Under the Rebel's Reign Part 27

After a little more conversation Naoum left the room to prepare for the coming of the rebel Pasha. He paused before he went, however, to give some parting advice.

"When Arabi speaks, answer boldly. Say what your good sense prompts, but do not let him think you fear him. Arabi admires a bold man.

Though clever, he is weak, and can easily be influenced by boldness.

If he thinks you fear him, it will make your escape all the harder to accomplish, for he is in the power of his subordinates and will do as they bid him."

This was indeed news to Helmar; he had believed that Arabi, the man who could have brought about this terrible rebellion, must be a man of indomitable character, and here he was told that such was not the case. He was truly living and learning. Now he began to understand how Mark had attained a position of so much power in such a short time; now he could understand how that worthy had been able to promise him a speedy execution by the Pasha's orders--evidently he relied upon his influence, the influence of a bold, unscrupulous villain over a weaker man.

The time pa.s.sed slowly after Naoum had left him, and George's patience was sorely tried as he waited for the great rebel. At last he heard a commotion in the hall, the clatter of arms and babel of voices telling him that at last Arabi Pasha had arrived. With beating heart and ever-increasing excitement, he waited for the summons that seemed so long in coming, but at length, after what seemed an endless period, a servant entered and signified that his presence was required.

[Ill.u.s.tration: The fight in the desert. p. 319]

Hastily smoothing out his worn and tattered clothes, George, with a slight touch of vanity, peered into a mirror and then followed his guide from the room. He hoped that the interview was to be a private one, with perhaps only Naoum present. He felt under those circ.u.mstances that he would then have less hesitation in speaking his mind. He feared nothing, convinced as he was that anything he could say could not possibly make his position worse. Naoum would not fail him, and he would rely on his power for protection.

His guide led him upstairs to a curtained doorway, guarded by two sentries, in front of whom he paused. At a sign from the former, one of the men disappeared behind the curtain, and the next moment Naoum appeared in the doorway. Waving the guide back he signed to George to enter, and a moment later Helmar stood in front of the great man.

Arabi was seated on a big lounging chair, dressed in the uniform of the Egyptian army. His face was turned away as the prisoner entered, so that George was unable to realize all that Naoum had told him; but no time was given him to speculate, for Naoum broke the silence at once. With an easiness that astonished Helmar, he addressed the Pasha as though talking to his equal. There was no cringing in his manner, and at times George thought he even detected a slight tone of command in his voice.

"This is the prisoner of whom I spoke," he said in Arabic; "he is not a British subject, but comes from Germany."

Arabi lazily turned his head in Helmar's direction, and without changing the position of his body slowly eyed him from head to foot.

The face that was thus revealed was a blank to George; he had expected to see one of strong character, or to discern in it indications at least of great intelligence. One of the greatest characteristics apparent was of intense indolence, whilst the shifty eyes pointed to a nature vacillating almost to weakness. Whether this really were his true character, or whether it were simply a mask used to cover the inner workings of this remarkable man's mind, George did not know; at any rate, it was sufficient, after what he had heard, to make him dislike and distrust him.

"You are a spy!" said the Pasha, in Arabic, shifting his glance away from the prisoner.

"I am no spy," replied George, haughtily, "I am merely an interpreter employed by the British Government."

"How came you to be spying out our defences then, when you were captured?" asked he, sternly, looking up sharply at the tone of George's reply.

"I accompanied the patrol in my official capacity."

"Which means, I understand, that you were there to elicit information from any natives whom you chanced to meet."

"Not at all--simply to translate into English whatever they had to say. The officer was there to gather information."

A faint flicker of a smile pa.s.sed over Arabi's face at Helmar's ready replies, and he exchanged a few words with Naoum in an undertone. Presently he turned again to his prisoner--

"Then by your own showing you were simply an accomplice of spies."

"A patrol on scouting duty is a legitimate tactic of warfare, therefore those who accompanied it were not spies, and I am ent.i.tled to be treated simply as a prisoner of war, not as prey for the rabble of the town to wreak their vengeance on by roasting alive!"

Again the Pasha eyed his man. George felt that his words were bold, even to being dictatorial, but he remembered Naoum's words and was determined to act as he had directed. With his eyes still fixed upon his interrogator he waited for him to speak.

The effect of the line of conduct he had taken up was apparent when next Arabi spoke.

"Then you think I have no right to have you shot! What do you expect?"

"You have less right to shoot me than the British have to shoot you, when they have destroyed your army. You cannot do more than keep me prisoner, and then you must treat me well, or you will have to answer for it later on. There are those in your employ, I know, who would willingly do me harm and resort to any base subterfuge to attain their ends. Doubtless you have been told many lies about me already, but if you listen to them you will regret it."

"So, you would dictate to me the course of action I am to adopt? You forget," Arabi went on, with an ominous pucker of his brows, "that this war is a war of extermination. We have been too long under the ban of European influence. The sons of the West have no right in the country of the ancient Egyptians, whose prosperity dates back to far before the Western countries were ever thought of. If Egyptians are not to be allowed their own country, if we cannot be allowed to rule according to our own traditions, who then is to dictate to us?

Because your arms are powerful and other nations have joined in the task of conquest, do you think that there is the faintest semblance of right in the crime you would perpetrate? You speak of Egypt having no right to deal with you as it likes; it has all the right to do so, that you people of the West have to come and wrest our country from us. Your talk is not sound, and you cannot think well.

I shall order for you as I think fit!"

"Very well," replied George, as the momentary fire in the indolent man before him died out, "but remember my words, there are those who will avenge me, should you choose to betray the trust that is placed in you as head of the opposing army. Murder is punished with death, and if you choose to commit it, you are no more free from its consequences than the commonest of criminals."

Helmar had become angry. The Pasha's words, so full of arrogance, had stung him, and he was not slow to answer him in like manner. He felt that in doing so he was jeopardizing himself, but for the life of him he could not stop, and he was almost sorry when, as he finished speaking, Arabi's face cleared and he smiled condescending approval at his bold words.

Naoum caught George's flashing eye, and a look of intelligence pa.s.sed between the two men. Quick as lightning Helmar's equanimity was restored, and he waited to see what was next to happen.

"Spy or no spy," said the Pasha, "you are a brave man to dare me to my face. One word from me and you would be torn limb from limb, but I do not intend to utter it. For the present you will be sent to Cairo as a prisoner; you will be safely guarded and in decent quarters. Later on it may be necessary to obtain information that you are believed to possess. If you are a wise man, as well as a brave, you will not hesitate to give it."

As he finished speaking he turned to Naoum, whose stolid face had shown no variation of expression during the interview. He whispered a few words to him and then again spoke to Helmar.

"You can now go. Remember, until you leave here our friend Naoum is responsible for your safe-keeping."

Waving his hand in sign of having closed the interview, Arabi leant back in the chair, from which in his excitement he had sat bolt up straight, his eyes following the prisoner until he left the room.

Once outside George was again conducted to his luxurious prison, where an excellent repast awaited him. The effect of the interview in no way deterred his appet.i.te, and he occupied his time, waiting for his benefactor, by doing ample justice to the luxuries placed temptingly before him.

CHAPTER XXI

TO CAIRO AGAIN

It was some time before Naoum joined his _protege_. George finished his meal and waited impatiently for his coming, but an hour pa.s.sed without any sign. At last he heard again, outside in the hall, a bustle and noise similar to that which had occurred at Arabi's arrival, and he knew that at last the rebel chief was taking his departure.

After a while the noise died away and Naoum appeared. His face was calm, but George noticed a something in his look that seemed foreign to it, and a presentiment that he was about to hear bad news took possession of him. As Naoum came forward, our hero greeted him anxiously.

"Well, what news? Nothing bad, I hope?"

Naoum turned his eyes away, and the strange look deepened on his face. George was quick to notice it.

"Yes, there is, I see it in your face. Tell me, I don't mind; it can't be worse than death, and I have already faced that often."

"Arabi is a strange man," replied Naoum, as though thinking aloud.

"He appears to have no will of his own. This man Arden has him under his thumb. Death," he went on, turning his strong face towards his companion, "would be a blessing to that which I am afraid will be your lot, unless----"

"Unless what?" eagerly demanded Helmar.

"Unless we can prevent it," replied Naoum slowly.

"What is this dreadful fate you antic.i.p.ate?" asked George with a sinking heart, as his friend's ominous words fell on his ears.

"After you had gone I endeavoured to draw from him what he intended doing with you. I felt convinced that some plans were revolving in his mind, and I wished, for our guidance, to discover them. In this conviction I am certain I was right. He a.s.sured me that he had no intention of having you executed, but he hung so persistently on the fact that you possessed information of the plans of the British Commander, that I knew he intended to force you to speak. Your enemy Arden has done his work well, for, with all the persuasion in my power, I could not move this foolish man in his belief. I fear that he intends to have you 'interrogated' at Cairo."

"Tortured, do you mean?" asked George in dismay.