distant serrated crests of the mountains of Nanagamma loomed forthlike giant shadows; but as nothing broke the appalling stillness, I, amere tribesman then, sped forward again, reaching a small oasis, where Imade my camel kneel, and then dismounted.
As I strode towards the lonely shrine of Sidi Okbar--a small doomedbuilding constructed of sun-dried mud, under which reposed the remainsof one of our most venerated marabouts--I fear my burnouse was brown,ragged, and travel-stained; the haick that surrounded my face was tornand soiled, and upon my feet were rough, heavy slippers, sadly the worsefor wear. The latter, however, I kicked off on approaching the shrine;then, kneeling close to the sun-blanched wall, cast sand upon myself,kissed the earth, and, drawing my palms down my face, repeated theTestification. In fervent supplication I bowed repeatedly, and, raisingmy voice until it sounded distinct on the still air, invoked theblessing of Allah.
"O Merciful! O beneficent Grantor of Requests!" I cried; "O King ofthe day of Faith, guide us, ere to-morrow's sun hath run its course,into the path that is straight, and leadeth unto the _kasbah_ of ourenemies of Abea. Strengthen our arms, lead us in times of darkness andin the hours of day, destroy our enemies, and let them writhe inAl-Hawiyat, the place prepared for infidels, where their meat shall bevenomous serpents, and they shall slake their thirst with boilingpitch."
Startled suddenly by a strange sound, I listened with bated breath. Thethought occurred to me that my words might have been overheard by somespy, and instinctively my hand drew from my belt my _jambiyah_, thelong, crooked dagger that I always carried. Again a noise like adeep-drawn sigh broke the silence, and I sprang to my feet and rushedround to the opposite side of the building, just in time to see afluttering white robe disappearing in the gloom. Quick as lightning Isprang towards it, and in twenty paces had overtaken the eavesdropper,who, with a slight scream, fell to earth beneath my heavy hand.
"Rise!" I cried, roughly dragging the figure to its feet. "Thou son ofEblis!" Next second, however, I discovered that the fugitive was awoman, veiled, enshrouded in her haick, and wearing those baggy whitetrousers that render the Arab females hideous when out of doors.
"Thou hast overheard my orison," I cried, raising my knife. "Speak!speak! or of a verity will I strike!"
But the mysterious woman uttered no word, and in a frenzy of desperationI tore the veil from her face.
Aghast I stood; the knife fell from my lingers. The countenancerevealed was amazingly beautiful, so charming, indeed, that instantly Ibecame entranced by its loveliness, and stood speechless and abashed.
She was not more than eighteen, and her features were regular, with afair complexion, a pair of brilliant dark eyes set well apart underbrowns blackened by kohl, and a forehead half-hidden by strings ofgolden sequins that tinkled musically each time she moved. Upon herhead was set jauntily a little scarlet _chachia_, trimmed heavily withseed-pearls, while her neck was encircled by strings of roughly-cutjacinths and turquoises, and in the folds of her silken haick thereclung the subtle perfumes of the harem.
Slowly she lifted her fine eyes, still wet with tears, to mine, and,with her breast rising and falling quickly, trembled before me, fearingmy wrath.
"Loosen thy tongue's strings!" I cried at last, grasping her slim whitewrist with my rough, hard hand. "Thou art from Afo, the City in theSky, and thou hast gained knowledge of our intended attack?"
"Thy lips, O stranger, speak the truth," she faltered.
"Why art thou here, and alone, so far from thine home on the crest ofyonder peak?" I inquired, gazing at her in wonderment.
"I came hither for the same purpose as thyself," she answered seriously,looking straight into my face,--"to crave Allah's blessing."
"Art thou a dweller in the house of grief?" I asked. "Tell me why thoudidst venture here alone."
She hesitated, toying nervously with the jewelled perfume-bottlesuspended at her breast; then she answered, "I--I am betrothed to a manI hate. The Merciful Giver of Blessings alone can rescue me from a fatethat is worse than death--a marriage without love."
"And who is forcing thee into this hateful union? If it is thy father,tell me his name?"
"Yes, it is my father. His name is Abd el Jelil ben Sef e' Nasr, Sultanof Abea."
"The Sultan!" I cried in amazement. "Then thou art Kheira!" I added,for the extraordinary beauty of the only daughter of the Sultan of Abeawas proverbial throughout the Great Desert, from Lake Tsad, even to theAtlas.
"Yes," she replied. "And from thy speech and dress I know thou art ofthe Azjar, our deadliest enemies."
"True," I answered. "To-morrow my tribe, to the number of ten thousand,now lying concealed in the valley called Deforou, will swarm upon thineimpregnable city and--"
"Ten thousand?" she gasped, pale and agitated. "And thou wilt kill myfather, and reduce our people to slavery. Ah, no!" she addedimploringly. "Save us, O stranger! Our fighting men went south onemoon ago to collect the taxes at Dehagada, therefore we are unprotected.What can I do--how can I act to save my father?"
"Dost thou desire to save him, even though he would force upon thee thisodious marriage?"
"I do," she cried. "I--I will save the City in the Sky at the cost ofmine own life."
"To whom art thou betrothed," I asked, tenderly taking her hand.
"To the Agha Hassan e Rawi, who dwelleth at Zongra, beyond theNanagamma. He is threescore years and ten, and 'tis said he treatethhis wives with inhuman cruelty. One of his slaves told me so."
I stood silent and thoughtful. Though I was a member of a tribe whoexisted wholly upon loot obtained from the caravans and towns weattacked, yet so earnestly did the Sultan's daughter appeal, that allthought of preserving the secret of our intended attack by murdering herdisappeared, and I found myself deeply in love. Mine was a poor chance,however, I told myself. The proud Sultan of Abea would never consent toa brigand as a son-in-law, even if she looked upon me with favour.
"To-night, O Daughter of the Sun, we meet as friends; to-morrow asenemies," I said. "Our spies have reported that thy city remainethundefended, and, alas! there is a blood-feud between my people andthine; therefore, when the hosts of the Azjar enter with fire and sword,few, I fear, will be spared. Wilt thou not remain here with mytribesmen, and escape?"
"No," she answered proudly. "I am a woman of Afo, and I will returnunto my people, even though I fall before to-morrow's sundown under thymerciless swords."
As she spoke, one hand rested upon her supple hip, and with the othershe pointed to the high, shadowy peak whereon stood the great whitestronghold known to the Kanouri people as The City in the Sky.
"But thou, who art like a sun among the stars, knowest our plans, and itis my duty to kill thee," I said, hitching my burnouse about myshoulders.
"I am in thine hands. If thou stainest them with my blood, thou wiltever have upon thy conscience the remembrance that thou hast taken thelife of one who was innocent of intrigue. If thou givest me freedom, Ishall have at least one brief hour of felicity with my people before--before--"
And she sighed, without concluding the sentence.
"Thou, a fresh rose from the fountain-head of life, art in fear of adouble fate,--the downfall of to-morrow, and the marriage feast nextmoon. Let not thy mind be troubled, for I stretch not forth the tongueto blame," I said at last, endeavouring to smile. "In Ahamadou, of thetribe Azjar, thou hast a devoted friend, and one who may peradventureassist thee in a manner thou hast not dreamed. Therefore mount thinehorse and return with all speed to Afo--not, however, before thou hastgiven me some little souvenir of this strange meeting."
"Thou slakest my thirst with the beverage of kindness!" she cried injoy. "I knew when first I saw thee that thou wert my friend."
"Friend?--nay, lover," I answered gallantly, as, taking her tiny handagain, I pressed her henna-stained nails softly to my lips. She blushedand tried to draw away, but I held her firmly until she withdrew one ofher gold bangles from her wrist, and, with a smile, placed it upon min
e.
"Behold!" she exclaimed with a merry, rippling laugh, "it is thy badgeof servitude to me!"
"I am a slave of the most handsome mistress in the world," I saidhappily. Then, urging her to warn the Sultan of the intentions of theAzjar, I kissed her once tenderly upon the lips, lifted her into thesaddle of her gaily caparisoned horse, and then she twisted her tornveil about her face, and, giving me "Peace," sped away swift as an arrowinto the darkness, bearing intelligence that would cause the utmostsensation in the mountain fastness.
"I love her," I murmured, when the sound of her horse's hoofs had diedaway. "But how can I save her? To-morrow,