Under the Rebel's Reign Part 9

"Do not talk of thanks. I like it not. You will be a second son to me. Take these," she went on, handing him his revolver and a long knife of Egyptian make, "they may be of use to you. I shall watch for you always, and some day we shall meet again. Farewell!"

Without another word she turned and left the room.

Naoum stood looking on with a stolid face, and, as his mother departed, led the way to another door, and the two men left the house.

To anybody of a less courageous spirit the position Helmar found himself placed in would have been appalling. With little money, with hardly recovered health, only these two people whom he could count his friends in a now hostile country--all these things combined to make his position one of the greatest insecurity and danger. Instead of doubting the outcome of it all, however, he rather gloried in the situation, and did not trouble himself in the least as to the future. He felt more than ever the keen enjoyment of the roving, happy-go-lucky existence he had elected to follow. The simple effect of stretching his legs as he walked beside his companion inspired in him a keen feeling of appreciation of life, and a grim determination to follow to the end his adventurous career.

"How far is it now?" he asked, as they swung along through the slummy quarters.

"Quarter of a mile," was the laconic reply.

"Wish it was more," said George, "it's a treat to be walking again."

"I dare say it is, but we may find it's all too long before we reach the quay. Come along down here," he went on, turning into what looked like a blind court, "we must take all the most deserted streets and listen well, and look well ahead for sounds of trouble.

The last two weeks have been terrible times."

"And what does Arabi hope to gain by all this?" asked George.

"The country and his own glorification. He hopes to destroy the Khedive's power and rule, and has adopted 'Egypt for the Egyptians'

as his war-cry."

"He must be foolish. The European powers will never allow it. It can only end in one way, and he will be the one to pay for it."

"Yes, I know he will be punished, but there it is, and in the meantime the country is in a fearful state of alarm."

They were nearing the river, and Helmar relapsed into silence as they wound their way through the narrow streets. On every side the tumble-down appearance of the buildings made their walk more solitary and dismal. The smell, as they approached the river, became more p.r.o.nounced, and made him wonder how any one could live there at all.

His guide seemed heedless of everything but his anxiety to reach their destination. At every corner and turning he paused to listen for any danger signal. Helmar, on the contrary, seemed quite to ignore his danger, and walked along indifferently, observing everything and comparing all with his recollections of the night when he had traversed a similar part in Cairo before he was wounded.

At last the quay was reached. The river was covered with all sorts of odd craft, and George gazed with astonished eyes at the scene before him. The moon was just rising, and the great golden globe shone over the river, causing the boats of varying build to cast weird and fantastic shadows on the water.

The guide pointed to two great c.u.mbersome vessels near the other side of the river. They were built on the barge principle, with sail booms fore and aft like the Chinese river boats. These were the dahabiehs, one of which was to carry them down to Alexandria. As they reached the water's edge, Naoum gave a peculiar low whistle, and a boat suddenly shot out from the vessel's side, propelled by a solitary occupant.

The boat had hardly appeared when four men dashed out from the shadow and ran on to the sh.o.r.e towards the fugitives. They were dressed in uniform of the Khedive's army. As the fellows caught sight of Helmar's white face, they set up a shout which was immediately answered in various directions. The boat was rapidly nearing their side of the river. Naoum drew his pistol, and Helmar his revolver.

As soon as the men saw this they drew back, and two of them ran off, shouting as they went.

"The moment the boat reaches us," said Naoum in agitated tones, "you must jump in instantly. They have gone for a.s.sistance, and if they return before we get off, it means--murder."

The two Arabs left to watch our friends were evidently afraid to attack, and drew back to a respectful distance, eyeing the fugitives furtively. As they caught sight of the boat, now rapidly approaching, they set up another warning howl, and crept forward as though about to attack.

Their cry was answered by the sound of hurrying feet, and just as the boat touched the sh.o.r.e and Helmar and his guide had jumped in, about a dozen men rushed towards them. The sight of their escaping prey so enraged the Arabs that they opened fire at once.

Naoum and the waterman plied vigorously at the oars, and the boat skimmed over the water, while a hail of bullets struck the water around them.

They were not a moment too soon, and even then the chances were largely against them.

"Down with you," cried Naoum, addressing Helmar, "or they'll hit you! I'll pull the boat!"

"Not I," replied George, scornfully. "Do you think I'm going to take shelter while you are exposed to their fire? No, no, pull away, and I'll look after the tiller."

The distance that separated them from the sh.o.r.e was rapidly widening, and the danger lessened.

"I don't think, so long as they aim at us, that they can do much damage," said Naoum, smiling calmly. "Egyptians are not noted for their accurate marksmanship."

Helmar laughed a boyish, ringing laugh, as he listened to his companion's words. The spirit of adventure was upon him, and he was in a seventh heaven of delight as the whizzing bullets sped harmlessly by.

When in mid-stream, the current rapidly took them down to the silent vessel, and a few moments later they reached it and climbed aboard, while the baffled rebels slunk off into the shadow of the quay. The boat was quickly hauled up, moorings cast off, and the dahabieh began to glide down the sluggish river.

CHAPTER VIII

AN ENCOUNTER ON THE NILE

"Thus far we have escaped," said Naoum, as the two men stood on the rough untidy dahabieh, gazing at the slowly receding town. "They will probably not attempt to follow us, but I don't, for one moment, think our troubles are over. We must keep a sharp look-out along the banks for the rebels."

"You think then we shall come across them again?" asked George, glancing keenly at the speaker.

"I don't only think--I feel sure. Alexandria will be in a worse state than Cairo, and it is certain the river will be watched carefully. We must anchor in the day-time and travel at night, that is our only hope."

The man's quiet words in no way deceived Helmar, he realized that there was great danger ahead, and it would require all their fort.i.tude and resource to cope with it. This knowledge, rather than damping his spirits, tended to raise them, and he looked forward with keen antic.i.p.ation to what the future might have in store for him.

The old dahabieh was a dreary old craft, in a dirty and ruinous condition. It was carrying a heavy load of grain, and this made the journey so slow that, by sunrise, they were still within a distant view of Cairo.

Daylight entirely changed the aspect of their surroundings. The weird beauty of the moonlight on the water had led George to antic.i.p.ate a glorious scene when morning broke, but disappointment awaited him. The banks of the river were low and uninviting; as for the beautiful tropical jungle he had expected to find, there was none to be seen--nothing out of the common, but the broad, muddy banks.

The heat was at its utmost, and the scourge of the Delta, the epizootie, had done its dread work. Annually this plague among the beasts plays havoc with the Nile, its surroundings and inhabitants.

As the animals die of the disease, they are either left lying about on the banks to rot, decay, and pollute the air with devastating microbes, or are thrown into the water. It is then the hot sun does its work, and both the atmosphere and water become putrid.

All down the river from Cairo, George kept coming across the carcases of either buffaloes or oxen, and when they did not actually meet his eye, his nose detected their close proximity.

Life during the time was monotonous to a degree. In daylight when at anchor, the intense heat and smell caused sleep to be abandoned as far as Helmar was concerned. The watermen seemed able to put up with both, and stretched themselves out under any shelter, and slept as soundly on the bare planks as if they were on a feather bed.

Helmar and Naoum mainly occupied themselves with keeping watch, and as soon as the sun sank, the former took an hour or two's sleep.

Sometimes the monotony would be relieved by watching the natives making use of their river. Little parties could be seen in the distance washing their clothes; others cleaning or bathing what cattle they had; occasionally far away could be seen a collection of shiny, ebony-looking human beings taking a dip in the green, slimy, insanitary water and afterwards drinking it.

In this way most of the journey was accomplished. So far they had come across no sign of the rebels, and George began to think they had escaped them altogether. Naoum was not so sanguine, in fact he saw a greater danger ahead than even he had antic.i.p.ated at first.

"You can't see as I do," he said one evening, as George and he sat watching the setting sun; "the fact that we have not as yet come across them indicates nothing. The nearer we get to our destination the keener will be Arabi's watch on the river for fugitives."

"Yes, but there is just a possibility that we have pa.s.sed them on our way without having seen them," said George optimistically.

"Yes, that may be so," replied his companion doubtfully. "Allah only knows what we shall do if Alexandria is occupied by them. There is but one course open to you as far as I can see. When we get into the Mahmoudieh Ca.n.a.l, you will have to hide amongst the grain; and if you ever reach Alexandria in safety, take my advice and get out of the country at once."