The Boy Slaves Part 23

CHAPTER FORTY SIX.

AN UNJUST REWARD.

The next morning on resuming the journey Golah condescended to tell his captives that they should reach a well or spring that afternoon, and stay by it for two or three days.

This news was conveyed to Harry by the Krooman; and all were elated at the prospect of rest, with a plentiful supply of water.

Harry had a long conversation with the Krooman as they were pursuing their route. The latter expressed his surprise that the white captives were so contented to go on in the course in which the sheik was conducting them.

This was a subject about which Harry and his companions had given themselves no concern; partly because they had no idea that Golah was intending to make a very long journey, and partly because they supposed his intentions, whatever they were, could not be changed by anything they might propose.

The Krooman thought different. He told Harry that the route they were following, if continued, would lead them far into the interior of the country, probably to Timbuctoo; and that Golah should be entreated to take them to some port on the coast, where they might be ransomed by an English consul.

Harry perceived the truth of these suggestions; and, after having a conversation with his companions, it was determined between them that they should have a talk with Golah that very night.

The Krooman promised to act as interpreter, and to do all in his power to favour their suit. He might persuade the sheik to change his destination, by telling him that he would find a far better market in taking them to some place where vessels arrive and depart, than by carrying them into the interior of the country.

The man then added, speaking in a mysterious manner, that there was one more subject on which he wished to give them warning. When pressed to mention it, he appeared reluctant to do so.

He was at last prevailed upon to be more communicative; when he proclaimed his opinion, that their companion, Colin, would never leave the desert.

"Why is that?" asked Harry.

"Bom-bye he be kill. De sheik kill um."

Although partly surmising his reasons for having formed this opinion, Harry urged him to further explain himself.

"Ef Golah see de moder ob de piccaninny gib dat lad one lilly fig, one drop ob drink, he kill um, sartin-sure. I see, one, two, seb'ral more see. Golah no fool. Bom-bye he see too, and kill um bof, de lad an' de piccaninny moder."

Harry promised to warn his companion of the danger, and save him before the suspicions of Golah should be aroused.

"No good, no good," said the Krooman.

In explanation of this a.s.sertion, Harry was told that, should the young Scotchman refuse any favour from the woman, her wounded vanity would change her liking to the most bitter hatred, and she would then contrive to bring down upon him the anger of Golah, an anger that would certainly be fatal to its victim.

"Then what must I do to save him?" asked Harry.

"Noting," answered the Krooman. "You noting can do. Ony bid him be good man, and talk much, pray to G.o.d. Golah wife lub him, and he sure muss die."

Harry informed the sailor and Terence of what the Krooman had told him; and the three took counsel together.

"I believe as how the darkey be right," said Bill. "Of course, if the swab Goliarh larns as 'ow one av 'is wives ha' taken a fancy to Master Colly, 'twill be all up wi' the poor lad. He will be killed, and mayhap eaten too, for that matter."

"Like enough," a.s.sented Terence. "And should he scorn her very particular attentions, her resentment might be equally as dangerous as Golah's. I fear poor Colin has drifted into trouble."

"What ye be afther sayin' about the woman," said Bill, "minds me o' a little story I wunce heeard whin I was a boy. I read it in a book called the Bible. It was about a young man, somethin' like Master Colly, barrin' his name was Joseph. A potter's wife tuck a fancy to him; but Joseph, bein' a dacent an' honest youngster, treated her wid contimpt, an' came to great grief by doin' that same. You must 'ave read that story, Master 'Arry," continued Bill, turning from Terence to the young Englishman, and changing his style of p.r.o.nunciation. "Did it not 'appen summers in this part o' the world? Hif I remember rightly, it did. I know 'twas summers in furrin parts."

"Yes," answered Harry, "that little affair did happen in this part of the world, since it was in Africa; and our comrade has a fair prospect of being more unfortunate than Joseph. In truth, I don't see how we shall be able to a.s.sist him."

"There he is, about a hundred cable lengths astern," said Bill, looking back. "And there's the old 'oman, too, lookin' sharp afther him, while Colly is atin' the figs and drinkin' the camel's milk; and while I'm dying for a dhrop of that same. Old Goliarh is no doubt proud wi' the great care she's takin' of his child; but won't there be a row when he larns summat more? Won't there, Master 'Arry?"

"There will, indeed," answered Harry. "Colin will soon be up with us, and we must talk to him."

Harry was right, for Colin soon after overtook them, having been driven up as usual by the negress, who seemed in great anger at the trouble he was causing her.

"Colin," said Harry, when their companion and the child had joined them, "you must keep the woman away from you. Her partiality for you has already been noticed by others. The Krooman has just been telling us that you will not live much longer; that Golah is neither blind nor foolish; and that, on the slightest suspicion he has of the woman showing you any favour, even to giving you a fig, he will kill you."

"But what can I do?" asked Colin. "If the woman should come to you and offer you a handful of figs and a drink of milk, could you refuse them?"

"No, I certainly could not. I only wish such an alternative would present itself; but you must manage in some way or other to keep away from her. You must not linger behind, but remain all the time by us."

"If you knew," asked Colin, "that you could quench your thirst by lagging a few paces behind, would you not do so?"

"That would be a strong temptation, and I should probably yield; but I tell you that you are in danger."

Neither of Colin's companions could blame him. Suffering as he was, from the ceaseless agony of hunger and thirst, any indiscretion, or even crime, seemed justifiable, for the purpose of obtaining relief.

The day became hotter and hotter, until in the afternoon the sufferings of the slaves grew almost unendurable. Sailor Bill appeared to be more severely affected than any of his companions. He had been knocking about the world for many long years injuring his const.i.tution by dissipation and exposure in many climes; and the siege that thirst and hunger were now making to destroy his strength became each hour more perceptible in its effect.

By the middle of the afternoon it was with the utmost difficulty he could move along; and his tongue was so parched that in an attempt to speak he wholly failed. His hands were stretched forth towards Colin; who, since the warning he had received, had kept up along with the rest.

Colin understood the signal; and placed the boy on the old man's shoulders. Bill wished to learn if the mother would reward him for taking care of her child, as she had his predecessor in the office. To carry out the experiment, he allowed himself to be left in the rear of the caravan.

Golah's son and the other guard had noticed the old sailor's suffering condition, and objected to his being enc.u.mbered with the child. They pointed to Harry and Terence. But Bill was resolute in holding on to his charge; and, cursing him for an unbelieving fool, they allowed him to have his own way.

Not long after the mother of the child was seen to stop her camel, and the three mids pa.s.sed by her unnoticed. The old sailor hastened up as fast as his weary limbs would allow, to receive the hoped-for reward.

But the poor fellow was doomed to a cruel disappointment.

When the woman perceived who had been entrusted with the carrying of her child, she p.r.o.nounced two or three phrases in a sharp angry tone.

Understanding them, the child dismounted from the sailor's back, and ran with all speed towards her.

Bill's reward was a storm of invectives, accompanied by a shower of blows with the knotted end of the halter. He strove to avoid the punishment by increasing his speed; but the camel seemed to understand the relative distance that should be maintained between its rider and the sailor, so that the former might deliver, and the latter receive the blows with the most painful effect. This position it kept until Bill had got up to his companions; his naked shoulders bearing crimson evidence of the woman's ability in the handling of a rope's end.

As she rode past Colin, who had again taken charge of the child, she gave the young Scotchman a look that seemed to say, "You have betrayed me!" and without waiting for a look in return, she pa.s.sed on to join her husband at the head of the caravan.

The black slaves appeared highly amused at the sailor's misfortunes.

The interest had aroused their expiring energies; and the journey was pursued by them with more animation than before.

Bill's disappointment was not without some beneficial effect upon himself. He was so much revived by the beating, that he soon after recovered his tongue; and as he shuffled on alongside his companions, they could hear him muttering curses, some in good English, some in bad, some in a rich Irish brogue, and some in the broadest Scotch.

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN.

THE WATERLESS WELL.