CHAPTER VIII
PREPARING TO ADVANCE
"I think I have now given you all the information I possess," continuedthe Consul, after a pause, "and at the risk of appearing anxious to berid of you, I suggest that you should lose no time in going to yourcamp. It is already upon nine o'clock, and you will scarcely reach itwithin an hour. After that progress will be very slow, for marching atnight with a convoy of camels is no light undertaking. And now it onlyremains for me to wish you all success in your enterprise. May you, Mr.Hubbard, return within a short period with your father, and you, Mr.Dixon, reach us once again primed with information concerning theMullah. Good-bye, and good luck!"
Rising from his seat, the Consul advanced towards Jim and his friend,and shook them most warmly by the hand. Then thrusting the roll ofmatting, which did service as a blind, on one side, he opened the sashof the window, and stepped out upon the verandah. A hasty inspectionsatisfied him that there was no one about, and he returned tocommunicate his news to his guests. Five minutes later the two friendswere racing across the compound. When they reached the shadow of thebelt of trees, Jim halted, and gripped his comrade by the arm.
"Let us wait here for a few minutes, as we did before," he said, "for itmight happen that one of the servants overheard our conversation, andis waiting somewhere near at hand to catch sight of the Consul'svisitors."
"Right," his companion answered promptly. "I was thinking just the same,and I know the precaution is a wise one."
Accordingly they lay down upon the ground, and remained in that positionfor nearly a quarter of an hour. Then they rose to their feet again, andmoved away like ghosts, for their sandals made not the slightest noiseas they walked. When they had put some three hundred yards betweenthemselves and the bungalow, they halted again, so as to make certainthat they were going in the right direction.
"Through the town, and bear to the left, away from the sea-coast, theConsul told us," said Jim, whose spirits were now roused to the highestby the prospect before him. "Ali Kumar has been warned to be prepared tomeet us, and, I hope, will have quietly made arrangements to move away.If that is the case, and no one happens to be near, we ought todisappear without exciting curiosity, and without arousing thesuspicions of the Mullah's spies."
"After that, we'll strike along the coast-line," broke in Tom, "andmarch until we come to some wells of which I have been told, and withwhich our shikari is certain to be acquainted. The following day weshall ride over to the village in which the man lives who gaveinformation about your father. That done, we have only to collect ourstores when the dhow arrives, and march straight for the interior. It'sgoing to be a risky business, Jim; and I tell you plainly, that the moreI think of it, the more do I realize the danger and difficulties we haveto face. Don't think I am getting nervous, old chap," he continuedhastily, "but we shall have to be extremely cautious, for this Mullahhas just obtained a victory, and that fact alone will make him evenmore audacious, and will obtain for him the help and support of many whohave hitherto held aloof."
"I agree with you, Tom, and I am quite sure that we shall find it wellto steer clear of all these encampments. If we march into the interior,demanding of all we meet whether they have heard of a white prisoner whorecently fell into the hands of the Mullah, I am quite sure our doingswill be reported, and that we shall call down upon our heads the wrathof this fanatic. I have been thinking the matter out as we came along,and have hit upon a plan which might serve us. Let us tell anyone withwhom we come in contact that we have been in the service of the'Sirkal,' or the Government, but that we are tired of them, and havedecided to throw in our lot with the Mullah. The fact that I do notspeak the language will not matter greatly, for, you see, I can be putdown as from Aden, where all sorts of nationalities are to be found. ButI shall contrive on all occasions to keep my mouth closed."
"It sounds well," answered Tom thoughtfully; "but what about our men?Knowing that we are Englishmen, they will quickly spread the newsabroad, so that everyone will know."
"Much depends upon Ali Kumar," replied Jim decisively. "If he has toldthem that they are in the employ of Englishmen, a portion of my planwill fall through, but otherwise, we shall adhere to it, if you areagreeable."
"Perfectly! And now let us push on."
Accordingly, walking side by side, and taking no notice of those whomthey occasionally passed, save that Tom returned their salutation, thetwo pressed on, and passed rapidly through the Arab town. Then they boreto the left, and within half an hour came in sight of a zareba. By nowa small crescent of the moon had risen in the sky, and its light enabledthem to see that some sixty camels lay stretched upon the ground, whileclose at hand were other smaller figures, the followers who had beenengaged to accompany them into the interior. Standing in a listeningattitude, a few paces away, was a tall man, dressed in white robes. Hebore a lantern in his hand, and every now and again lifted it so as tothrow the light farther afield, as if he were expecting someone.Suddenly he had heard Jim and Tom advancing, and recognizing them, eventhough they were disguised, he came towards them, salaaming deeply.
"Welcome, my masters," he said eagerly. "I am Ali Kumar, and I waswarned to be ready for your coming. Here is the camp, with thirty menlying there sleeping, but prepared to march at any moment. Give yourorders, and I will see that they are obeyed."
Again he salaamed, and, lifting his lantern, looked long and closelyinto Jim's face, as if he were anxious to ascertain what sort of lad hewas to follow.
"Good!" he exclaimed at length. "You are young, full young for thisenterprise, but you are brave--that I can plainly see in your eyes. Andhow could you be otherwise, for no one who was not possessed of couragecould go upon this expedition, even for the sake of his father."
"Have you heard news of him?" asked Jim eagerly, taking no notice of hisremarks.
"None," was the answer. "I have but lately arrived, and know little morethan I did a week ago. But to-morrow, when we meet the man who saw yourfather, we shall obtain all the information that is possible. Is it yourwish that we march at once?"
"Yes; for the sooner we are off the better I shall be pleased. Do youknow the direction to take? We are informed that there are wells withintwenty miles of here, where we ought to halt."
"I can follow the road in the dark as surely as in broad daylight," wasthe reassuring answer. "Stay here, masters, and I will send camels toyou. You could have had horses, had the saddles arrived, but at presentwe have not received them."
Leaving the lantern with Jim and his companion, Ali Kumar went across tothe sleeping men and gave a quick order. Then he returned leading twoenormous camels, which grunted and grumbled at being disturbed, as onlyanimals of that class can.
"Keep a strict watch upon their heads," said Ali, in warning tones toJim, "for these beasts are as treacherous as the followers of theMullah, and love nothing better than to seize with their teeth anyonewho may be passing. Then, too, they will kick out with their feet whenpeople pass too close behind them. I have seen more than one man killedin that way. Hau! Lie down!"
He shouted the words in the native tongue, and at once, obedient to thecommand, but still giving vent to extraordinary grunts, the two camelssank to the ground, and waited there to receive their riders.
"Sit sideways," said Ali, taking Jim by the sleeve; for he saw that hisyoung master was wholly unaccustomed to such a steed. "Now put yourright leg round this piece of the saddle which sticks up in front, andhook it there. That is the way; and now you can slip your foot into thestirrup which dangles here, and will feel safe even when the animalbegins to trot."
Jim carefully followed the instructions given to him, and was surprisedto find that, though intensely uncomfortable at first, his seat wassecure, and allowed him to turn freely, and without the fear that he wasabout to fall from the saddle. Having settled himself, and watched Tomtake his place with the ease obtained from long practice, Jim gave theword, and at once, on a sharp command from Ali, the camels rose to theirfeet, swaying w
ildly from side to side as they did so, in a manner whichthreatened to throw their riders to the ground, and groaning in suchloud and guttural tones that one would have thought the effort was asevere one.
Meanwhile the sleeping camp had suddenly awakened into bustling life.Men hurried here and there, and the camels were forced to their feet bya succession of loud shouts, and often, too, by means of the freeapplication of the haft of a spear, for they disliked this suddendisturbance. But at last all were ready, and, at a sign from Ali, thecavalcade streamed off into the night, the animals looking decidedlyghostly in the uncertain light. In twos and threes, and sometimes inbigger groups, they took the direction of the wells, leaving theneighbourhood of Berbera without a soul being the wiser.
"No one will know what has happened to us," said Ali, forcing his beastup to the one which Jim was bestriding. "We have given it out that weare in the service of the Governor, and as it is quite the custom forcamels to be sent on to one of the advance stations up-country withoutwarning, the natives will think that nothing out of the way hashappened."
"But what about the men?" asked Jim. "Do they think that they, too, arehired by the Sirkal?"
"That is the case, master; but I have quietly sounded them, and I havelearnt that they are willing to go anywhere, so long as good pay ispromised them. Half of these followers were with me once before in anexpedition, and I can fully trust them; the remainder are, however,strangers to me. But I think you will find them brave and reliable."
"I want to ask another question," said Jim, as they rode along. "Myfriend and I think that if we go into the interior disguised as we are,we shall arouse no suspicion, and shall have a better chance of evadingthe Mullah. What do you think of the plan? And, is it possible to keepour nationality from the followers?"
Ali Kumar did not answer for some moments, but bent his head upon hisbreast, as if lost in thought. Then he looked across at Jim and shookhis head emphatically.
"No; it is not altogether a good plan, and not a bad," he said. "If youattempt to deceive these men who act as followers, they will certainlydiscover your secret before many days are past, and will think the worseof you for not taking them into your confidence. Besides, some of themen who went with me before already know of your mission. But they areto be fully trusted, as I said. To hoodwink the Mullah and the tribeswith which we happen to come in contact is, however, a ruse whichcarries great weight with it, and I think with you that it will be wellif you and your friend go dressed as you are. If we are questioned, youcan stay in the background while I do the necessary talking, and ifstrangers insist on speaking with you, you can freely admit that you areEnglish, and that you have found it more convenient to travel in theguise of a native.
"That would probably lead to trouble; but, then, you are sure to meetwith some, however cautious you are. And now, master, I will go to thehead of the cavalcade, and will lead them, for, though the moon isbright, it is easy to lose the way at night."
Salaaming to Jim and Tom, he spurred his camel forward with his heel,and was not seen again till the following morning. Just as day wasbreaking he came to the rear again, and reported that the wells were athand, and that the camels and men were already settling in the camp.
"And now, if the masters are ready, we shall ride on to the village ofwhich you have heard. It is only an hour from here, so that we shall beback before the sun is overhead."
"We are ready. Show us the way," answered Jim promptly; "and let us hopethat this fellow will have good news for us."
Accordingly, waiting for one minute to watch their followers, who werepreparing to water their beasts, they turned their faces towards theeast, and, with the sun striking full into their eyes, pushed on throughbeautifully green country, dotted in all directions by trees. This was,indeed, a small oasis, surrounding the wells, which, by the manyfootprints that could be seen indenting the ground, was evidentlyfrequented by numerous animals, which, no doubt, came there to obtainwater. Farther on, however, as they increased their distance from thecamp, the stretches of closely cropped grass gave place to aninterminable sandy waste, devoid of all vegetation, and obstructed hereand there by enormous dunes of glistening sand, which had been built upby the wind. An hour's ride brought them to a tiny village, and soonthey were conversing with the man who had given the information ofColonel Hubbard's capture. But he had no further news.
"It chanced that a beast of mine had strayed from its feeding-ground,"he said, "so that, mounting my pony, I rode into the desert, hoping todiscover it. Suddenly I saw a group of tents beyond me with armed menabout, and caution prompted me to watch ere I approached them. It wasnot long before I had every reason to congratulate myself upon my care,for they proved to be a marauding expedition sent down to the coast bythe Mullah. As I lay behind a hill of sand, keeping my eyes upon them, Iobserved a man struggling wearily towards the shore, through the surfwhich was breaking heavily upon it. Creeping nearer, I watched him, andsoon made out that he was a white man. Then, as I was about to runforward to warn him, the Somali warriors suddenly espied him, and,shouting to one another, galloped in his direction. For three hours Iwatched, and saw the camp break up and the expedition ride away withtheir prisoner, and then I learned by questioning a follower who hadbeen left behind, having broken a leg, that the prisoner was a colonel,as you speak of the leaders of your soldiers. More than that, I do notknow, save his looks, which I will describe to you."
The native then gave a description of the appearance of the Mullah'sprisoner, and as Jim listened with all his ears, any doubt that he mightstill have had as to the identity of the man who had reached the shorewas set definitely at rest, for it was beyond question that it was hisfather. Having assured himself that no further information was to beobtained, he made the man a handsome present, and then the party turnedabout, and retraced their steps towards the camp. On the following daythey pushed farther along the coast, and, when the next morning dawned,had the satisfaction of observing a dhow beating in for the shore. Itproved to be the one which they were expecting, and before the day hadpassed she had safely discharged her cargo.
"And now to begin our work in earnest," said Jim, surveying thepiled-up baggage. "I propose that we issue rifles at once to those whocan use them, and that we give them a preliminary training. That done,we'll appoint certain of the men to act as scouts, while others will bein charge of the baggage-camels. I should say that if we march with fivemen thrown well forward and on the flanks, and another five in the rear,we ought to feel secure from a sudden rush. What do you think, Tom?"
"That the plan is an excellent one, old boy, and shows that you haveyour wits about you. As an additional precaution, I suggest that one orother of us should always ride with these scouts, Ali Kumar accompanyingthe one who goes in front, for it is from that direction that danger isto be expected. Then, I think that we ought to make up our minds whataction we are to take should we be suddenly attacked. You see, itwouldn't do to be thrown into confusion and have these followers of oursfiring wildly in all directions."
"Quite so, Tom, and for that purpose I propose a preliminary training.We've a couple of hours of daylight left, and we know that there is noone to watch our movements, for Ali Kumar posted half a dozen of our menthis morning right away on the hills over there. Let us give the orderto strike camp; and, by the way, what about mounts for ourselves?"
"For the purpose of the march we shall find ponies far more useful thancamels," answered Tom promptly; "for the ponies can carry one at a swiftgallop for a few miles, and will enable us to keep easily in touch withour front and rear guards. For longer stretches, however, for instancewhen we desire to reach quickly a spot some twenty miles away and returnwith equal despatch, the camels will prove most valuable, for, once fedand watered, they will go on for hours at a steady swinging pace, whichsoon gets over the distance. No wonder they are called 'ships of thedesert,' for, with their extraordinary powers, their spider-like legs,and their broad, soft feet, they are eminently fitted for such acountry. But can
you ride, Jim?"
"I've been on a horse several times in my life, Tom, but I can't saythat I ever felt very comfortable. But if it is necessary to ride, Iwill learn, whatever it costs me."
"Then we'll give orders for a couple of the ponies to be saddled andbridled," said Tom, "and for the camp to move on."
Accordingly they called for Ali Kumar, and directed him to see thebaggage loaded. Then, for half an hour, they toiled with theirfollowers, struggling in the midst of a group of recumbent camels,busily lashing burdens on the animals' backs. That done, all the nativeswere gathered together, and fifteen of them, who professed to be able touse the rifle, were supplied with weapons, the remainder continuing tocarry swords and spears only. Then ten of those who were provided withfirearms were mounted upon the best ponies, and given strict orders asto their behaviour.
"They are terribly excitable people, these Somali races," said Tom, "andI have often been told that when employed as scouts they are continuallygiving the alarm. Perhaps they see a buck in the distance, or the peakof a mountain comes into their line of vision, and at once, turningabout, they gallop furiously back to the column behind them, shouting atthe top of their voices, and waving their weapons above their heads.Then they pull up in a matter of two yards, and express theirastonishment at finding a hasty zareba formed, and preparations alreadymade for an attack. It is all done to show off, for they are just likechildren, and love to attract attention to themselves. But as we cannotafford to be in a condition of constant alarm, we had better warn themthat they will meet with our displeasure if they behave in such a way."
Tom's words were communicated to Ali Kumar, who, with Jim beside him, atonce began to address the followers, impressing their duties upon them,and making them repeat the instructions. Then they were dismissed, andat once mounted, the men who were to look after the camels clamberinginto their seats. At this moment three spirited-looking native ponieswere brought forward for the use of the leaders of the party. Givingthem a hasty inspection, and pausing for a moment to see that thestirrup-leathers were of the right length, Jim selected the one nearestto him, and at once proceeded to mount.
"Hold the reins like this," said Tom, coming to his side so as to showhim. "Now, while you grip them with your left hand, catch up a wisp ofthe mane with your right, and twist it round the spare fingers of yourleft. That's the way. Now put your foot in the stirrup, and up you go!"
Following these instructions carefully, for hitherto he had had verylittle acquaintance with horses, Jim was quickly seated in the saddle,and feeling the opposite stirrup dangling beside his sandal, thrust hisfoot into it. Meanwhile the pony had made no objection, but had stoodthere, with ears thrown back, and eyes cast suspiciously at his newmaster. Then, probably realizing that he had a more or less new hand todeal with, he gave vent to a loud squeal of anger, and started away witha bound which almost shook Jim from his seat.
"Keep his head up, and your knees well pressed into the saddle!" sangout Tom. "Now, watch him, for he's going to play a trick upon you."
That this was the case was quickly evident, for, finding that his firstefforts to dislodge his rider were unsuccessful, the pony went off at afurious gallop, kicking his legs high in the air as he did so. Then,when in the very midst of the loaded camels, he suddenly ducked his headbetween his forelegs, and, arching his back, sprang high into the air.It was a fatal movement for Jim, who at once shot forward into space,and, turning as he went, landed full upon the broad of his back. In amoment he was on his feet again, gasping for breath, but determined notto be beaten. Fortunately he had been thrown upon a sandy patch, andthough shaken considerably, he was by no means hurt. As for the pony,now that it had accomplished its purpose, it stood there unconcernedly,as if it were incapable of such behaviour. Jim at once walked up to it,and gathering the reins in his hand as Tom had shown him, thrust hissandalled foot into the stirrup, and was in the saddle again in atwinkling.
"Well done!" shouted Tom; while the natives, who were all looking on inthe most interested manner, gave vent to exclamations of approval. "Welldone! Stick to him like a leech, and show him that you mean to be hismaster!"
"I will, even if I'm thrown twenty times," answered Jim, setting histeeth, and sitting down closer to his saddle. "Now then! On you go!"
The animal needed no second bidding, and at once set off at a rapidpace. But this time, when it attempted to go through the old movementwhich had proved so successful, Jim gave a sharp jerk to the reins, andkept its head well up. Again it made the attempt, but without success,and then, unable to get rid of its rider by means of bucking, thespirited pony suddenly darted to one side, and Jim, losing his balance,was deposited upon the ground once more. Four times in succession was hethrown, but in every case he clambered into his seat again, and finally,after the animal had bolted with him at its topmost speed for a mile ormore, he managed to quiet it down by patting it upon the neck, andtalking to it in a soothing voice. Then he turned it about, and with thebeast well in hand this time, came trotting back into the camp, withflushed face and dusty garments, but triumphant and elated. As he didso, Tom gave vent to a cheer, while the natives hammered theirspear-heads loudly upon their shields in approbation.
"You have done well, master," said Ali Kumar, coming forward as Jimdismounted in their midst. "These men already know that you are anEnglishman, and that you are their leader. They have been waiting tolearn what manner of man you are, and whether you are bold enough toride into the Mullah's country. It was easy to see that you were nogreat horseman, and, believe me, your courage in mounting again andagain, and in laughing at your falls, has raised you high in theirestimation. They will now obey your words far more willingly than theywould otherwise have done. But we are ready; shall we move on?"
Jim agreed with a wave of his hand, and at once the cavalcade was set inmotion. Forty of the camels, which were laden with every variety of baleand box, marched in the centre, while close behind them came twentyothers, which could be relied upon to trot for many hours together, allroped to one another. Near them were the followers who were not to actas scouts, keeping an eye upon them lest they should attempt to stray,and prepared to make secure any bundle which showed signs of breakingloose. Spread out like a fan, a mile ahead, were five well-mounted men,while a similar number stood by their horses at the camping-ground,waiting until the column moved well away. And in this order, with Jimand Ali Kumar walking their ponies in company with the front guard, andTom with the rear, they pushed on in a southerly direction, their facesturned towards a distant hazy blue line which showed the position of therange of hills they would have to cross before reaching the highlands,and the broad stretch of desert which intervened between themselves andthe Mullah's country.
Jim was in the highest spirits, and delighted to feel that at last thesearch for his father had begun. For a time he rode beside Ali Kumar,conversing with him, and then he trotted back towards the camels. Havingassured himself that all was well with them, he was about to return tohis post, when suddenly one of the scouts, stationed away on the flank,came galloping towards him at top speed, shouting and wavingfrantically. At the same moment, catching sight of him, the other scoutsretired upon their centre.
"Probably a false alarm," Jim told himself; "but I shall take everyprecaution. Down!" he shouted, signalling to the followers to stop thecamels. Then, remembering the native word used on such an occasion, herepeated it loudly.
Collecting their beasts together, the men quickly had them lying uponthe ground. Then, obedient to Jim's signs, they left two of their numberto guard them, and separating, ran forward some fifty yards. There theyhalted, and knelt upon the ground, ready for anything that might turnup. A few minutes later Ali Kumar and the scouts joined them, and theformer at once sharply interrogated the man who had given the alarm.
"What did you see?" he asked.
"A group of camels three miles to the right," was the answer. "As far asI could see, they were browsing quietly, and had no attendants."
; The words were interpreted to Jim, who immediately gave orders for thecolumn to move on again.
"We'll send a couple of our scouts over in that direction," he said toAli Kumar, "and you must tell them that they are to ride near enough tobe able to obtain full information, without themselves being seen. Letall these fellows know at the same time that they are to investigateanything which may turn up within a reasonable distance, and that theyare not, on any account, to come galloping back until they are sure thatthere is real danger. Let us have a signal in a case like that, so thatall may understand."
"That is a first-rate idea," cried Tom, who had been listening to theconversation. "If we are certain of danger, we need not fear making anoise, and, therefore, it would be as well to fire a rifle. A shot outhere, in this atmosphere, will be heard for a couple of miles, and willgive due warning to all of our men. Immediately they hear it, they canturn and gallop back to the centre."
Ali Kumar gathered the scouts about him for the second time, and, havingagain impressed the caution upon them, despatched them to take up theirposts. Then the camels were ordered to rise, and once more the columntook the road. Shortly after darkness fell a bright moon climbed intothe sky, and, aided by its light, they kept on steadily. At nine o'clockthey halted, and at once the followers were sent to cut thorn-bushes,which grew in profusion everywhere. With these a thick wall, or zareba,was formed about the camels, which meanwhile had been relieved of theirburdens. A second hedge was constructed near at hand, and in this thetwo young leaders and their following took their places. Very soon afire was burning brightly, and an hour later they were all seated attheir evening meal.
Two days passed uneventfully, and then, one evening, as the columnrested at the foot of the hills, Ali Kumar slipped away from hiscompanions, who were already fast asleep, except for the few who werestationed some fifty paces off as sentries, and creeping to Jim's side,touched him gently upon the shoulder.
"Hush, master!" he whispered. "Awake, and listen, for I have news oftreachery for you. Within an hour, at any moment, indeed, we may beattacked, for I have discovered that one of our followers, who was astranger to me until a few days ago, has been in conversation with somewandering natives, and has even now stolen away from the zareba so as tojoin them and lead them to the attack."