Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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except Gebhr who remainedwith the camels, and they began to eat cakes of maize, and dried muttonand goats' meat. The children, famished by the long journey, also ate,though at the same time Nell's eyes were closed by sleepiness. But inthe meantime, in the faint light of the fire, appeared dark-skinnedGebhr and with glittering eyes he held up two bright little gloves andasked:
"Whose are these?"
"Mine," answered Nell with a sleepy and tired voice.
"Yours, little viper?" the Sudanese hissed through set teeth. "Then youmark the road so that your father can know where to pursue us."
Saying this, he struck her with a courbash, a terrible Arabian whip,which cuts even the hide of a camel. Nell, though she was wrapped in athick plaid, shrieked from pain and fright, but Gebhr was unable tostrike her a second time, for at that moment Stas leaped like awildcat, butted Gebhr's breast with his head, and afterwards clutchedhim by the throat.
It happened so unexpectedly that the Sudanese fell upon his back andStas on top of him, and both began to roll on the ground. The boy wasexceptionally strong for his age, nevertheless Gebhr soon overcame him.He first pulled his hands from his throat, after which he turned himover with face to the ground and, pressing heavily on his neck with hisfist, he began to lash his back with the courbash.
The shrieks and tears of Nell, who seizing the hand of the savage atthe same time begged him "to forgive" Stas, would not have availed ifIdris had not unexpectedly come to the boy's assistance. He was olderthan Gebhr and from the beginning of the flight from Gharak el-Sultaniall complied with his orders. Now he snatched the courbash from hisbrother's hand and, pushing him away, exclaimed:
"Away, you fool!"
"I'll flog that scorpion!" answered Gebhr, gnashing his teeth.
But at this, Idris seized his cloak at the breast and gazing into hiseyes began to say in a threatening though quiet voice:
"The noble* [* All relatives of the Mahdi were termed "noble."] Fatmaforbade us to do any harm to those children, for they interceded forher--"
"I'll flog him!" iterated Gebhr.
"And I tell you that you shall not raise the courbash at either ofthem. If you do, for every blow, I shall give you ten."
And he began to shake him like a bough of a palm, after which he thuscontinued:
"Those children are the property of Smain and if either of them doesnot reach him alive, the Mahdi himself (May God prolong his daysinfinitely!) would command you to be hung. Do you understand, you fool?"
The name of the Mahdi created such a great impression upon all hisbelievers that Gebhr drooped his head at once and began to repeat as ifwith fear:
"Allah akbar! Allah akbar!"* [* This cry means, "God is great"; butArabs utter it in moments of fear, summoning aid.]
Stas rose, panting and whipped, but felt that if his father could haveseen and heard him at that moment he would have been proud of him, forhe had not only leaped to save Nell, without thinking, but now, thoughthe blows of the courbash burnt him like fire, he did not think of hisown pain but instead began to console and ask the little girl whetherthe blow had injured her.
And afterwards he said:
"Whatever I got, I got, but he will never attack you. Oh, if I only hadsome weapon!"
The little woman entwined his neck with her arms and dampening hischeeks with tears began to assure him that it did not pain her verymuch and that she was crying not from pain but from sorrow for him. Atthis Stas put his lips to her ear and whispered:
"Nell, I swear that, not because he whipped me, but because he struckyou, I shall not forgive him." With that the incident closed.
After a certain time Gebhr and Idris, becoming reconciled, spread outtheir cloaks upon the ground and lay upon them, and Chamis soonfollowed their example. The Bedouins poured out durra for the camels,after which, having mounted two unengaged camels, they rode in thedirection of the Nile. Nell, supporting her head on old Dinah's knee,fell asleep. The fire was dying out and soon could be heard only thegrinding of the durra in the camels' teeth. On high rolled small cloudswhich at times veiled the moon, but the night was clear. Beyond therocks resounded the mournful whining of jackals.
After two hours the Bedouins returned with the camels bearing leatherbags filled with water. Having fed the fire, they sat on the sand andcommenced to eat. Their arrival awoke Stas, who previously had beendozing, as well as Chamis, son of Chadigi, and the two Sudanese. Thenat the camp-fire began the following conversation:
"Can we start?" Idris asked.
"No, because we must rest;--we and our camels."
"Did any one see you?"
"Nobody. We reached the river between two villages. In the distancedogs barked."
"It will be necessary always to go for water at midnight and draw it atdeserted places. Only let us get past the first 'challa' (cataract);beyond that the villages are farther apart and they are more friendlyto the prophet. A pursuing party will undoubtedly follow us."
At this Chamis turned over, with his back up, and resting his face onhis hands said:
"The Mehendes will first wait for the children in El-Fachn during thewhole night and until the following train; later they will go to Fayumand from there to Gharak. Only there will they understand what hashappened and then they will have to return to Medinet to send wordsflying over the copper wire to cities on the Nile and to thecamel-corps which will pursue us. All that will take at least threedays. Therefore we do not need to tire our camels and can peacefully'drink smoke' from pipe-stems."
Saying this, he pulled out a sprig of a rose of Jericho and lit hispipe with it, while Idris began, according to the Arabian habit, tosmack his lips with satisfaction.
"You arranged it well, son of Chadigi," he said, "but it is necessaryfor us to take advantage of the time and to drive during those threedays and nights as far as possible southward. I shall breathe freelyonly when we shall cross the desert between the Nile and Kharga (agreat oasis west of the Nile). God grant that the camels hold out."
"They will hold out," declared one of the Bedouins.
"People also say," interposed Chamis, "that the army of the Mahdi--mayGod prolong his life--has already reached Assuan."
Here Stas, who did not lose a word of this conversation and rememberedalso what Idris had said to Gebhr, rose and said:
"The army of the Mahdi is below Khartum."
"La! La! (no! no!)" Chamis contradicted.
"Don't pay any attention to his words," Stas replied, "for he not onlyhas a dark skin but also a dark brain. Although you bought fresh camelsevery three days and rushed as you have done this day, you would notreach Khartum for a month. And perhaps you do not know that an English,not an Egyptian, army bars the road to you."
These words created a certain impression and Stas, observing this,continued:
"Before you find yourselves between the Nile and the great oasis allthe roads on the desert will be picketed by a line of army sentinels.Words over the copper wire speed quicker than camels. How will you beable to slip through?"
"The desert is wide," answered one of the Bedouins.
"But you must keep close to the Nile."
"We can cross over, and when they seek us on this side we shall be onthe other."
"Words speeding over the copper wire will reach cities and villages onboth banks of the river."
"The Mahdi will send us an angel, who will place a finger on the eyesof the Englishmen and the Turks (Egyptians) and will screen us with hiswings."
"Idris," said Stas, "I do not address Chamis whose head is like anempty gourd, nor Gebhr who is a vile jackal, but you. I already knowthat you want to carry us to the Mahdi and deliver us to Smain. But ifyou are doing this for money, then know that the father of this little'bint' (girl) is richer than all the Sudanese put together."
"And what of it?" interrupted Idris.
"What of it? Return voluntarily and the great Mehendi will not sparemoney for you, nor will my father either."
"But they will give us up to the Government, which
will order us to behung."
"No, Idris. You undoubtedly will hang, but only in case they captureyou in the flight; and that surely will happen. But if you return, nopunishment will be meted out to you, and besides you will be wealthy tothe end of your life. You know that the white people of Europe alwayskeep their word. Now I give you the word for both Mehendes that it willbe as I say."
And Stas in reality was confident that his father and Mr. Rawlinsonwould prefer to fulfil the promise made by him than expose both ofthem, and especially Nell, to the terrible journey and yet moreterrible life among the savage and maddened hordes of the Mahdi.
So with palpitating heart, he waited for the reply of Idris who wasplunged in silence and only