The Boy Slaves Part 43

"Yes, call an' tell 'em, Jim, as 'ow we gives in, an' they'll send us some refreshment," entreated the old sailor. "It ain't in human natur to die of starvation if one can 'elp it."

But neither Jim nor the Krooman would communicate to the Arabs the wishes of their companions; and the words and signals the old sailor made to attract the attention of those outside were unheeded.

Early in the evening, both Colin and the Krooman also expressed themselves willing to sacrifice the future for the present.

"We have nothing to do with the future," said Colin, in answer to Jim's entreaties that they should remain firm. "The future is the care of G.o.d, and we are only concerned with the present. We ought to promise anything if we can obtain food by it."

"I think so too, now," said the Krooman; "for it am worse than sure dat if we starve now we no be slaves bom-bye."

"They will not quite starve us to death," said Jim. "I have told you before that we are worth too much for that. If we will not work they will sell us, and we may reach Mogador. If we do work, we may stay here for years. I entreat you to hold out one day longer."

"I cannot," answered one.

"Nor I," exclaimed another.

"Let us first get something to eat, and then take our liberty by force,"

said Terence. "I fancy that if I had a drink of water I could whip all the Arabs on earth."

"And so could I," said Colin.

"And I, too," added Harry Blount.

Sailor Bill had sunk upon the floor, hardly conscious of what the others were saying; but, partly aroused by the word water, repeated it, muttering, in a hoa.r.s.e whisper, "Water! water!"

The Krooman and the three youths joined in the cry; and then all, as loudly as their parched throats would permit, shouted the words, "Water!

water!"

The call for water was apparently unheeded by the Arab men, but it was evidently music to many of the children of the village, for it attracted them to the door of the goat-penn, around which they cl.u.s.tered, listening with strong expressions of delight.

Through a long night of indescribable agony, the cry of "Water! Water!"

was often repeated in the penn, and at each time in tones fainter and more supplicating than before.

The cry at length became changed from a demand to a piteous prayer.

CHAPTER SIXTY NINE.

VICTORY.

Next morning, when the Arabs opened the door of the prison, Sailor Bill and Colin were found unable to rise; and the old salt seemed quite unconscious of all efforts made to awaken his attention.

Not till then did Jim's resolution begin to give way. He would now submit, to save them from further suffering; but although knowing it was the wish of all that he should tender their submission on the terms the Arabs required, for a while he delayed doing so, in order to discover the course their masters designed adopting towards them.

"Are you Christian dogs willing to earn your food now?" inquired the old sheik, as he entered the goat-penn.

Faint and weak with hunger, nearly mad with thirst, alarmed for the condition of his brother, and pitying the agony of the others, Jim was about to answer the sheik's question in the affirmative; but there was something in the tone in which the question had been put that determined him to refrain for a little longer.

The earthly happiness of six men might depend upon the next word he should utter, and that word he would not speak without some deliberation.

With an intellect sharpened by torture, Jim turned his gaze from the old sheik upon several other Arabs that had come near.

He could see that they had arrived at some decision amongst themselves, as to what they should do, and that they did not seem much interested in the ultimatum demanded by the sheik's inquiry.

This lack of excitement or interest did not look like further starvation and death; and in place of telling the Arabs that they were willing to submit, Jim informed the old sheik that all were determined to die rather than remain slaves.

"There is not one of us that wishes to live," he added, "except for the purpose of seeing our native land again. Our bodies are now weak, but our spirits are still strong. We will die!"

On receiving this answer, the Arabs departed, leaving the Christians in the penn.

The Krooman, who had been listening during the interview, then faintly called after them to return; but he was stopped by Jim, who still entertained the hope that his firmness would yet be rewarded.

Half an hour pa.s.sed, and Jim began to doubt again. He might not have correctly interpreted the expressions he had noted upon the faces of the Arabs.

"What did you tell them?" muttered Terence. "Did you tell them that we were willing to work, if they would give us water?"

"Yes, certainly!" answered Jim, now beginning to regret that he had not tendered their submission before it might be too late.

"Then why do they not come and relieve us?" asked Terence in a whisper, hoa.r.s.e from despair.

Jim vouchsafed no answer, and the Krooman seemed in too much mental and bodily anguish to heed what had been said.

Shortly after, Jim could hear the flocks being driven out of the town, and looking through a small opening in the wall of the penn, he could see some of the Arabs going out towards the barley-fields.

Could it be that he had been mistaken; that the Arabs were going to apply the screw of starvation for another day? Alarmed by this conjecture, he strove to hail them, and bring them back, but the effort only resulted in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

"May G.o.d forgive me!" thought he. "My brother, as well as all the others, will die before night! I have murdered them, and perhaps myself!"

Driven frantic with the thought, frenzy furnished him with the will and strength to speak out.

His voice could now be heard; for the walls of the stone building rang with the shouts of a madman.

He a.s.sailed the door with such force that the structure gave way, and Jim rushed out, prepared to make any promises or terms with their masters, to save the lives he had endangered by his obstinacy.

His submission was not required, for on looking out, two men and three or four boys were seen coming towards the penn, bearing bowls of water, and dishes filled with barley-gruel.

Jim had conquered in the strife between master and man. The old sheik had given orders for the white slaves to be fed.

Jim's frenzy immediately subsided into an excitement of a different nature.

Seizing a calabash of water, he ran to his brother Bill, and raising him into a sitting posture, he applied the vessel to the man-o'-war's-man's lips.

Bill had not strength even to drink, and the water had to be poured down his throat.

Not until all of his companions had drunk, and swallowed a few mouthfuls of the barley-gruel, did Jim himself partake of anything.

The effect of food and water in restoring the energies of a starving man is almost miraculous; and he now congratulated his companions on the success of his scheme.