Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-01-30
A1I0X TEdS!>r
JOIN A.SElAHr'
copyright, 1896, by John Alexander Steuart.l
CHAPTER ky.
MECCA AND MORE SURPRISE.
copyright, 1896, by John Alexander Steuart.l

I y .
orders, with preconceived results. Shout
ing "Tcchbir, techbr"' at the pitch of our
voices, we dashed through the mouth OF the
file hard upon the tail of the caravan,
diScharging our pieces and whirling our
weapons with the sudden fury in which the
Bedouin in foray has no equal. The
point of the tail crumpled up like feather
at a fierce fire, and as we smOte and seized,
| yelling the while to keepu the panic, there
| were responsive noises in front that told
the caravan had come to an involuntary halt
! to be robbed
What followed the onset could not tell
| in detail if l were to be examined on oath
for l had many things to think of, and
! thieying was the last and least of them.
saw the hadjis hurled together in the CEN
| ter like an ice jam in n river; | saw two
! clumps Of spears, one in front and one be
! hind, flashing viciOusly in the sun, and l
! saw many clmels going swiftly out of the
mouth of the pass in charge of new owners.
These salient facts the eye took in uncon-
sciOUsly, without the ability to catch minute
| particulars.
I l got the impression that the hadjis
| offered but feeble resistance, and that, as
| | subsequently learned, was true. There is
/ a season for everything, and the pilgrims
! had valid one for prefcrring their lives to
| their property. Caravans start expecting
| to be plundered, nor fail to make provision
| accordingly. Immemorial custom and eX-
/ perience have taught the hadji that it is
| the will of heaven he should suffer loss at
| the hands of wicked men in the perform
ance of the prime religious duty of life.
Moreover, the pious Mohammedan on his
way TO the holy city has such an aversion
to broils and bloodshed that he would
rather sacrifice a portion of his worldly
~, J.,
shrine with red hands. These things the
astute Bedouin knows and profits by; the
time OF the pilgrimage is his harvest, and
he reapS with wide sickle.
That knowledge was acquired afterward
just then my sole concern was how Tabal
and were to escape. The situation was of
the sort that gives one a sudden cold in the
back, though the sun may he hot, only we
could not afford time to stand and shiver.
So soon rs We should make an effort to desert
the BedOuin lances would be after us, and
in case we were caught would have no mer
cy. That was certain. Had it been equally
certain how the hadjis would receive us,
the matter would he simple, or, at any rate,
simpllfitd. But our reception was exceed
ingly doubtful, for the Arab, be he Bedouin
or pilgrim, is ever shifting for treachery and
suspecting he smells it.
Another difficulty was that we could not
make the dash at the most opportune mo-
ment for ourselves. We must wait for
Rance and Baruk, and very anXiously we
began to look for them among the cliffs. If
they did not come quickly our chance would
be gone; we might go back with the chill
dren OF the desert to shame and cruelty and
violence and, it might be, to lasting bond
age.
The band had already distrained more
b,, he. hot g to l,J
taken all the loose camels-and were press
ing on for more than their dues, for, having
the right Of the strong, they We're hard to
satisfy. Tabal and l, for unsupported rea-
sons, We're we'll to the front, and could be
infinitely observed by the plundered, cir
cumstance that might tell awkwardly
against us later on.
What was keeping the idiotic Baruk? Had
the coward rued his promise? If so, by all
We held dearly would he pay for it. We
We're hot with fighting and Selling and
shouting, and two of us were beginning to
have tremors of despair, when at last, as
We were retiring with our booty, Tabal's
sharp eye espied two skulking figures
slipping craftily down among the rocks.
BY this time the hadjiS, animated by the
spirit of the wronged, We're behaving in a
way that was exceedingly discOmforting to
those who meant presently to appeal to
their humanity. Baruk and Rance made
their appearance at the very worst mo-
ment. But there was no time to grumble
or make comment. We must take fortune
as we found it and make haste to redeem
our pledges.
So | gave Tabal the word, and reversing
our spears to indicate we were not hostile
We bounded from among the Bedouns,
calling out we were had jis and praying for
protection. At the same time we drew at
tention by pointing and shouting to the
two clambering down the rocks.
Thinking, as well indeed they might that
this was but a ruse to get their ranks
broken, the pilgrims hurriedly formed up,
presenting q front of leveled spears and
gunbarrels and faces that said palmer than
any language we advanced at the peril of
our lives. And a. they stood close together.
to receive us there went upa diabolic shout
behind. We glanced back in terror to see a
dozen OF our late comrades at our heels with
lance shafts Rugged, after the manner of
men who have resolved to Stay without
pity.
The moment that followed was such as a
man recalls in lis sleep with horrid, cold
sweat and a creeping of the flesh and
grUaniugs and writings. In front was a
cleaning hedge of steel, forbidding, i'm
peneJrable; behind was more steel already
poised To strike by men to whom revenge
was a. blood To the lion. Half an instant
more, aId we should be fuller of holes than
a ii>hermtu's net.
save lis. Save us, we screamed. I'VE
are not enemies, but friends. For the love
Of the prophet, take us in"
Their, was not The tenth part of a second
to decide The pilgrims looked swiftly
from us To our pursurrs. The steel hedge
opened, We shot through, and il closed
quickly again as the BeduUius wheeled
within 4, ward of il. braudi-hiug t heir IauceS
and >creechinE vegeauct. They stood awhile
vociferatiug, then, yowing they would yet
give US to the vultures, slowly returned to
look after their booty.
Meantime Rance and Baruk were scram-
bling down with the breathless haste offear
s. straight upon the center of the caravan, as
being the point remotest from the Bedou-
ins. We spoke earnestly for them, but in
deed they required no pleader, their own
distracted manner being ample evidence of
their need. As the descent was extremely
hazardous, | hurried forward to assist
Rance and as | ran some shots were fired
from above. Poor Rance gave a little
scream, and losing her hold came tOppling
into my arms. | put her gently on the
ground, thinking she must have been hit,
but a cursory examination showed she suf-
fered from nothing worse than fright.
Baruk, however, did not escape SO easily.
Some of the flying slugs found billet in
his left arm, and the good man being I'M
accustomed to pain cried out till the gorge
rang with his wailings. But there was
little opportunity to console him, for the
children of the desert having levied their
tax and been baked in their revenge had
disappeared like water in sand, and the
caravan was ordered to proceed. So the
great snake stretched out it's cumbrous
length once more making what haste it
could to quit such ugly quarters. Rance
chung 10 me like a scared child, murmur-
ing how good was and wondering, with