Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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the beads of a rosary made of the shells of "dum"nuts, and pray.
About two o'clock, though it was in the winter season, the heat becameunusual. In the sky there was not a cloudlet, but the horizon's borderwas disfigured.
Above the caravan hovered a few vultures whose widely outstretchedwings cast moving, black shadows on the tawny sands. In the heated aircould be smelt an odor like the gas exhaled from burning charcoal. Thecamels, not ceasing to run, began to grunt strangely. One of theBedouins approached Idris.
"Some evil is brewing?"
"What, do you think?" asked the Sudanese.
"Wicked spirits awoke the wind slumbering on the western desert, and herose from the sands and is rushing upon us."
Idris raised himself on the saddle, gazed into the distance, andreplied:
"That is so. He is coming from the west and south but is not as furiousas a Khamsin."* [* A southwest wind which blows in the spring.]
"Three years ago near Abu-Hamed he buried a whole caravan and did notsweep the sand away until last winter. Ualla! He may have enoughstrength to stuff the nostrils of the camels and dry up the water inthe bags."
"It is necessary that we speed so that he strike us only with a wing."
"We are flying in his eyes and are not able to avoid him."
"The quicker he comes, the quicker he will pass away."
Saying this, Idris struck his camel with a courbash and his example wasfollowed by the others. For some time could be heard the dull blows ofthe thick whips, resembling the clapping of hands, and the cries of"Yalla." On the southwest the horizon, previously whitish, darkened.The heat continued and the sun scorched the heads of the riders. Thevultures soared very high evidently, for their shadows grew smaller andsmaller, and they finally vanished entirely.
It became sultry.
The Arabs yelled at the camels until their throats became parched,after which they were silent and a funereal quiet ensued, interruptedonly by the groaning of the animals.
Two very small foxes* [* An animal smaller than our foxes, called"fennec."] with big ears stole by the caravan, running in an oppositedirection.
The same Bedouin, who had previously conversed with Idris, spoke outagain in a strange and as if not his own voice:
"This will not be a usual wind. Evil charms are pursuing us. The snakeis to blame for all--"
"I know," answered Idris.
"Look! the air quivers. That does not happen in winter."
In fact the heated air began to quiver, and in consequence of anillusion of the eyes it seemed to the riders that the sands quivered.The Bedouin took his sweaty cowl from his head and said:
"The heart of the desert beats with terror."
And at this the other Bedouin, riding in the lead as a guide of thecamels, turned around and began to shout:
"He is already coming!--He is coming!"
And in truth the wind came up. In the distance appeared as it were darkclouds which in their eyes grew higher and higher and approached thecaravan. The nearest waves of air all around became agitated and suddengusts of wind began to spin the sand. Here and there funnels wereformed as if someone had drilled the surface of the desert with a cane.At places rose swift whirlpools resembling pillars, thin at the bottomand outspread on top like plumes of feathers. All this lasted but thetwinkling of an eye. The cloud which the camel-guide first espied cameflying towards them with an inconceivable velocity. It struck thepeople and beasts like the wing of a gigantic bird. In one moment theeyes and mouths of the riders were filled with sand. Clouds of dust hidthe sky, hid the sun, and the earth became dusky. The men began to losesight of one another and even the nearest camel appeared indistinctlyas if in a fog. Not the rustle--for on the desert there are notrees--but the roar of the whirlwind drowned the calls of the guide andthe bellowing of the animals. In the atmosphere could be smelt an odorsuch as coal smoke gives. The camels stood still and, turning away fromthe wind, they stretched their long necks downward so that theirnostrils almost touched the sand.
The Sudanese, however, did not wish to allow a stop, as caravans whichhalt during a hurricane are often buried in sand. At such times it isbest to speed with the whirlwind, but Idris and Gebhr could not dothis, for in thus doing they would return to Fayum from where theyexpected a pursuit. So when the first gale passed they again drove thecamels.
A momentary stillness ensued but the ruddy dusk dissipated very slowlyfor the sun could not pierce through the clouds of dust suspended inthe air. The thicker and heavier particles of sand began to fall. Sandfilled all the cracks and punctures in the saddles and clung to thefolds of the clothes. The people with each breath inhaled dust whichirritated their lungs and grated their teeth.
Besides, the whirlwind might break out again and hide the whole world.It occurred to Stas that if at the time of such darkness he was withNell on the same camel, he might turn around and escape with the windnorthward. Who knows whether they would be observed amidst the dusk andconfusion of the elements, and, if they succeeded in reaching anyvillage on Bahr Yusuf near the Nile, Idris and Gebhr would not dare topursue them for they would at once fall into the hands of the local"police."
Stas, weighing all this, jostled Idris' shoulder and said:
"Give me the gourd with water."
Idris did not refuse for howsoever much that morning they had turnedinto the interior of the desert and quite far from the river, they hadenough of water, and the camels drank copiously during the time oftheir night stop. Besides this, as a man acquainted with the desert, heknew that after a hurricane, rain usually follows and the dried-up"khors" change temporarily into streams.
Stas in reality was thirsty, so he took a good drink, after which, notreturning the gourd, he again jostled Idris' arm.
"Halt the caravan."
"Why?" asked the Sudanese.
"Because I want to sit on the camel with the little 'bint' and give herwater."
"Dinah has a bigger gourd than mine."
"But she is greedy and surely has emptied it. A great deal of sand musthave fallen into her saddle which you made like a basket. Dinah will behelpless."
"The wind will break out after a while and will refill it."
"That is the more reason why she will require help."
Idris lashed the camel with his whip and for a while they rode insilence.
"Why don't you answer?" Stas asked.
"Because I am considering whether it would be better to tie you to thesaddle or tie your hands behind."
"You have become insane."
"No. I have guessed what you intended to do."
"The pursuers will overtake us anyway; so I would not have to do it."
"The desert is in the hands of God."
They became silent again. The thicker sand fell entirely; thereremained in the air a subtile red dust, something of the nature ofpollen, through which the sun shone like a copper plate. But alreadythey could see ahead. Before the caravan stretched level ground at theborders of which the keen eyes of the Arabs again espied a cloud. Itwas higher than the previous one and, besides this, there shot from itwhat seemed like pillars, or gigantic chimneys expanding at the top. Atthis sight the hearts of the Arabs and Bedouins quailed for theyrecognized the great sandy whirlpools. Idris raised his hands anddrawing his palms towards his ears began to prostrate himself to theapproaching whirlwind. His faith in one God evidently did not preventhis worship and fear of others for Stas distinctly heard him say:
"Lord! We are thy children; therefore do not devour us."
But the "lord" just dashed at them and assailed the camels with a forceso terrible that they almost fell to the ground. The animals now formeda compact pack with heads turned to the center towards each other.Whole masses of sand were stirred. The caravan was enveloped by a duskdeeper than before and in that dusk there flew beside the riders darkand indistinct objects, as though gigantic birds or camels weredispersed with the hurricane. Fear seized the Arabs, to whom it seemedthat these were the spirits of animals and men who h
ad perished underthe sands. Amid the roar and howling could be heard strange voicessimilar to sobs, to laughter, to cries for help. But these weredelusions. The caravan was threatened by real danger, a hundredfoldgreater. The Sudanese well knew that if any one of the greatwhirlpools, forming incessantly in the bosom of the hurricane, shouldcatch them in its whirls, it would hurl the riders to the ground anddisperse the camels, and if it should break and fall upon them then inthe twinkling of an eye an immense sandy mound would cover them inwhich they would remain until the next hurricane, blowing away thesand, should reveal their skeletons.
Stas' head swam, his lungs seemed choked, and the sand blinded him. Butat times it seemed to him that he heard Nell crying and calling; so hethought only of her. Taking advantage of the fact that the camels stoodin a close pack and that Idris