In the Mahdi's Grasp Part 68

"Yes, Excellency. What does your brother think?"

"I think," said Harry Frere, "that the first was invented by some Emir, jealous of the Khalifa; the second by the Khalifa himself. All false as the people themselves. We shall have more such tales."

"Then you think you would still defer our start, Hal?" said the Hakim, who had sat listening in silence.

"Certainly, for we should only be riding to our death. We must accept our position of prisoners until the Khalifa's men have suffered some real reverse. Then strike off at once for the desert and make a long _detour_ upon the camels before trying to reach one of the British positions on the river."

"Not make for our army at once?" said the Hakim quietly.

"No, for we should come upon them in the first flush of victory, and the chances are that we should encounter Egyptian regiments, who would take us for--what do we look like, Frank?"

"So much like the enemy that we have deceived them so far. Look at us, Morris, Hal and I are as if we were native born; Landon is little better; then there are Ibrahim and his men; while there is not enough of the Englishman about you now to save our lives."

"You are right," said the doctor. "Ibrahim, we must wait."

"I think you are right, Excellency; but you bade me be quite prepared, and I am ready to start at a moment's notice."

"We will wait," said the doctor; "and meantime go on bringing us news."

The old Sheikh bowed and left the place, to return in an hour with another completely different account of the state of affairs, and by nightfall he had brought in eight more circ.u.mstantial reports, every one of which was a tissue of fables, invented to support or weaken the new Mahdi's power.

And so the days wore on in a continuous state of excitement, the prisoners--for such they were now more than ever, with the exception of Ibrahim--being fully prepared to start upon their return journey at any moment when the opportunity should offer, the madness of any attempt as matters were being only too evident; and finding that the Emir's officer and the guards were rigorously faithful to the trust placed in their hands by their master. For as soon as Frank had recovered from his attack, he determined to have a ride round the city and its suburbs to judge for himself how matters stood, and gave orders through the Sheikh for his horse to be brought round; but upon their guardian being summoned they were met by a point-blank, though respectful, refusal.

"I am answerable with my head for the safety of the Hakim and his people," said the guard; "and for the Hakim's friend, Ben Eddin, to ride out now means an attack by some one or other of the wandering bands. I and my men will defend him to the last, but what are we against so many?

I have been left with the twenty men to defend the Emir's house and those he has left behind, and if the Hakim's friend rides out I and half my men must go with him; then what are ten to protect all that is here from danger?"

Frank angrily bade Ibrahim to tell the man he exaggerated matters, and that he was sure that both the Emir and his son desired that their friend should be free to go about the city.

The officer bowed respectfully, but he was immovable.

The Hakim and his people must stay within, he said. If the Emir or the young Emir were angry when they returned he must bear it, but they could not blame him much, for he had done his duty, and that he felt he would neglect if he let the Hakim's young friend go into danger.

Frank, feeling how much there was at stake, became more importunate, and then the officer turned to Ibrahim, after listening to the Sheikh's interpretation of Frank's signs, most of which took the form of angry pointings towards the camels.

"Speak for yourself," said the officer, "and make the Hakim's friend know the truth. Tell him whether you think it is safe for him to go out of this place, and whether it is just for him to order me to neglect my charge by leaving the house unguarded."

"The man is right, Excellencies," said Ibrahim at once. "It would be like riding out to tempt death for us all."

There was nothing for it but to resign themselves to circ.u.mstances, and the expedition was given up, the party being now the closest of prisoners; but as if to make up for it their guards were more respectful than ever, and their head was indefatigable in his endeavours to forestall all their wants.

As Frank said when they were alone, it seemed as if they were neglecting their opportunities by not making their attempt while the Emirs were absent, for at any moment they might return and Harry's owner be sending a party of his men to fetch the injured slave back to his duties.

But this did not happen, and though much of the information which Ibrahim brought in was simply rumour, he was able to supply facts, and among these were the announcements that the house of Harry's master was closely shut up and guarded by a few men, and that the whole city was thronged with savage-looking dervishes who plundered as they chose slaying and destroying where there was any resistance, while the whole place was in a state of siege.

"The time has not come yet, Excellencies," the old man said, "but it may arrive at any moment, and we will be ready to start."

"Where for?" said the doctor sternly.

"Who can say, Excellency? That must depend on fate. If we can, our place of refuge must be with the British troops; if we cannot reach them there is the desert."

"But why not try for the desert now, striking right away for the open parts, far away from the ordinary caravan routes?" said the professor.

"Because we should be cut off by some of the wandering bands before we could reach those distant parts, Excellency; and yonder there are other enemies: the sun to strike us down, and the dry sand. How can we journey on through the burning desert where there are not springs or wells?"

"Could we not keep to the river?" said the doctor.

"If there were none of the dervishes there we could, Excellency," said the Sheikh; "but it is certain now that the British force is steadily coming on to reach Khartoum, and the Khalifa's men are gathered all along the river banks, increasing daily like the desert sands. There is nothing open to us but to wait."

"And the Emir and his friends will return, and we shall be worse off than ever."

"Can the young Excellency say for certain that the Emir and his friends will return?" continued the Sheikh. "Surely it is more likely that the dervish army will be scattered like dust before the desert wind. Think of the long preparations that have been made, of the steady, slow advance of the English army. Every step of the way has been made sure with road and station, where are supplies for the fighting men. This will be the great blow struck at the new Mahdi's power, to put an end for ever to the bloodshed, pillage, and outrage of his savage bands, and I dare prophesy that this time he and his will be driven back into the desert from whence they came--a plague of locusts that they are; while if this great blow is struck--"

"It will be here in this city first, and at Khartoum later on?"

"No, Excellency," replied the Sheikh; "the men of the desert are men of tents. They do not, like you of the West, make great cities with walls and cannon; they come from the desert, and they will fight in the desert. When the time comes they will advance from the city, to strike their blow in the plain. We must try and make our effort then, for Omdurman will be deserted whichever way the fight may go. Till the time comes be watchful; help the Excellency Harry to grow strong; it will make the journey easier for us all."

"I am ready now, Sheikh," said Harry gravely; "the strength is coming fast, and as to my arm, it grows less painful day by day. You need not stop for me."

"That is good news, Excellency," said the old man, smiling. "We have only to be patient, for I have great hopes. We have conquered in everything up to now, in spite of all, and we shall go on to the end.

Only have faith, and trust to me."

CHAPTER FORTY.

IN SUSPENSE.

It was one bright evening after an exciting day, during which the prisoners, shut up as they were within the walls of the Emir's so-called palace, had gone through hours of feverish impatience, listening to the trumpeting and drumming outside accompanying the marching of the troops, but knowing nothing of what was going on save that the Egyptian army was approaching. That they had learned through Ibrahim, and it was endorsed by the officer of the guard.

From him, too, they learned that the new Mahdi had reached the neighbourhood with a force of the finest fighting men led by Emirs of great repute; and he added through Ibrahim that there could be no doubt of the result, for the Egyptian army, the scouts declared, were weak and trembling, ready to desert or throw down their arms, while the white men had half perished by disease, and the other half were unfit to fight.

"But," said the Hakim through his interpreter, "we have had such reports as these before, and they were not true."

"No, they were lies--all lies; but these words are true."

"And you think the Khalifa will conquer?"

"Oh, yes," said the man, with a look of calm satisfaction; "he cannot fail."

"How do you know all this?"

"From the Emir my master," said the man proudly.

"Ah! You have seen him?"

"Yes: he rode in last night to see if all was well."

"What! The Emir came here?"