XLIX
The boy Mohammed was proud and very happy. He had not been in amotor-car, for he had not got to Touggourt; but it was glorious to havetravelled far north, almost out of the dunes, and not only to have seengiant women in short skirts with bare legs, but not to be afraid ofthem, as the grown-up Arabs were. The giant women were Hamish and Angus,and it was a great thing to know them, and to be able to explain them tohis father's men from the Zaouia.
He was a handsome little fellow, with a face no darker than old ivory,and heavily lashed, expressive eyes, like those which looked over themarabout's mask. His dress was that of a miniature man; a white silkburnous, embroidered with gold, over a pale blue vest, stitched in manycolours; a splendid red cloak, whose embroidery of stiff gold stood outlike a bas-relief; a turban and chechia of thin white muslin; andred-legged boots finer than those of the Spahis. Though he was buteleven years old, and had travelled hard for days, he sat his horse witha princely air, worthy the son of a desert potentate; and like a princehe received the homage of the marabout's men who rushed to him withguttural cries, kissing the toes of his boots, in their short stirrups,and fighting for an end of his cloak to touch with their lips. He didnot know that he had been "kidnapped." His impression was that he haddeigned to favour a rather agreeable Roumi with his company. Now he wasreturning to his own people, and would bid his Roumi friend good-byewith the cordiality of one gentleman to another, though with a certainroyal condescension fitted to the difference in their positions.
Nevill was in wild spirits, though pale with heat and fatigue. He hadnothing to say of himself, but much of his aunt and of the boy Mohammed."Ripping little chap," he exclaimed, when Saidee had gone indoors. "Younever saw such pluck. He'd die sooner than admit he was tired. I shallbe quite sorry to part from him. He was jolly good company, a sort ofliving book of Arab history. And what do you say to our surprise,--thetwins? My aunt sent them off at the same time with the telegram, but ofcourse they put in an appearance much later. They caught me up thismorning, riding like devils on racing camels, with one guide. No horsescould be got big enough for them. They've frightened every Arab they'vemet--but they're used to that and vain of it. They've got rifles--andbagpipes too, for all I know. They're capable of them."
"I can't tell you how glad I am to see you, Wings," said Stephen, "andonly a little less glad to see those big fellows with their bravefaces." Then he mentioned to Nevill the apparition of that mysteriouscaravan which had appeared, and vanished. Also he described thebehaviour of the Zaouia men when they had looked south, instead ofnorth.
"Oh, that's all right, I'll bet," exclaimed Nevill, exuberant with thejoy of success, and in the hope of coolness, food and rest. "Might havebeen any old caravan, on its own business--nothing to do with us. That'sthe most likely thing. But if the marabout's mixed up with it, I shouldsay it's only because he couldn't bear to stop at home and wait insuspense, and I don't blame him, now I've made acquaintance with thekid. He'd be too proud to parade his anxiety under our noses, but wouldlurk in the distance, out of our sight, he probably flatters himself, towelcome his son, and take him back to Oued Tolga. Not unnatural--and inspite of all, I can't help being a little sorry for the man. We'vehumiliated and got the better of him, because we happen to have hissecret. It's a bit like draining a chap's blood, and then challenginghim to fight. He's got all he can expect now, in receiving the childback and if I can judge him by myself, he'll be so happy, that he'll beonly too thankful to see our backs for the last time."
"He might feel safer to stick a knife in them."
"Oh, lord, I'm too hot to worry!" laughed Nevill. "Let's bid the boyGodspeed, or the Mussulman equivalent, which is a lot more elaborate,and then turn our thoughts to a bath of sorts and a dinner of sorts. Ithink Providence has been good to us so far, and we can afford to trustIt. I'm sure Miss Ray would agree with me there." And Nevill glancedwith kind blue eyes toward the shut door behind which Victoria haddisappeared with her sister.
When at last the little Mohammed had been despatched with great ceremonyof politeness, as well as a present of Stephen's gold watch, the twoEnglishmen watched him fade out of sight with his cavalcade of men fromthe Zaouia, and saw that nothing moved in the southern distance.
"All's right with the world, and now for a wash and food!" cried Nevill,turning in with a sigh of relief at the gate of the bordj. "But oh, bythe way--Hamish has got a letter for you--or is it Angus? Anyhow, it'sfrom my fairy aunt, which I would envy you, if she hadn't sent me onsomething better--a post-card from Tlemcen. My tyrant goddess thinksletters likely to give undue encouragement, but once in a while shesheds the light of a post-card on me. Small favours thankfullyreceived--from that source!"
Inside the courtyard, the Highlanders were watching the three Arabs whohad travelled with them and their master, attending to the horses andcamels. These newcomers were being shown the ropes by the one servant ofthe bordj, Stephen's men helping with grave good-nature. They all seemedvery friendly together, as is the way of Arabs, unless they inhabitrival districts.
Hamish had the letter, and gave it to Stephen, who retired a few stepsto read it, and Nevill, seeing that the twins left all work to theArabs, ordered them to put his luggage into the musty-smelling roomwhich he was to share with Stephen, and to get him some kind of bath, ifit were only a tin pan.
Stephen did not listen to these directions, nor did he hear or seeanything that went on in the courtyard, for the next ten minutes. Therewas, indeed, a short and characteristic letter from Lady MacGregor, butit was only to say that she had finished and named the new game ofPatience for Victoria Ray, and that, after all, she enclosed him atelegram, forwarded from Algiers to Touggourt. "I know Nevill told methat everything could wait till you got back," she explained, "but as Iam sending the twins, they might as well take this. It may be ofimportance; and I'm afraid by the time you get it, the news will beseveral days old already."
He guessed, before he looked, whence the telegram came; and he dreadedto make sure. For an instant, he was tempted to put the folded bit ofpaper in his pocket, unread until Touggourt, or even Biskra. "Whyshouldn't I keep these few days unspoiled by thoughts of what's to come,since they're the only happy days I shall ever have?" he asked himself.But it would be weak to put off the evil moment, and he would not yield.He opened the telegram.
"Sailing on Virginian. Hope you can meet me Liverpool May 22nd. Love and longing. Margot."
To-day was the 25th.
* * * * * * *
When he looked up, the courtyard was empty, and quiet, save for thequacking of two or three forlorn ducks. Nevill had gone inside, and theHighlanders were waiting upon him, no doubt--for Nevill liked a gooddeal of waiting upon. The Arabs had left the animals peacefully feeding,and had disappeared into the kitchen, or perhaps to have a last look atthe vanishing escort of the marabout's sacred son.
Stephen was suddenly conscious of fatigue, and a depression as of greatweariness. He envied Nevill, whose boyish laugh he heard. The girlNevill loved had refused to marry him, but she smiled when she saw him,and sent him post-cards when he was absent. There was hope for Nevill.For him there was none; although--and it was as if a fierce hand seizedand wrenched his heart--sometimes it had seemed, in the last few hours,that in Victoria Ray's smile for him there was the same lovely,mysterious light which made the eyes of Josette Soubise wonderful whenshe looked at Nevill. If it were not for Margot--but there was no usethinking of that. He could not ask Margot to set him free, after allthat had passed, and even if he should ask, she would refuse. Shudderingdisgustfully, the thought of a new family scandal shot through his mind:a breach-of-promise case begun by Margot against him, if he tried toescape. It was the sort of thing she would do, he could not helprecognizing. Another _cause celebre_, more vulgar than the fight for hisbrother's title! How Victoria would turn in shocked revulsion from thehero of such a coarse tragi-comedy. But he would never be that hero. Hewould keep his word and stick to
Margot. When he should come to thedesert telegraph station between Toudja and Touggourt, he would wire tothe Carlton, where she thought of returning, and explain as well as hecould that, not expecting her quite yet, he had stayed on in Africa, butwould see her as soon as possible.
"Better hurry up and get ready for dinner!" shouted Nevill, through acrack of their bedroom door. "I warn you, I'm starving!"
By this time the Highlanders were out in the courtyard again--twogigantic figures, grotesque and even fearful in the eyes of Arabs; butthere were no Arabs to stare at them now. All had gone about theirbusiness in one direction or other.
Stephen said nothing to his friend about the enclosure in LadyMacGregor's letter, mentioning merely the new game of cards named inhonour of Miss Ray, at which they both laughed. And it seemed ratherodd to Stephen just then, to hear himself laugh.
The quick-falling twilight had now given sudden coolness and peace tothe desert. The flies had ceased their persecutions. The whole air wasblue as the light seen through a pale star-sapphire, for the western skywas veiled with a film of cloud floating up out of the sunset like thesmoke of its fire, and there was no glow of red.
As the two friends made themselves ready for dinner, and talked of suchadventures as each had just passed through, they heard the voice of thelandlord, impatiently calling, "Abdallah! Abdallah!"
There was no reply, and again he roared the name of his servant, fromthe kitchen and from the courtyard, into which he rushed with a hugeladle in his hand; then from farther off, outside the gate, whichremained wide open. Still there came no answer; and presently Stephen,looking from his bedroom, saw the Frenchman, hot and red-faced, slowlycrossing the courtyard, mumbling to himself.
Nevill had not quite finished his toilet, for he had a kind of boyishvanity, and wished to show how well and smart he could look after thelong, tiresome journey. But Stephen was ready, and he stepped out,closing the door behind him.
"Can't you find your servant?" he asked the keeper of the bordj.
"No," said the man, adding some epithets singularly unflattering to theabsent one and his ancestors. "He has vanished as if his father, thedevil, had dragged him down to hell."
"Where are the others?" inquired Stephen. "My men and my friend's men?Are they still standing outside the gates, watching the boy and hiscaravan?"
"I saw them nowhere," returned the Frenchman. "It is bad enough to keepone Arab in order. I do not run after others. Would that the wholenation might die like flies in a frost! I hate them. What am I to dofor my dinner, and ladies in the bordj for the first time? It is just myluck. I cannot leave the kitchen, and that brute Abdallah has not laidthe table! When I catch him I will wring his neck as if he were a hen."
He trotted back to the kitchen, swearing, and an instant later he wasvisible through the open door, drinking something out of a bottle.
Stephen went to the door of the third and last guest-room of the bordj.It was larger than the others, and had no furniture except a number ofthick blue and red rugs spread one on top of the other, on the floor.This was the place where those who paid least were accommodated, eightor ten at a time if necessary; and it was expected that Hamish and Anguswould have to share the room with the Arab guides of both parties.
Stephen looked in at the twins, as they scornfully inspected theirquarters.
"Where are the Arabs?" he asked, as he had asked the landlord.
"We dinna ken whaur they've ta'en theirsel's," replied Angus. "All weken is, we wull not lie in the hoose wi' 'em. Her leddyship wadna expectit, whateffer. We prefair t' sleep in th' open."
Stephen retired from the argument, and mounted a steep, rough stairway,close to the gate, which led to the flat top of the wall, and hadformerly been connected by a platform with the ruined heliograph tower.The wall was perhaps two feet thick, and though the top was rough andsomewhat broken, it was easy to walk upon it. Once it had been defendedby a row of nails and bits of glass, but most of these were gone. It wasan ancient bordj, and many years of peace had passed since it was builtin the old days of raids and razzias.
Stephen looked out over the desert, through the blue veil of twilight,but could see no sign of life anywhere. Then, coming down, he mountedinto each squat tower in turn, and peered out, so that he might spy inall directions, but there was nothing to spy save the shadowy dunes,more than ever like waves of the sea, in this violet light. He was notreassured, however, by the appearance of a vast peace and emptiness.Behind those billowing dunes that surged away toward the horizon, north,south, east, and west, there was hiding-place for an army.
As he came down from the last of the four towers, his friend saunteredout from his bedroom. "I hope the missing Abdallah's turned up, anddinner's ready," said Nevill gaily.
Then Stephen told him what had happened, and Nevill's cheerful facesettled into gravity.
"Looks as if they'd got a tip from the marabout's men," he said slowly.
"It can be nothing else," Stephen agreed.
"I blame myself for calling the twins inside to help me," said Nevill."If I'd left them to moon about the courtyard, they'd have seen thosesneaks creeping away, and reported."
"They wouldn't have thought it strange that the Arabs stood outside,watching the boy go. You're not to blame, because you didn't see the slylook in my fellows' faces. I had the sign, and neglected it, in spite ofmy resolutions. But after all, if we're in for trouble, I don't knowthat it isn't as well those cowards have taken French leave. If they'dstayed, we'd only have had an enemy inside the gates, as well as out.And that reminds me, we must have the gates shut at once. Thank heavenwe brought those French army rifles and plenty of cartridges fromAlgiers, when we didn't know what we might be in for. Now we _do_ know;and all are likely to come handy. Also our revolvers."
"Thank heaven and my aunt for the twins, too," said Nevill. "They mightbe better servants, but I'll bet on them as fighters. And perhaps younoticed the rifles her 'leddyship' provided them with at Touggourt?"
"I saw the muzzles glitter as they rode along on camel-back," Stephenanswered. "I was glad even then, but now----" He did not need to finishthe sentence. "We'd better have a word with our host," he said.
To reach the dining-room, where the landlord was busy, furiouslyclattering dishes, they had to pass the door of the room occupied by thesisters. It was half open, and as they went by, Victoria came out.
"Please tell me things," she said. "I'm sure you're anxious. When weheard the landlord call his servant and nobody answered, Saidee wasafraid there was something wrong. You know, from the first she thoughtthat her--that Cassim didn't mean to keep his word. Have the Arabs allgone?"
Nevill was silent, to let Stephen take the responsibility. He was notsure whether or no his friend meant to try and hide their anxiety fromthe women. But Stephen answered frankly. "Yes, they've gone. It may bethat nothing will happen, but we're going to shut the gates at once, andmake every possible preparation."
"In case of an attack?"
"Yes. But we have a good place for defence here. It would be somethingto worry about if we were out in the open desert."
"There are five men, counting your Highlanders," said Victoria, turningto Nevill. "I think they are brave, and I know well already what youboth are." Her eyes flashed to Stephen's with a beautiful look, all forhim. "And Saidee and I aren't cowards. Our greatest grief is that we'vebrought you into this danger. It's for our sakes. If it weren't for us,you'd be safe and happy in Algiers."
Both men laughed. "We'd rather be here, thank you," said Stephen. "Ifyou're not frightened, that's all we want. We're as safe as in a fort,and shall enjoy the adventure, if we have any."
"It's like you to say that," Victoria answered. "But there's no usepretending, is there? Cassim will bring a good many men, and SiMaieddine will be with them, I think. They couldn't afford to try, andfail. If they come, they'll have to--make thorough work."
"Yet, on the other hand, they wouldn't want to take too many into theirsecret," Stephen tried to reassure he
r.
"Well, we may soon know," she said. "But what I came out to say, isthis. My sister has two carrier pigeons with her. One has hurt its wingand is no use. But the other is well, and--he comes from Oued Tolga. Notthe Zaouia, but the city. We've been thinking, she and I, since the Arabservant didn't answer, that it would be a good thing to send a letterto--to Captain Sabine, telling him we expected an attack."
"It would be rather a sell if he got the message, and acted on it--andthen nothing happened after all," suggested Nevill.
"I think we'll send the message," said Stephen. "It would be differentif we were all men here, but----"
Victoria turned, and ran back to the open door.
"The pigeon shall go in five minutes," she called over her shoulder.
Stephen and Nevill went to the dining-room.
The landlord was there, drunk, talking to himself. He had broken a dish,and was kicking the fragments under the table. He laughed at first whenthe two Englishmen tried to impress upon him the gravity of thesituation; at last, however, they made him understand that this was nojoke, but deadly earnest. They helped him close and bar the heavy irongates; and as they looked about for material with which to build up abarrier if necessary, they saw the sisters come to the door. Saidee hada pigeon in her hands, and opening them suddenly, she let it go. Itrose, fluttered, circling in the air, and flew southward. Victoria ranup the dilapidated stairway by the gate, to see it go, but already thetiny form was muffled from sight in the blue folds of the twilight.
"In less than two hours it will be at Oued Tolga," the girl cried,coming down the steep steps.
At that instant, far away, there was the dry bark of a gun.
They looked at each other, and said nothing, but the same doubt was inthe minds of all.
It might be that the message would never reach Oued Tolga.
Then another thought flashed into Stephen's brain. He asked himselfwhether it would be possible to climb up into the broken tower. If hecould reach the top, he might be able to call for help if they should behard-pressed; for some years before he had, more for amusement thananything else, taken a commission in a volunteer battalion and amongmany other things which he considered more or less useless, had learnedsignalling. He had not entirely forgotten the accomplishment, and itmight serve him very well now, only--and he looked up critically at thejagged wall--it would be difficult to get into that upper chamber, ashell of which remained. In any case, he would not think of so extreme ameasure, until he was sure that, if he gave an alarm, it would not be afalse one.
"Let's have dinner," said Nevill. "If we have fighting to do, I vote westart with ammunition in our stomachs as well as in our pockets."
Saidee had gone part way up the steps, and was looking over the wall.
"I see something dark, that moves," she said. "It's far away, but I amsure. My eyes haven't been trained in the desert for nothing. It's acaravan--quite a big caravan, and it's coming this way. That's where theshot came from. If they killed the pigeon, or winged it, we're all lost.It would only be childish to hope. We must look our fate in the face.The men will be killed, and I, too. Victoria will be saved, but I thinkshe'd rather die with the rest of us, for Maieddine will take her."
"It's never childish to hope, it seems to me," said Nevill. "This littlefort of ours isn't to be conquered in an hour, or many hours, I assureyou."
"And we have no intention of letting you be killed, or Miss Ray carriedoff, or of dying ourselves, at the hands of a few Arabs," Knight added."Have confidence."
"In our star," Victoria half whispered, looking at Stephen. They bothremembered, and their eyes spoke, in a language they had never usedbefore.
In England, Margot Lorenzi was wondering why Stephen Knight had not cometo meet her, and angrily making up her mind that she would find out thereason.