to lave you, Jim,” said Bill, “not even for liberty, leastways, I’m not. Don’t you be afeerd o’ that!”
“Of course we will not, unless we are forced to do so,” added Harry. “Have you not said that we must keep together?”
“Have you not all promised to be guided by me?” replied Jim. “I tell you now to make no further resistance. Go on with them, if you wish ever to be free!”
“Jim knows what he is about,” interposed Colin: “let us obey him.”
With some reluctance Harry and Bill were induced to mount again; but just as they were moving away, they were recalled by Jim, who told them not to leave; and that all must persevere in the determination not to be separated.
“The man has certainly gone mad,” reflected Harry Blount, as he turned back once more. “We must no longer be controlled by him; but Terence must not be left behind. We cannot forsake him.”
Again the three dismounted; and returning to the spot where Jim and Terence lay fast bound along the sand, sat determinedly down beside them.
* * *
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Chapter Seventy Three.
More Torture.
The sudden change of purpose and the counter-orders given by Jim were caused by something he had just heard while listening to the conversation of the Arabs.
Seeing that the merchants, rather than have any unnecessary trouble with them, were disposed to sell them all, Jim had been unwilling to deprive his brother and the others of an opportunity of obtaining their freedom. For this reason had he entreated them to leave Terence and himself to their fate.
But just as he had prevailed on Harry and his companions to go quietly, he learnt from the Arabs that the man who had purchased Terence and himself refused to buy any more of them; and also that the other Arabs present were either unable or unwilling to buy them.
The merchants, therefore, would have to take them farther before they could dispose of them.
In Jim’s mind then revived the hope that, by opposing the wishes of his late masters, he and Terence might be bought back again, and taken on to Mogador. It was this hope that had induced him to recall his companions, after having urged them to depart.
A few words explained his apparently strange conduct to Harry and Colin, and they again promised to resist every attempt made to take them any farther unless all should go in company.
The merchants in vain commanded and entreated that the Christian dogs should move on. They used threats, and then resorted to blows.
Harry, to whom they had hitherto shown some respect, was beaten until his scanty garments were saturated with blood.
Unwilling to see them suffering so much torture unsupported by any selfish desire, Jim again counselled Harry and the others to yield obedience to their masters.
In this counsel he was warmly seconded by Terence.
But Harry declared his determination not to desert his old shipmate Colin, and Bill remained equally firm under the torture; while the Krooman, knowing that his only chance of liberty depended on remaining true to the white slaves, and keeping in their company, could not be induced to yield.
Perceiving that all his entreaties, addressed to his brother, Harry, and Colin, could not put an end to the painful scene he was compelled to witness, Jim strove to effect his purpose by making an appeal to his late masters.
“Buy us back, and take us all to Swearah as you promised,” said he. “If you do so, we will go cheerfully, as we were doing before. I tell you, you will be well paid for your trouble.”
One of the merchants, placing some confidence in the truth of this representation, now offered to buy Jim and Terence on his own account; but their new master refused to part with his freshly acquired property.
A crowd of men, women, and children, had now gathered around the spot; and from all sides were heard shouts of “Kill the obstinate Christian ‘dogs’. How dare they resist the will of true believers!”
This advice was given by those who had no pecuniary interest in the chattels in question; but the merchants, who had invested a large sum in the purchase of their white slaves, had no idea of making such a sacrifice for the gratification of a mere outburst of passion.
There was but one way for them to overcome the difficulty that had so unexpectedly presented itself. This was to separate the slaves by force; taking the four along with them, and leaving the other two to the purchaser, who would not revoke his bargain.
To accomplish this, the assistance of the bystanders was required, and readily obtained.
Harry was seized and hoisted to the back of his camel; to which he was firmly bound.
Colin, Bill, and the Krooman, were each set astride of a donkey, and then made fast by having their feet tied under the animal’s belly.
For a small sum the merchants then engaged two of the bystanders to accompany them, and guard the white slaves to the frontier of the Moorish empire—a distance of two days’ journey.
Just as the party was about to move away from the spot, one of the merchants, addressing himself to Jim, made the following observations:—
“Tell the young man—the nephew of the merchant ‘For God’s sake bias’—that since we have started for Swearah, in the belief that his story is true, we shall now take him there, whether he be willing or not; and if he has in any way deceived us, he shall surely die.”
“He has not deceived you,” said Jim; “take him and the rest of us there, and you will certainly be rewarded.”
“Then, why do they not go willingly?”
“Because they do not wish to leave their friends.”
“Ungrateful dogs! cannot they be thankful for their own good fortune? Do they take us for slaves, that we should do their will?”
While this conversation was going go, the other two merchants had headed their animals to the road; and in a minute after, Harry Blount and Colin had parted with their old messmate Terence, without a hope of ever seeing him again.
* * *
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Chapter Seventy Four.
Hope deferred.
For the first hour of their journey, Harry, Colin, and Sailor Bill, were borne along, fast bound upon the backs of their animals. So disagreeable did they find this mode of locomotion, that the Krooman was requested to inform their masters that they were willing to accompany them without further opposition, if allowed the freedom of their limbs. This was the first occasion on which the Krooman had made known to the Arab merchants that he could speak their language.
After receiving a few curses and blows for having so long concealed his knowledge of it, the white slaves were unbound, and the animals they bestrode were driven along in advance of the others, while the two hired guards were ordered to keep a careful watch over them.
The journey was continued until a late hour of the night, when the travellers arrived at a high wall enclosing a small village.
After the slaves had been conducted inside, and the gate fastened behind them, their masters, relieved of all anxiety about losing their property, accepted the hospitality of the sheik of the place, and took their departure for his house, leaving orders that the white slaves should be fed.
After the latter had eaten a hearty meal, consisting of barley-bread and milk, they were conducted to a penn, which was to be their sleeping place, and where they passed the greater part of the night in fighting the fleas.
Never before had either of them encountered these insects either so large in size or of so keen appetites.
It was only at the time at which their journey should have been resumed, that they forgot their hopes and cares in the repose of sleep. Weary in body and soul, they slept on till a late hour; and when aroused to consciousness by an Arab bringing their breakfast, they were surprised to see that the sun was high up in the heavens.
Why had they not been awakened before?
Why this delay?
In the mind of each was an instinctive fear that there must be something wrong, that some other obstacle had arisen, blocking up their road to freedom.
Hours passed, and still their masters came not near them.
They remained in much anxiety, vainly endeavouring to surmise what had caused the interruption to their journey.
Knowing that the merchants had expressed an intention to conduct them to Mogador as soon as possible, they could not doubt but that the delay arose from some cause affecting their welfare.
Late in the afternoon they were visited by their masters; and in that interview their worst fears were more than realised.
By the aid of the Krooman, one of the merchants informed Harry that he had deceived them, that the sheik, of whose hospitality they had been partaking, had often visited Swearah, and was acquainted with all the foreign residents there. He had told them that there was no one of the name of “For God’s sake bias.”
He had assured them that they were being imposed upon; and that by taking the white slaves to Swearah they would certainly lose them.
“We will not kill you,” said one of their masters to Harry, “for we have not had the trouble of carrying you the whole distance; and besides, we should be doing an injury to ourselves. We shall take you back to the borders of the desert, and there sell you for what you will fetch.”
Harry told the Krooman to inform his masters that he had freely pledged his existence on the truth of the story he had told them, that he assuredly had a rich friend in Mogador, who would redeem them all; but that, should his uncle not be in the place at the time they should arrive there, it would make no difference, as they would certainly be ransomed by the English consul. “Tell them,” added Harry, “that if they will take us to Mogador, and we are not ransomed as I promised, they shall be welcome to my life. I should then willingly die. Tell them not to sell us until they have proved my words to be false; and not to wrong both themselves and us by trusting too much to the words of a stranger.”
To this communication the merchants made reply: that they had been told that slaves brought from the desert into the Empire of Morocco could, and sometimes did, claim the protection of that government, which set them free without paying anything; and those who had been at the expense of bringing them did not get even thanks for their trouble.
One of the merchants, whose name was Bo Muzem, seemed inclined to listen with some favour to the representations of Harry; but he was overruled by the other two: so that all the young Englishman’s assertions about the wealth of his parents at home, and the immense worth he and his comrades were to their country, as officers in its navy, failed to convince those to whom his words were addressed.
The merchants at length went away, leaving Harry and Colin in an agony of despair; while Sailor Bill and the Krooman seemed wholly indifferent about their future destiny. The prospect of being again taken to the desert seemed to have so benumbed the intellect of both, as to leave them incapable of emotion.
Hope, fear, and energy, appeared to have forsaken the old sailor, who, usually so fond of thinking aloud, had not now sufficient spirit left, even for the anathematising of his enemies.
* * *
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Chapter Seventy Five.
El Haji.
Late in the evening of the second day passed within the walls of the town, two travellers knocked at the gate for admittance.
One of them gave a name which created quite a commotion in the village, all seeming eager to receive the owner with some show of hospitality.
The merchants sat up to a late hour, in company with these strangers and the sheik of the place.
Notwithstanding this, they were astir upon the following morning before daybreak, busied in making preparations to renew their journey.
Our adventurers, on being allowed some breakfast, were commanded to eat it in all haste, and then assist in preparing the animals for the road.
They were also informed that they were to be taken back to the Saara, and sold.
“Shall we go, or die?” asked Colin. “I, for one, had rather die than again pass through the hardships of a journey in the desert.”
Neither of the others made any reply to this. The spirit of despair had taken too strong a hold upon them.
The merchants were themselves obliged to caparison the animals; and just as they were about to use some strong arguments to induce their refractory slaves to mount, they were told that “El Haji” (“the pilgrim”) wished to have an interview with the Christians.
Soon after, one of the strangers who had entered the town the night before, was seen slowly approaching.
He was a tall, venerable-looking Arab, with a long white beard reaching down to the middle of his breast.
Having performed the pilgrimage to the Prophet’s Tomb, he was entitled to the respect and hospitality of all good Mussulmans, whithersoever he might wander.
With the Krooman as interpreter, he asked many questions; and seemed to be much interested in the fate of the miserable looking objects before him.
After his inquiries had been answered as to the name of the vessel in which they had reached the country, the time they had passed in slavery, and the manner of treatment which had produced their emaciated and wretched condition, he made other inquiries about their friends and relatives at home.
Harry informed him that Colin and himself had parents, brothers, and sisters, who were now probably mourning them as lost; that they and their two companions were sure to be ransomed, could they find some one who would take them to Mogador. He also added that their present masters had promised to take them to that place, but were now prevented from doing so, through an apprehension that they would not be rewarded for their trouble.
“I will do all I can to assist you,” said El Haji, after the Krooman had given the interpretation of Harry’s speech. “I owe a debt of gratitude to one of your countrymen, and I shall endeavour to repay it. When in Cairo I was unwell, and in want of food. An officer belonging to an English ship of war gave me a coin of gold. That piece of money proved both life and fortune to me; for with it I was able to continue my journey, and reach my friends. We are all the children of the true God; and it is our duty to assist one another. I must have a talk with your masters.”
