Under the Rebel's Reign Part 40

"If the work of their servant is good in their eyes, I am content.

Naoum is my master, and he knows what is best for Belbeis. I like the children of the West, they do not beat the faithful."

"I never came across a man with so much sense as you have, Belbeis,"

said George. "You always seem to understand intuitively."

"My life is for peace," replied the Arab. "Where I get that best, there is my heart, I am no soldier!"

"But a jolly good imitation of one, then," exclaimed George, laughing. "Why, man, you have the heart of a lion?"

"That I cannot help," he replied, with a look of pleasure in his eyes at his companion's words. "It is no doing of mine, circ.u.mstances make it so."

"Well, it's a good thing for us there are not many of your countrymen as brave," said George, sleepily. "Well," yawning again, "here goes for a little 'shut-eye.'"

In a few minutes Belbeis and the guide followed George's example, and the room in which they lay resounded with their stertorous breathing. At daybreak they awoke refreshed and once more ready for the day's work. After they had foraged for and devoured breakfast, the little force were paraded prior to manning the forts. An hour later the remainder of the nine hundred rode into the city and joined them.

Cairo was quite quiet and orderly. Patrols were sent out to prevent any riotousness on the part of the fanatics, and in this manner they awaited the arrival of the rest of the army.

During the afternoon, the Commander-in-Chief, with a large force, marched into the city from Zag-a-zig. He was met with acclamation by the entire populace, and received from the officer in command of the party to which our hero belonged the surrender of Arabi and Toulba Pashas; thus the war of rebellion, which had threatened to overwhelm the land of the Pharaohs and exterminate the domination of the Khedive's rule, was at an end.

Helmar saw now that his career with the British army would soon be at an end. He had done his duty, and, by his timely arrival at Tel-el-Kebir, had prevented the razing to the ground of the ancient capital. What now remained to him? As he looked these facts in the face, he realized that after about six months of hardships, misfortunes, and privations he was no better off than when he started; whatever he had done seemed now entirely forgotten.

Consulting Belbeis upon the matter that evening, he received the good fellow's opinion and advice.

"You do not know what to do?" replied the Arab, with a look of unusual surprise on his impa.s.sive face. "How can that be? You have not yet seen the master; he loves you, and you have done that which he wished for most, you have conveyed his papers to the General. Go to him, he will tell you that which you should do."

"That is all very well, Belbeis," said George, simply, "but I did it for my own benefit as well, and, besides, I owe him more than I can repay already."

Belbeis only smiled in answer, and, after a moment's pause, went on----

"We shall see, there is yet time for thought of the future. Allah will provide!"

After that, he left the citadel, and George was left to the companionship of his own thoughts. They were not very pleasant, and he put them from him and went out in search of his friend, Charlie Osterberg. He had not the least notion of where to find him. He knew the Engineers had arrived, but he was not aware of where they were quartered. However, a soldier whom he met told him they were outside the western gate of the city.

With this information he made his way through the slums until he came to the Governmental portion of the town. This he pa.s.sed through, and at length reached the west gate. On making inquiries there, he was directed to the camp he sought, and with some difficulty discovered that Osterberg was with the troops. At last he found him in a tent with two or three other civilians attached to the force in a similar capacity to himself.

Charlie greeted his old friend and companion with open arms.

"Thank goodness, you are all right, George," he exclaimed, the moment our hero appeared in the doorway. "I was wondering when I should find you. I have only just been relieved from duty, or I should have been in search of you now."

"It's a good thing that it happened so," replied George, "or we should have both been searching in different directions, and so missed each other. Now tell me of all that has happened to you, we only had such a short time to talk when I saw you on the way to Tel-el-Kebir, that there must be still much to talk about."

Osterberg's career had been so uneventful after they parted at Alexandria that his story was soon disposed of, and then George consulted him on matters concerning the future.

"What do you intend doing, Charlie," he said, "now that the war is practically over?"

"Why, go back to the bank, of course--what did you expect? You see, I made that arrangement with my employers, and they gladly consented to it. Of course, business was at a standstill while the war was on, and they were glad to dispose of their clerks; but now it is over they'll want us back again. But you--how do you intend going on?

Shall you still remain with the Government authorities as interpreter?"

"I can't say, I'm sure. Perhaps they won't want me," replied George, in tones that betrayed his reluctance to leave the service.

"However, I expect they will soon enlighten us on that point."

"Why, George, you are a bigger stupid than I took you for! Do you think they are going to discharge the man who made that magnificent ride to save Cairo?"

"And himself!" put in George, in disgust. "There, for goodness sake, don't harp on that! Belbeis has just reminded me of it--it was nothing!"

"That may be so," replied Charlie, "but anyway all the troops seem to have got hold of the story, and do nothing but talk about it--they can't say too much for you. It isn't likely the Government will forget you."

"Oh, by the way," exclaimed George, to change the subject, "what is to be done with Arden? I suppose you haven't heard?"

"Yes, I have. He's to be tried along with other leaders of the revolt. The probability is that he'll get a heavy sentence and no doubt be banished from the country."

"Poor devil!" exclaimed George. "His ill-gotten wealth won't have done him much good. I doubt if he'll ever be able to touch a penny of it."

"'M! I'm not so sure. Mark is a cunning fellow, and probably has sent it all out of the country to some safe place where he can get at it again. For my part, I am not in the least sorry for him.

Hanging would be a too merciful sentence for such a villain."

"Well, I have no doubt that all he deserves will fall to his lot. I bear him no malice; he is in trouble enough now; let us hope it will be a lesson to him."

"No fear," exclaimed Charlie, with a hard look on his boyish face.

"Nothing will ever be a lesson to him; villainy was born in him, and if ever he escapes, mark my word, the authorities will hear of him again, or I am much mistaken."

His tone of conviction impressed his companion, and he looked sharply at him.

"Why, what do you think he will do--raise another rebellion?" he asked, incredulously.

"Stranger things have happened. We shall see. I am going to walk back to the city with you," he went on, as George rose to go. "A little fresh air will do me good."

The two friends linked arms and strolled back to Cairo. The night was deliciously cool, and each had much to talk about, going over and over again through the many incidents that had occurred since their arrival in Egypt. At last the citadel was reached, and George, to his great surprise, found Belbeis anxiously awaiting his return.

"My master, Naoum, bade me deliver this note," said he, directly our hero came up. "He wishes to see you to-night. He had not antic.i.p.ated that you would return so soon."

"Good!" exclaimed George, scanning the contents of the missive. "Now you shall see my benefactor, Charlie. Come, Belbeis, conduct us to him, that is, if I may bring my friend."

"Your words are law to my master's servant," replied Belbeis; "to refuse you would be to cross the wishes of Naoum, and that cannot be."

Without waiting for a reply, Belbeis led the companions down to the best part of the city. Stopping at one of the smaller Oriental palaces, he disappeared, asking George to await his return. In a few moments he came back, and led the way into the great entrance hall, where they found Naoum waiting to receive them.

He greeted our hero with affection, and looked in surprise at Charlie. Helmar was quick to interpret the glance, and hastened to set his mind at rest.

"This is my greatest German friend, Naoum," he said, "and I brought him with me that he might meet the man who has done so much for a stranger in a strange land; his name is Charlie Osterberg."

Naoum acknowledged the introduction cordially, and begged them to rest.

"I was surprised when Belbeis told me that you had returned to Cairo again so quickly. Had I known it before, I should have sought you earlier," he said, in his well-known kindly tones. "There are many things I would say to you, but time presses, and no doubt you would return to rest."

The two young men shook their heads, and declared their willingness to hear all he had to say.

"I have been thinking of your future," he said, looking keenly at George. "We have so long been a.s.sociated that it seems as if Allah had woven our lives together. I am unwilling that we should now part. The war is over, therefore the Government will have little for you to do."