Dick Merriwell's Pranks Part 45

"And I am beginning to believe he lied!"

"What?"

"I'm afraid the black rascal fooled us."

"Why should he?"

"Why shouldn't he? They're none of them to be trusted. Nadia is a beautiful girl."

"Well?"

"In this country very beautiful girls are worth as much as five thousand dollars each."

d.i.c.k was startled.

"Oh, you're wrong, Brad, in thinking a.s.souan would play such a trick! He wouldn't dare."

"Why not?"

"Ras al Had is his master--"

"And Ras al Had is a fugitive himself. If caught, he will lose his head for killing Hafsa Pasha. a.s.souan may have feared the sheik before that happened, but fear cannot keep a.s.souan loyal to Ras al Had now."

d.i.c.k realized that this was true.

"And do you fancy a.s.souan would carry Nadia off with the intention of selling her?"

"I fear it, partner, and that's what's disturbing me a plenty."

d.i.c.k thought for some moments on what had taken place. Finally he shook his head decisively.

"I am not willing to believe that," he declared. "Somehow, I am confident that a.s.souan is faithful as a dog to Ras al Had. He put himself to altogether too much trouble about us, in case he were otherwise. Even after getting Nadia and her brother out of Damascus, he turned back to look for us."

"But he deserted us in the street at a critical moment."

"Because, as he frankly stated, he believed we were lost, and he could do nothing to save us. Had he attempted to do anything, he would have sacrificed himself and left Nadia and Dunbar still helpless in the trap."

"Well, it may be he's on the square; but it certain seems to me he's had time to keep his word and show up with Nadia before this."

At this moment there were signs of confusion in the train. The camel drivers in advance halted and uttered strange cries. Others took it up.

Those cries produced still greater confusion, which seemed like consternation.

"What is it?" asked Brad.

d.i.c.k shaded his eyes and peered away across the broken waste of desert.

"Hors.e.m.e.n!" he exclaimed. "There is a large body of mounted men coming toward us from the north."

"Sure thing," said the Texan, discerning them. "I wonder if a.s.souan is going to make good at last!"

The hors.e.m.e.n came on rapidly, a tiny cloud of dust rising behind them.

Soon they were near enough to enable the men of the camel train to discover an interesting thing concerning them.

"Bedouins!" was the cry.

Both of the American boys had heard of those desert wanderers and marauders, but now, for the first time, they beheld genuine wild Bedouins at home.

The Syrians and Arabs of the train seemed in great fear and consternation, for they saw the approaching body of men outnumbered them, and it was impossible to know the purpose of the wild hors.e.m.e.n.

The Bedouins wore loose, flowing garments and hoods on their heads. They were all armed to the teeth, as is the habit of the desert Bedouin.

d.i.c.k was thrilled by the picturesque spectacle. He had seen pictures of Bedouin riders, and he was forced to confess that he was not disappointed in the real article.

The merchants huddled their loaded camels together and waited in helpless suspense for what was to take place.

Without waiting for his camel to kneel, Zenas Gunn slid down to the ground, risking both neck and limb, and fell sprawling. He gathered himself up and rushed forward to d.i.c.k and Brad.

"We're all going to be murdered!" he spluttered. "Those wretches are going to kill us and plunder the train!"

d.i.c.k forced the camel to kneel, after the manner of camel drivers, a trick he had learned by observation. Down went one end of the beast, flinging the boys forward and forcing them to hold fast with all their strength; then down went the other end, hurling them back and snapping their teeth together.

After that they stepped off.

"It is useless to resist!" moaned the professor. "We have no chance against those wretches! Oh, boys, this is the end-the awful end!"

"You've lost your nerve again, professor," said d.i.c.k. "Brace up. Let's not die until we have to."

The Bedouins had halted at some distance. For a moment they huddled together, and then out from the ma.s.s of hors.e.m.e.n rode one, whose bearing was that of a leader.

Alone and unattended, this man fearlessly rode toward the train.

Grasping his gun in the middle, he lifted it high above his head with one hand, a signal which the merchant at the head of the train seemed to understand, for he slowly advanced to meet the wild chief.

The chief was a handsome man at a distance, being of unusual size and wearing the barbaric garments and decorations of his people. He had a jet-black beard, and there was something uncommon about his features.

The horse he bestrode was a clean-limbed, fiery animal.

"If I had my camera now!" exclaimed d.i.c.k; "but that camera by this time is in Alexandria, with the rest of our baggage, which we sent on ahead of us."

"I wonder what's up," muttered Brad. "The Syrians are mightily disturbed."

"Perhaps the Bedouins are going to demand tribute, and the merchants do not wish to pay."

"Is that a custom?"

"I don't know; but it seems that those armed wanderers could hold up a train like this and get everything they asked."

The chief was seen speaking with the merchant. In a few moments the latter turned, saw d.i.c.k and his friends, and called:

"Mr. Merriwell is wanted."