Under the Rebel's Reign Part 29

So interested was Helmar in what was going on that he forgot his pain and the torture to which he had been subjected, and laughed and cheered Abdu's a.s.sailant on with an enthusiasm that astonished even himself.

The third man of his guard seemed in some magic way to have disappeared, but George had not thought about him, so busily occupied was he with the combatants. To and fro they swayed; now Abdu seemed to be getting the best of it, and now the other appeared to be forcing the little man back. It was most exciting, and George struggled to a sitting posture, the better to follow their movements.

Suddenly a whispered tone reached his ear; some one close beside him uttered the word "Amman!"

CHAPTER XXII

HORROR

Turning in the direction the sound came from, George saw it was the third man close by him who had whispered the word. Here was a surprise; but a light began to dawn on him as he answered with alacrity----

"Allah is good!"

"And ever watchful!" said the man at once.

So Naoum's power was already working. Evidently this fight was a planned affair between these two men, and Helmar waited wonderingly for what was to happen next.

The moment the fellow had given the sign he stooped down and quickly cut the ropes from the prisoner's feet and hands, and whispered, "Come! we will stay this Abdu's hand and give him a lesson!"

George sprang to his feet instantly, and the two men dashed at the struggling pair. Abdu's a.s.sailant, doubtless prepared for this, at once relaxed his hold and, before the enraged little officer could deliver a home thrust with his knife, he was seized by Helmar and his friend, and the weapon wrenched from his grasp.

The two guards now seemed inclined to leave the affair in the white man's hands, for the moment Helmar had got a firm grip on Abdu they fell back.

"So, traitors," screamed the maddened little man, bursting with fury, "you have turned on me and released your prisoner! By Allah! I swear you shall pay for this! You are in league against the great Pasha Arabi, and your lives shall pay the forfeit!"

All the answer he got to his ravings was a stolid smile of triumph from both men, and, to stay his tongue, Helmar gripped his throat until he almost choked with a spluttering cough.

"Never mind about traitors," said Helmar, in Arabic. "We are just going to read you a lesson; retribution has come to you sooner than you expected. See!" he went on, turning to the others, "pa.s.s that rope along and we will bind him!"

The two men did as they were bid, and together they secured the officer in no very gentle manner. His hands were folded behind his back and bound in that position, so that when his feet had been secured also, he looked like a trussed fowl.

"I'll be more merciful than you were," said Helmar, laughing, as he forced him to lie full length on the floor. "I will not provide you with a pillow--but," as Abdu opened his mouth to speak, "if you utter a sound unbidden, I will fasten you to that chain and let you hang outside the door for the rest of the journey."

Abdu ground his teeth with rage, but kept silent. His eyes gleamed murder at the two men who had sold him and released his prisoner.

This, however, in no way seemed to trouble them, for they only grinned defiance; whilst one of them drew his knife and felt its sharp point, as if meditating giving the little wretch a taste of it.

The humour of the situation appealed to George; all thoughts of revenge had gone, and he merely intended to keep the little man a prisoner in punishment for what he had done to him. After watching the contortions of his captive's face for a few moments, George turned to the two men.

"Well, what do you think is best to do?" he asked, wishing to find out what their instructions were. "I suppose it is no use to attempt escape. If we were to manage to jump from the train, it could only end in disaster."

"No, no," said one of the men. "There can be no escape. Abdu would have killed you had we not interfered. Our orders were to see that no harm befell you by the way, so while he sat beside you, we planned that little affair."

"And very well done it was," replied George, laughing. "But what will happen when we reach Cairo? You will be shot!"

"No," said the man, complacently. "It is all arranged. Abdu is a servant of Arden's, and although the master has ordered that you shall not be killed, yet has Arden ordered differently, and appointed Abdu to carry out his orders for him. Therefore, what we have done will bring us in favour with our chief, and Abdu will be punished--probably hanged," he added in a loud tone so that the prisoner could hear.

"Oh, I see," replied Helmar. "Then you will take him where you take me, and hand him over as a prisoner too, for attempting to murder me against Arabi's wish. That is decidedly smart. Do you hear, Abdu?"

All three men laughed, but the victim of their plans gave no sign.

George was astonished at the workings of Naoum's power. He had already established a safeguard for him, even on the short journey to Cairo; what then would he do when at that place where Mariam Abagi was? The feeling of relief at this fresh instance of his protector's watchfulness filled him with a sense of security that he had not yet felt, and he blessed the man who was so kindly disposed towards him.

The rest of the journey pa.s.sed uneventfully, and, as the train pulled up at its destination and Helmar and his guards alighted on the platform, he was glad to leave the stuffy, heated atmosphere of the place in which he had had such an exciting time.

Abdu and he marched from the station side by side. The difference between them was that Abdu's hands still remained bound, while he was allowed to walk unfettered. His guards hailed a conveyance, and the four were immediately taken to the prison.

This precaution was necessary, as Helmar soon discovered, for as they pa.s.sed along the thoroughfares he saw that the whole city was in a ferment. The streets were thronged with a shouting cosmopolitan mob even at that early hour of the morning. Armed rebels were parading the streets, jostling and hustling any with whom they came into contact. There was not the slightest doubt that his white face would have served as a red rag to a bull in that mixed a.s.sembly, and he would never have reached his destination alive.

He remarked on this to his guards, and his surmise was at once confirmed.

"Your life would not be worth a minute's purchase exposed to view,"

replied the man he addressed. "For that matter, even natives have to be most careful, the place is almost in a state of riot. Egypt cannot last like this, we shall eat ourselves up."

Abdu was furtively watching the seething thoroughfare from the window, and, as the man finished speaking, he endeavoured to attract some one's attention outside by holding up his bound hands. The instant he did so, the guard flung himself upon him and forced him down; but it was too late, the mischief was done. With a cry, two or three of the crowd elbowed their way, at a run, towards the hack.

Helmar glanced with apprehension at his guards, and noted the fear expressed in their faces, while Abdu was grinning with the most intense malice.

The driver evidently saw danger threatening his vehicle and whipped his horses up, but apparently some signal had been pa.s.sed along the road, for the number of pursuers was momentarily increasing to a howling crowd.

What the issue would have been it is doubtful to say, but just at that moment they reached the citadel, parts of which were being used as prison cells, and, with intense relief, Helmar heard the gates of the courtyard close behind them.

The moment he alighted he was conducted by two evil-looking warders to his cell, whilst the guards, with Abdu, were taken to an office.

As soon as he found himself alone, Helmar looked round his prison.

It was a decidedly uninviting place. Although much cleaner than the one in which he had been confined at Damanhour, it was bare of all furniture, except a sort of wooden trestle, evidently intended for his bed. This occupied one side of the room, which was a narrow apartment, about eight feet long by five in width. A dim light was allowed to penetrate into this dismal hole through a heavily-grated window high up in the wall. As George surveyed the place he came to the conclusion, from the solid construction of the walls, that he was in no ramshackle makeshift. There was none of the filth and dirt of his previous experience, and he felt that here at least he could lie down on the hard and uncomfortable boards without being eaten alive by loathsome insects.

He felt tired after his long journey, and his appet.i.te was keen. He fancied that no matter what his diet might be, he could do ample justice to it when it should be brought along.

Using his coat as a pillow, he stretched himself out on his trestle and waited patiently for some one to come. Every now and then he burst out laughing, as his thoughts went back to the journey to Cairo.

What stunning fellows those two guards had proved themselves--and how smartly they had fooled Abdu! He wondered where they were, and if they would be allowed to look after him. Such luck, he was afraid, could not be. No, he would probably be waited upon by one of those two surly fellows who had conducted him to his present abode.

An hour pa.s.sed, and at last he heard a footstep outside; he wondered if it was the much-desired breakfast, or a summons before Arabi's tribunal. The steps came nearer, and a key was placed in the lock of his door. A moment later a warder entered with some bread and coffee.

The man silently advanced. Helmar's eyes watched his movements closely; he set the tin of coffee on the floor and the bread beside it, and thus, without a word, turned to depart.

"I say," cried George, as the man neared the door, "is this all a hungry man is to have? Why, hang it all, I was treated better by Arden!"

George had spoken in English, thinking it wisest not to air his Arabic before this man.

The warder only shook his head, to signify that he did not understand.

George then tried him in French, but with no better success. At last, seeing that his chance of a better breakfast was slipping from him, he repeated his remarks in Arabic.

"Bread and coffee is too good for a dog of an unbeliever," replied the warder, in a surly tone, "better food is only for the sons of the Prophet. The white dog will soon not need anything in Egypt."

As he finished speaking he left the cell, slamming the door behind him, as if to emphasize his disgust at waiting on a white man.