Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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after a long interval said:
"You say that the father of the little 'bint' and yours will give us agreat deal of money?"
"Yes."
"But can all their money open for us the gates of paradise which onlythe blessing of the Mahdi can do?"
"Bismillah!" shouted both Bedouins together with Chamis and Gebhr.
Stas at once lost all hope, for he knew that howsoever much the peoplein the East are greedy and venal, nevertheless when a true Mohammedanviews any matter from the standpoint of faith, there are not anytreasures in the world with which he can be tempted.
Idris, encouraged by the shouts, continued, and evidently not for thepurpose of replying to Stas, but with a view of gaining greater esteemand praise from his companions.
"We have the good fortune not only to belong to that tribe which gavethe holy prophet, but the noble Fatma and her children are hisrelatives and the great Mahdi loves them. If we deliver you and thelittle 'bint' to him, he will exchange you for Fatma and her sons andwill bless us. Know that even the water, in which every morningaccording to the precepts of the Koran he makes his ablutions, healsthe sick and eliminates sins; and think what his blessing canaccomplish!"
"Bismillah!" reiterated the Sudanese and Bedouins.
But Stas, clutching at the last plank for help, said:
"Then take me and let the Bedouins return with the little 'bint' For methey will surrender Fatma and her sons."
"It is yet more certain that they will surrender her for you two."
At this the boy addressed Chamis:
"Your father shall answer for your conduct."
"My father is already in the desert, on his way to the prophet,"retorted Chamis.
"Then they will capture and hang him."
Here, however, Idris deemed it proper to give encouragement to hiscompanions.
"Those vultures," he said, "which will pick the flesh from our bonesmay not yet be hatched. We know what threatens us, but we are notchildren, and we know the desert of old. These men (here he pointed atthe Bedouins) were many times in Berber and are acquainted with roadsover which only gazelles roam. There nobody will find us and nobodywill seek us. We must indeed turn for water to the Bahr Yusuf and laterto the Nile, but will do that in the night. Besides, do you think thaton the river there are no secret friends of the Mahdi? And I tell youthat the farther south we go the more of them we will find. There,tribes and their sheiks are only waiting for the favorable moment toseize the sword in defense of the true faith. These alone will supplywater, food, and camels, and lead astray the pursuit. In truth, we knowthat it is far to the Mahdi, but we know also that every day brings usnearer to the sheep's hide on which the holy prophet kneels to pray."
"Bismillah!" shouted his companions for the third tune.
It was apparent that Idris' importance grew among them considerably.Stas understood that all was lost; so, desiring at least to protectNell from the malice of the Sudanese, he said:
"After six hours the little lady reached here barely alive. How can youthink that she can endure such a journey? If she should die, I alsowill die, and then with what will you come to the Mahdi?"
Now Idris could not find an answer. Stas, perceiving this, continuedthus:
"And how will the Mahdi and Smain receive you when they learn that foryour folly Fatma and her children must pay with their lives?"
But the Sudanese had recovered himself and replied:
"I saw how you grasped Gebhr's throat. By Allah! you are a lion's whelpand will not die and she--"
Here he gazed at the little head of the sleeping girl resting on theknees of old Dinah and finished in a kind of strangely gentle voice:
"For her we will weave on the camel's hump a nest, as for a bird, thatshe may not at all feel fatigue and that she may sleep on the road aspeacefully as she is sleeping now."
Saying this he walked towards the camels and with the Bedouins began tomake a seat for the little girl on the back of the best dromedary. Atthis they chattered a great deal and quarrelled among themselves butfinally, with the aid of ropes, shaggy coverlets, and short bamboopoles they made something in the shape of a deep, immovable basket inwhich Nell could sit or lie down, but from which she could not fall.Above this seat, so broad that Dinah also could be accommodated in it,they stretched a linen awning.
"You see," said Idris to Stas, "quail's eggs could not crack in thosehousings. The old woman will ride with the little lady to serve her dayand night.--You will sit with me, but can ride near her and watch overher."
Stas was glad that he had secured even this much. Pondering over thesituation, he came to the conclusion that in all probability they wouldbe captured before they reached the first cataract, and this thoughtgave him hope. In the meantime he wanted above all things to sleep; sohe promised himself that he would tie himself with some kind of rope tothe saddle, and, as he would not have to hold Nell, he could take a napfor a few hours.
The night already became paler and the jackals ceased their whiningamid the passes. The caravan was to start immediately, but theSudanese, observing the dawn, went to a rock, a few paces away, andthere, conformably with the precepts of the Koran, began their morningablutions, using, however, sand instead of water, which they desired tosave. Afterwards resounded voices, saying the "soubhg," or morningprayer. Amidst the deep silence plainly could be heard their words: "Inthe name of the compassionate and merciful God. Glory to the Lord, thesovereign of the world, compassionate and merciful on the day ofjudgment. Thee we worship and profess. Thee we implore for aid. Lead usover the road of those to whom thou dost not spare benefactions andgrace and not over the paths of sinners who have incurred Thy wrath andwho err. Amen."
And Stas, hearing these voices, raised his eyes upwards and in thatdistant region, amidst tawny, gloomy sands, began the prayer:
"We fly to Thy patronage, O Holy Mother of God."
VIII
The night faded. The men already had the saddles on the camels, whensuddenly they observed a desert wolf, which, with tail curled beneathit, rushed across the pass, about a hundred paces from the caravan, andreaching the opposite table-land, dashed ahead showing signs of frightas if it fled before some enemy. On the Egyptian deserts there are nowild animals before which wolves could feel any fear and for thatreason this sight greatly alarmed the Sudanese Arabs. What could thisbe? Was the pursuing party already approaching? One of the Bedouinsquickly climbed on a rock, but he had barely glanced when he slippeddown yet more quickly.
"By the prophet!" he exclaimed, confused and frightened, "a lion isrushing towards us and is already close by!"
And then from beyond the rocks came a bass "wow" after which Stas andNell shouted together:
"Saba! Saba!"
As in the Arabian language this means a lion, the Bedouins becamefrightened yet more, but Chamis burst out laughing and said:
"I know that lion."
Saying this he whistled drawlingly and in a moment the gigantic mastiffdashed among the camels. Seeing the children he leaped towards them.From joy he overturned Nell who extended her hands to him; he rearedhimself on Stas; afterwards whining and barking he ran round both a fewtimes, again overturned Nell, again reared himself on Stas, and finallylying down at their feet began to pant.
His sides were sunken, from his lolling tongue fell clots of froth;nevertheless he wagged his tail and raised his eyes full of love atNell as if he wanted to say: "Your father ordered me to watch over you,so here I am."
The children sat close to him, one on each side, and began to pat him.The two Bedouins, who never before saw a creature like this, gazed athim with astonishment, repeating: "On Allah! o kelb kebir!" ("By God!that is a big dog!") while he for some time lay quietly. Afterwards heraised his head, inhaled the air through his black nose resembling abig truffle, scented, and jumped towards the extinct camp-fire, nearwhich lay the remnants of food.
In the same moment goat's and lamb's bones began to crack and crumbleas straw in his powerful teeth. After eight people,
counting old Dinahand Nell, there was enough for such "kelb kebir."
But the Sudanese were worried by his arrival and the two camel drivers,calling Chamis to one side, began to speak to him with uneasiness andeven with indignation.
"Iblis* [* Iblis, one of the names of the devil in theKoran.--_Translator's note_.] brought that dog here," exclaimed Gebhr,"but in what manner did he find the children, since they came to Gharakby rail?"
"Surely by the camel tracks," answered Chamis.
"It happened badly. Everybody who sees him with us will remember ourcaravan and will point out where we went. We positively must get rid ofhim."
"But how?" asked Chamis.
"We have a rifle, so take it and shoot him in the head."
In