Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz
Category: Nonfiction
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on his toes and cursed the hour when he left Fayum, andrevenged himself upon a young slave named Kali, who had been presentedto him.
Stas at the beginning was almost pleased that he had left infectedOmdurman and that he saw a country of which he always had dreamed. Hisstrong constitution thus far endured perfectly the toils of the journeyand the abundant food restored his energy. Several times during thejourney and at the stops he whispered to his little sister that it waspossible to escape even from beyond the White Nile, and that he did notat all abandon that design. But her health disquieted him. Three weeksafter the day of their departure from Omdurman Nell had not indeedsuccumbed to the fever, but her face grew thinner and instead of beingtanned it became more and more transparent, and her little hands lookedas if they were moulded of wax. She did not lack care and even suchcomforts as Stas and Dinah with the aid of Hatim could provide, but shelacked the salubrious desert air. The moist and torrid climate unitedwith the hardships of the journey more and more undermined the strengthof the child.
Stas, beginning at Goz Abu Guma, gave her daily a half powder ofquinine and worried terribly at the thought that this remedy, whichcould be obtained nowhere later, would not last him long. But it couldnot be helped, for it was necessary above all things to prevent thefever. At moments despair possessed him. He deluded himself, however,with the hope that Smain, if he desired to exchange them for his ownchildren, would have to seek for them a more salubrious place than theneighborhood of Fashoda.
But misfortune seemed continually to pursue its victims. On the daybefore the arrival at Fashoda, Dinah, who while in Omdurman felt weak,fainted suddenly at the untying of the small luggage with Nell's thingstaken from Fayum, and fell from the camel. Stas and Chamis revived herwith the greatest difficulty. She did not, however, regainconsciousness, or rather she regained it at the evening only to bid atearful farewell to her beloved little lady, and to die. After herdeath Gebhr insisted upon cutting off her ears in order to show them toSmain as proof that she died during the journey, and to demand of him aseparate payment for her abduction. This was done with a slave whoexpired during the journey. But Hatim, at the entreaties of Stas andNell, would not consent to this; so they buried her decently and hermound was safeguarded against hyenas with the assistance of stones andthorns. The children felt yet more lonely for they realized that in herthey had lost the only near and devoted soul. This was a terrible blow,particularly for Nell, so Stas endeavored to comfort her throughout thewhole night and the following day.
The sixth week of the journey arrived. On the next day at noon thecaravan reached Fashoda, but they found only a pyre. The Mahdistsbivouacked under the bare heaven or in huts hurriedly built of grassand boughs. Three days previously the settlement had been burnt down.There remained only the clay walls of the round hovels, blackened withsmoke, and, standing close by the water, a great wooden shed, whichduring the Egyptian times served as a storage-place for ivory; in it atpresent lived the commander of the dervishes, Emir Seki Tamala. He wasa distinguished personage among the Mahdists, a secret enemy ofAbdullahi, but on the other hand a personal friend of Hatim. Hereceived the old sheik and the children hospitably, but immediately atthe introduction told them unfavorable news.
Smain was not in Fashoda. Two days before he had gone southeast fromthe Nile on an expedition for slaves, and it was not known when hewould return, as the nearer localities were so depopulated that it wasnecessary to seek for human chattels very far. Near Fashoda, indeed,lay Abyssinia, with which the dervishes likewise waged war. But Smainhaving only three hundred men did not dare to cross its borders,guarded vigilantly, at present, by King John's warlike inhabitants andsoldiers.
In view of this Seki Tamala and Hatim began to deliberate as to whatwas to be done with the children. The consultation was held mainly atsupper, to which the emir invited Stas and Nell.
"I," he said to Hatim, "must soon start with all the men upon a distantexpedition against Emin Pasha,* [* Emin Pasha, by birth a German Jew,was after the occupation by Egypt of the region around Albert Nyanza,Governor of the Equatorial Provinces. His headquarters were at Wadelai.The Mahdists attacked it a number of times. He was rescued by Stanley,who conducted him with a greater part of his troops to Bagamoyo, on theIndian Ocean.] who is located at Lado, having steamers and troopsthere. Such is the command which you, Hatim, brought me. Therefore youmust return to Omdurman, for in Fashoda there will not remain a singleliving soul. Here there is no place in which to live, there is nothingto eat, and sickness is raging. I know, indeed, that the white peopledo not catch small-pox, but fever will kill those children within amonth."
"I was ordered to bring them to Fashoda," replied Hatim, "so I broughtthem, and need not trouble myself about them any more. But they wererecommended to me by my friend, the Greek Kaliopuli; for that reason Iwould not want them to perish."
"And this will surely happen."
"Then what is to be done?"
"Instead of leaving them in desolate Fashoda, send them to Smaintogether with those men who brought them to Omdurman. Smain went to themountains, to a dry and high region where the fever does not kill thepeople as on the river."
"How will they find Smain?"
"By the trail of fire. He will set fire to the jungle, first, in orderto drive the game to the rocky ravines in which it will be easy tosurround and slaughter it, and then in order to scare out of thethickets the heathens, who hid in them before pursuit. Smain will notbe hard to find--"
"Will they, however, overtake him?"
"He will at times pass a week in one locality to cure meat. Even thoughhe rode away two or three days ago they surely will overtake him."
"But why should they chase after him? He will return to Fashoda anyway."
"No. If the slave-hunt is successful, he will take the slaves to thecities to sell them--"
"What is to be done?"
"Remember that both of us must leave Fashoda. The children, even thoughthe fever does not kill them, will die of starvation."
"By the prophet! That is true."
And there really remained nothing else to do but to despatch thechildren upon a new wandering life. Hatim, who appeared to be a verygood man, was only troubled about this: whether Gebhr, with whose crueldisposition he had become acquainted during the journey, would nottreat them too harshly. But the stern Seki Tamala, who aroused feareven in his own soldiers, commanded the Sudanese to be summoned, andannounced to him that he was to convey the children alive and in goodhealth to Smain, and at the same time to treat them kindly, asotherwise he would be hung. The good Hatim entreated the emir topresent to little Nell a female slave, who would serve her and takecare of her during the journey and in Smain's camp. Nell was delightedgreatly with this gift as it appeared that the slave was a young Dinkagirl with pleasant features and a sweet facial expression.
Stas knew that Fashoda was death, so he did not at all beg Hatim thathe should not send them upon a new journey, the third in rotation. Inhis soul, he thought also that riding in an easterly and southerlydirection, he must approach the Abyssinian boundaries and that he mightescape. He had a hope that upon the dry tableland Nell would besafeguarded against the fever, and for these reasons he willingly andzealously entered into the preparation for the journey.
Gebhr, Chamis, and the two Bedouins also were not opposed to theexpedition, reckoning that at Smain's side they would succeed incapturing a considerable number of slaves, and afterwards sell themprofitably in the markets. They knew that slave-dealers in time amassgreat fortunes; in any case they preferred to ride rather than toremain at that place under the immediate control of Hatim and SekiTamala.
The preparations, however, consumed considerable time, particularly asthe children had to recuperate. The camels were unavailable now forthis journey, so the Arabs, and Stas and Nell were to ride onhorseback. Kali, Gebhr's slave, and Nell's maid, called Mea upon Stas'suggestion, were to go on foot beside the horses. Hatim also procured adonkey to carry a tent intended for the little girl and provisio
ns forthree days for the children. More Seki Tamala could not give them. ForNell, something in the nature of a ladies' saddle, made ofsaddle-cloth, palm, and bamboo mats was constructed.
The children passed three days in Fashoda to rest, but the countlessnumber of mosquitoes above the river made their stay unendurable.During the daytime appeared swarms of big blue flies, which did notindeed bite, but were so vexing that they crept into the ears, filledthe eyes, and fell even into the mouths. Stas had heard while in PortSaid that the mosquitoes and flies spread fever and an infection of theinflammation of the eyes. Finally he himself entreated Seki Tamala tohurry the expedition, particularly as the rainy spring season wasapproaching.
XXI
"Stas, why are we riding and speeding and have not yet reached Smain?"
"I do not know. He undoubtedly is moving rapidly ahead, in