7. Another Pilgrimage
Beginning at her stern and bearing to the starboard side, Ali set outto become more intimately acquainted with the ship. Almost every stepbrought to light a fresh marvel. As a camel driver who traveled withcaravans, at one time or another he had been in every port that acaravan can visit, and he was not unfamiliar with ships. But neverbefore had he seen anything to compare with the _Supply_.
A hundred and forty-one feet over all, the wooden three-master had amain and a quarterdeck. An official United States Navy ship, she wasarmed with a battery of four twenty-four pounders. One glance revealedthat her crew of forty officers and men believed in and strictly adheredto the rules of first-class seamanship; the _Supply_ was as spotlesslyclean as she was trim.
Had she been a conventional ship, Ali would have considered herimpressive enough. As it was, he found her overwhelming.
Jefferson Davis, United States Secretary of War, was one of severaloutstanding Americans who'd long cherished the notion that camels mightvery well help solve some of the troublesome problems of transportationinvolved in settling America's vast, arid and little-known Southwest.Finally, granted official permission to subject this theory to apractical test, the _Supply_ had been rebuilt for the sole purpose ofimporting an experimental herd.
A well-built stable, sixty feet long, twelve feet wide and not quiteseven feet six inches high, extended from just behind the foremast tojust in front of the quarterdeck. On either side were twenty portholesthat could be left open when weather permitted, but each porthole wasequipped with a panel of glass that closed from the inside in coldweather and wooden shutters that swung from the outside and were to beused during violent storms or in heavy seas. Midway was a hatch thatoffered direct entry to the stable, and that could be lowered forloading or unloading and raised when the ship was at sea.
Front and rear, high enough above the main deck so that even the mostturbulent waves would not wash over them, were other hatches fitted withwind sails--canvas funnels--that admitted air but excluded everythingelse. Thus, even when it was necessary to close the portholes, there wasno danger that the camels would suffocate.
Every stall was fitted with a harness, so arranged that the stall'soccupant might have complete freedom of movement when the _Supply_ wasin smooth sailing, or be strapped firmly in a kneeling position andunable to move at all, when the ship was in stormy seas. Further tominimize injuries that might result from being tossed about, bags filledwith hay were secured to every beam and anything else that a camel mightbump. The stable floor was covered with clean, fresh litter. Reflectorlamps would illuminate the stable if it should be necessary to attendthe camels at night.
A supply of fresh water was contained in two huge tanks, each holdingthirty thousand gallons, and a fire extinguisher was arranged so that itcould draw on either tank or both. A sterile cabinet held an amplesupply of every known remedy for any aliment that might afflict a camel.The hold of the _Supply_ was filled to the bursting point with a storeof the finest and cleanest hay and grain. No necessity or luxury that acamel might need--or that somebody fancied a camel might need--had beenomitted.
There were twenty camels already in the stable and they were makingthemselves at home there. Twenty-four, including Ben Akbar, remained tobe brought on board.
Thirty-seven of the herd were young females, many of which were withyoung. Every one of the forty-three beasts that the American buyers hadselected was an outstanding creature, all in their prime and none withany blemishes or deformities. But even though he must concede that theAmericans knew how to choose camels, Ali was both baffled and dazzled bytheir sending of the _Supply_, obviously representing a tremendousinvestment, to carry a mere forty-four of even the finest camels all theway to America. Few of the desert-roving camel breeders of Ali'sacquaintance would consider it worth their while to drive so small aherd to market, not even if the market was only four miles away.
Rounding the front of the stable and continuing sternward on theopposite side of the _Supply_, Ali felt a tense ripple travel up hisspine and reassured himself that his dagger was at hand when he sawanother camel handler approaching. Eight natives in all, seven besidesAli, had been retained to accompany this herd to America and Ali hadn'tthe faintest doubt that each one knew all the details of his story. Butfar from any hostile gesture or incident, nobody had even mentionedMecca, to say nothing of the punishment sure to attend any who shedblood in the Holy City. There was a variety of possible explanations forsuch forbearance. Maybe the seven were lukewarm Moslems, who simplydidn't care; perhaps, like Ali, they had personal reasons for wanting togo to some land where Moslems were few; possibly they intended to takeaction but were waiting for the right moment.
When he was near enough to his fellow camel handler, Mimico Teodara, Alisaid decorously, "I greet thee."
"And I thee," the other replied.
Ali relaxed. If Mimico knew his story--and beyond doubt he did know--andif he were a strict Moslem, he would not have spoken to Ali at all. Fora moment they remained side by side and both glanced toward the tetheredcamels that remained on shore. Ali, who somehow felt that Mimico mightbecome his friend, spoke of the riddle that had been puzzling him.
"It is strange, almost past understanding, that Americans would sendsuch a ship, at vast expense, to carry only forty-four camels toAmerica."
"Strange indeed," his companion agreed. "Even more to be wondered at isthe fact that, the first time they came, they returned with onlythirty-three camels."
Surprised, Ali asked, "They have been here before?"
Mimico nodded. "This is their second voyage."
"Come," the foppish interpreter said, "this is not a time for idling."
Ali and Mimico walked silently to the lowered hatch through which thecamels were brought on board and took their places in the boat that wasmoored against it. The device employed to bring camels from shore toship, Ali felt, was another startling example of American ingenuity.Twenty feet long by seven wide, the boat used as a ferry was fitted witha hinged door at each end. A wheeled truck, sturdy enough to support thebiggest camel, could be pushed through either door and secured in such amanner that it neither moved nor unbalanced the ferry.
Of very shallow draft, the oarsmen had no difficulty in running theferry up on any beach. Then the hinged door was lowered and the truckrun out. A camel was led onto the truck, made to kneel and strapped inplace. The truck was pushed back onto the ferry, the door was raised,and the launching accomplished. Reaching the _Supply_, the door on theopposite end was lowered and the ferry brought squarely against thelowered hatch. Then it was necessary only to push the truck and itshelpless passenger onto the deck of the _Supply_ and into the stable.
Ali, who thought he knew all the methods of moving camels, had to admitthat he'd never even heard of this one.
Mimico, who had a fine touch with camels, brought the next passenger. Itwas a great Bactrian, or two-humped male. As it was led onto the truck,made to kneel and strapped in place, Ali wondered. Bactrians wereenormous beasts, some weighing a ton or more, and this was an especiallyfine specimen. There was no doubting the strength of a two-humped camel,but caravan trails were usually long ones. Often, what with deliveringone cargo at one point, picking up another for a different destination,and there getting still another, a year or more might elapse before atrain of camels finally returned to the home from which they had setout. Such wandering was certain to be attended by conditions that variedfrom lush browse and ample water to scant forage and near drought. Acamel's hump changed accordingly, so that often nothing except the veryskilful application of pads made it possible to keep a firm saddle on abeast with only one hump. Naturally, a beast with two humps could betwice the trouble. In addition, Ali thought, Bactrians were less hardy.
Under the skilful direction of Ali and Mimico, all the camels except BenAkbar were finally loaded. On the final trip, Mimico leaped out as soonas the ferry was beached and went to bring Ali's _dalul_.
Ali waited, sayi
ng nothing. The more they were together, the better heliked Mimico, who handled camels with consummate skill and never usedwords when deeds were in order. Ali waited now to find if his judgmentwas sound. If Mimico passed what Ben Akbar considered a respectfuldistance, the _dalul_ would show his resentment. If Mimico was the camelman he seemed to be, he would recognize Ben Akbar for what he was andhalt before he was dangerously near.
Before Ben Akbar lunged, Mimico halted, turned and beckoned. Ali strodeforward to lead his _dalul_ to the ferry.
* * * * *
All sails spread to a stiff and favorable wind, the _Supply_ skimmedalong at a fast eight knots an hour. Leaning against an outside wall ofthe camel stable, beside the porthole near which Ben Akbar was tethered,and through which he was thrusting his nose, Ali kept anxious eyes onthe horizon where land should appear.
Since that day when the _Supply_ had sliced into the Mediterranean andthe haze-shrouded coast of Turkey had slipped always farther behind andthen disappeared, almost three full months had come and gone. By nomeans had they passed swiftly.
One furious storm followed another while the _Supply_ pursued her coursein the Mediterranean. Much of the time it had been necessary to strapthe camels in place, to keep them from being tumbled about as the shiplisted one way or another. It had been impossible to prevent all injury,but only three of the forty-four camels had died.
Two of them were Bactrians, the only two-humped camels in the presentcargo. This gave additional support for Ali's theory that they were lesshardy than their Arabian cousins. He did not draw any positiveconclusions because Lieutenant Porter disagreed with him, saying thatspecies had nothing to do with it and the two Bactrians merely happenedto be less hardy individuals. Ali offered no argument because of an everincreasing respect for Lieutenant Porter's knowledge and wisdom.
In part, Ali was influenced by the fact that Porter was the only man onboard besides Ali himself who had succeeded in winning Ben Akbar'sfriendship. But more than that was involved.
As the _Supply_ lay at anchor off the Turkish coast, it was evident thatLieutenant Porter was not an authority on camels. But in sharp contrastwith some men Ali had known, the American had proven himself bothwilling and eager to learn, and he included the eight native cameldrivers among his teachers. But from the first, to Ali's vastastonishment and then to his boundless delight, Porter did not find itnecessary to base his behavior upon that pursued by haughty sheiks andamirs who conversed with camel drivers.
Nobody on the _Supply_ ever forgot that Lieutenant Porter was incommand, but nobody ever had reason to feel that the officer consideredthem inferior. Ali nursed a happy conviction that America must be awonderful land indeed if many Americans were like the skipper of the_Supply_.
A little distance from Ali, Mimico was also leaning against the camelstable and waiting for the first sight of land. The pair had becomefriends during the voyage, but, after so many days at sea, neither Alinor Mimico wanted to do anything except look at some land.
Presently Ali saw it, the sea rolling up on a flat and treeless shoreand the waves falling back. Then it disappeared, a tantalizing visionthat first enticed and then crushed. But it came again and did notdisappear. Ali's eager eyes drank in as much as possible of this firstlook at America.
The shore was flat and treeless, but not by any means was it deserted. Agreat crowd of people, everything from officials come to receive thecamels to the curious who wanted only to look, awaited. There was awooden pier and a group of buildings that comprised the town ofIndianola, Texas.
A lighter that had been lingering at the pier was now making towardthem. The ship met the _Supply_ and drew alongside. A camel was broughtfrom its stall and a harness was strapped about and beneath it. A cabledangling from the lighter's boom was attached to the harness and thekicking, frightened camel was transferred from the _Supply_ to thelighter.
Lieutenant Porter gestured to Ali and Mimico, ordering, "Go aboard thelighter and help out."
The pair entered a small boat that took them to the lighter, where theyreceived all the camels as they came. With gentle touch and soothingvoices, they calmed the frightened animals and averted what might havebecome a catastrophe.
Busy with the camels, Ali had time for only the briefest of shorewardglances. His first close-up impression of America was a restrictedone--a small section of the pier which they were approaching. Standingon it were two horses, hitched to a light wagon. A red-faced, red-hairedman who had come to see the unloading occupied the wagon seat and heldthe horses' reins.
There was no time for a prolonged scrutiny; the camels must be putashore as soon as possible. Mimico climbed from the lighter to the pierand made ready to receive them. Ali strapped the harness about the firstcamel to be unloaded. The boom lifted it.
Then the horses screamed, the red-faced man roared, and a full scaleupheaval was in progress!