Yussuf the Guide Part 36

Picking out, then, a snug spot among some stones that had fallen from above, where a clump of myrtles perfumed the soft evening air, he settled himself down, and soon sank into a comfortable drowsy state, in which he listened to the _munch munch_ of the horses, and a low crooning song uttered by Hamed as he finished his task of bathing his swollen ankles, and then walked up and down more strongly, pausing every now and then to stoop and rub them well.

Soon after Yussuf came to his side, and stood looking along the gorge towards where the cliff-dwellings cl.u.s.tered on high; but it was too dark to see them now.

"It is time the effendi was back," he said. "He will not be long now.

You will keep watch while I go and speak with his excellency, Burne."

"Yes, I am well awake again, now," said Lawrence, starting up. "I wish I did not grow so sleepy."

"Why?" said Yussuf gently, as he laid his hand upon the boy's arm. "I love to see you sleep, and sleep well. It is a good sign. It means that you are growing strong and well, and will some day be a stout and active man."

"Do you think so?" said Lawrence dreamily.

"I feel sure so," replied the Turk gravely. "I am not educated like you Franks from the west, but I have lived to middle age, and noticed many things. You are growing better and stronger. I will go now and come back soon. The effendi will be here then, and we two will watch, and you shall sleep."

He strode away into the gathering darkness, pa.s.sing the spring, turning round by the right, and making for the spot where the sentry were posted. Here Mr Burne showed no inclination to go back to the little camp, but stood talking to him in his dry manner, for mutual dislike was gradually changing into a certain amount of friendliness.

Meanwhile the horses went on biting off great mouthfuls of the rich clover that grew near the stream, and munched and munched up the juicy herbage as Lawrence listened and watched the pathway to see if he could catch sight of Mr Preston returning with his gun.

It grew darker and darker still, but the professor did not come, and Lawrence began to grow drowsy again.

He fought against it, but the desire to sleep overcame him more and more. His head sank lower, and in an instant he was dreaming that he heard that rustling sound again of some wild animal approaching the group of rocks where he was stationed.

Wolf--hyena--some fierce creature that was coming steadily on nearer and nearer, till before long it would spring upon him, and in the nightmare-like sensation he felt as if he were struggling to get away, while it fascinated him and held him to his place.

One--two--three--four--there were several such creatures drawing nearer and nearer, and he could not cry for help, only stay motionless there in his horrible dread.

Nearer--nearer--nearer, till he fancied he could see them in the darkness gathering themselves up to spring, and still he could not move--still he could not shout to his friends for help, till all at once he seemed to make a desperate spring, and then he was awake and staring into the thick darkness, telling himself that it was fancy.

No; there were sounds farther up the gorge--sounds as of some animals coming softly down, nearer and nearer, but not wolves or hyenas. They were horses.

There was no doubt about it--horses; and now fully awake, the lad felt filled by a new alarm. For who could it be but an enemy stealing along in the darkness; and in the sudden alarm, he did not pause to argue out whether it might not be travellers like themselves, but shouted in a clear ringing voice:

"Who's that?"

There was utter stillness in the deep gorge, just broken by the gurgling of the fount as the water gushed from below the rock; and in his alarm, startled as much by the deep silence as he had been by the sounds of approaching hors.e.m.e.n, Lawrence shouted again:

"Who's that?" and then, hardly knowing what he did, he raised his gun and fired.

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE.

AFTER THE SCARE.

The sides of the gorge took up the report of Lawrence's fowling-piece, and a volley of echoes ran rapidly along the valley; but that was no echo which rang out directly after, for there were two bright flashes, and a couple of shots that were magnified into terrific sounds, as they too rolled along the deep pa.s.sage between the rocks.

To Lawrence they seemed to be the answer to his fire from the enemy, and, in the excitement of the moment, before attempting to reload, he fired again, the flash from his piece cutting the darkness and resulting in another volley of echoes.

Then there was a hoa.r.s.e shout given in a commanding voice, followed by a shrill yell, and what seemed to be quite a large body of hors.e.m.e.n thundered by, while directly after, as Lawrence was trying to reload his piece, the darkness was cut again twice over by a couple of clear flashes, and the rocks rang out in a series of echoes as if a company of infantry had drawn trigger at the word of command.

Meanwhile the beating of hoofs continued, growing more distant minute by minute, till the sounds died away.

Then they rose again as if the band were returning, but it was only the reflected sound from the great face of some rock which they were approaching in their flight; and once more the noise faded, and Lawrence, as he stood there half petrified, heard a familiar voice shout:

"Lawrence! Lawrence, boy, are you there?"

"Yes, yes, Mr Preston; here."

A low murmur came out of the darkness as if the professor had spoken some words, Lawrence never knew what, and the next minute they were together standing listening to the sound of footsteps, and their guide came panting up.

"What is it?" he cried.

Mr Preston explained, and Yussuf stood thinking for a few moments, and hit upon the solution of the mystery at once.

"I am not worthy of my name," he cried. "I see it all now; they must have come round this way to surprise us."

"And we have surprised them--so it seems," said the professor coolly.

"Our firing scared them. Will they come back?"

"Here! anyone killed? anyone killed?" cried Mr Burne excitedly, as he came panting up to his friends.

"I sincerely hope not," said the professor; and he explained anew what had occurred. "But what is to be done now, Yussuf?"

"Excellency, I hardly know what to say. If we retreat at once it is a terrible march in the dark, and we should be much at our enemies' mercy.

If we stay here we are greatly exposed, but it is better to be on guard than retreating. I learned that when fighting with my people up northward against the Russ."

"You think, then, that they will come back?"

"It is impossible to say, effendi. Perhaps not to-night, but we dare not trust them. We must be prepared."

"Let us see to the horses," cried Mr Preston. "Hamed!"

There was no reply, but, upon Yussuf shouting the name, a response came from far up the ravine, and they found that the horses were missing.

"Oh, yes; I forgot to tell you," said Mr Burne; "they scampered up past me, when there was all that noise down below here. One of them nearly knocked me over."

They soon found that Hamed had limped off in search of the horses which had taken fright, and but for the fact that Yussuf had hobbled their forelegs, they would have galloped away.

As it was they were soon secured, and, the party being divided into two watches, a careful guard was kept by one, while the other lay down to sleep with weapons ready to hand in case of an alarm.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

YUSSUF PREACHES STICK.

There was no further alarm that night, for the marauders had dashed off in the full belief that they were attacked in front and rear, the four shots, multiplied by the tremendous echoes from the rocks, combining with the darkness to make them believe that their enemies were many, and they had not stopped till they were miles away. As to making a fresh attack that was the last thing in their thoughts.

The night, then, pa.s.sed peacefully away, but the amount of rest obtained was very little indeed.