The Black Box Part 52

The whole encampment was suddenly in a state of activity. The Mongars ran hither and thither, getting together their horses. The Chief, with Craig by his side, was standing on the outskirts of the camp. The cry came again, this time much louder and nearer. Soon they caught the m.u.f.fled trampling of a horse's hoofs galloping across the soft sands, then the gleam of his white garments as he came suddenly into sight, in the edge of the little circle of light thrown by the fire. They saw him leap from his horse, run to the Chief, bend double in some form of salute, then commence to talk rapidly. The Chief listened with no sign of emotion, but in a moment or two he was giving rapid orders. Camels appeared from some invisible place. Men, already on horseback, were galloping hither and thither, collecting fire-arms and spare ammunition. Pack-horses were being loaded, tents rolled up and every evidence of breaking camp.

"Seems to me there's a move on," Quest muttered, as they rose to their feet. "I wonder if we are in it."

A moment or two later Craig approached them. He came with his shoulders stooped and his eyes fixed upon the ground. He scarcely raised them as he spoke.

"Word has been brought to the Chief," he announced, "that the Arab who escaped from the caravan has fallen in with an outpost of British soldiers. They have already started in pursuit of us. The Mongars will take refuge in the jungle, where they have prepared hiding-places. We start at once."

"What about us?" the Professor enquired.

"I endeavoured," Craig continued, "to persuade the Chief to allow you to remain here, when the care of you would devolve upon the English soldiers.

He and Feerda, however, have absolutely refused my request. Feerda has overheard some of your conversation, and the Chief believes that you will betray us. You will have to come along, too."

"You mean," Laura exclaimed, "that we've got to tramp into what you call the jungle, and hide there because these thieves are being chased?"

Craig glanced uneasily around.

"Young lady," he said, "you will do well to speak little here. They have long ears and quick understandings, these men. You may call them a race of robbers. They only remember that they are the descendants of an Imperial race, and what they take by the right of conquest they believe Allah sends them. You must do the bidding of the Chief."

He turned away towards where the Chief and Feerda, already on horseback, were waiting for him. Quest leaned towards the Professor.

"Why not tackle the Chief yourself?" he suggested. "Here he comes now.

Craig may be speaking the truth, but, on the other hand, it's all to his interests to keep us away from the soldiers."

The Professor rose at once to his feet and stepped out to where the Chief was giving orders.

"Chief," he said, "my friends desire me to speak with you. We are worn out with our adventures. The young ladies who are with us are unused to and ill-prepared for this hard life. We beg that you will allow us to remain here and await the arrival of the English soldiers."

The Chief turned his head. There was little friendliness in his tone.

"Wise man," he replied, "I have sent you my bidding by him who is our honoured guest. I tell you frankly that I am not satisfied with the explanations I have received of your presence here."

Feerda leaned forward, her beautiful eyes flas.h.i.+ng in the dim light.

"Ah! but I know," she cried, "they would bring harm to the master. I can read it in their hearts as I have heard it from their own lips."

"What my daughter says is truth," the Chief declared. "Back, wise man, and tell your friends that you ride with us to-night, either as guests or captives. You may take your choice."

The Professor returned to where the others were eagerly awaiting him.

"It is useless," he announced. "The girl, who is clearly enamoured of Craig, suspects us. So does the Chief. Perhaps, secretly, Craig himself is unwilling to leave us here. The Chief never changes his mind and he has spoken. We go either as his captives or his guests. I have heard it said,"

the Professor added grimly, "that the Mongars never keep captives longer than twenty-four hours."

They all rose at once to their feet, and a few moments later horses were brought. The little procession was already being formed in line. Craig approached them once more.

"You will mount now and ride in the middle of our caravan," he directed.

"The Chief does not trust you. If you value your lives, you will do as you are bidden."

"I don't like the idea of the jungle," Lenora sighed.

"Gives me the creeps," Laura admitted, as she climbed upon her horse. "Any wild animals there, Professor?"

The Professor became more cheerful.

"The animal life of the region we are about to traverse," he observed, as they moved off, "is in some respects familiar to me. Twelve years ago I devoted some time to research a little to the westward of our present route. I will, if you choose, as we ride, give you a brief account of some of my discoveries."

The two girls exchanged glances. Quest, who had intercepted them, turned his horse and rode in between the Professor and Lenora.

"Go right ahead, Professor," he invited. "Fortunately the girls have got saddles like boxes--I think they both mean to go to sleep."

"An intelligent listener of either s.e.x," the Professor said amiably, "will be a stimulus to my memory."

2.

"You can call this fairyland, if you want," Laura remarked, gazing around her; "I call it a nasty, damp, oozy spot."

"It seemed very beautiful when we first came," Lenora sighed, "but that was after the heat and glare of the desert. There does seem something a little unhealthy about it."

"I'm just about fed up with Mongars," Quest declared.

"We do nothing but lie about, and they won't even let us fire a gun off."

"Personally," the Professor confessed, holding up a gla.s.s bottle in front of him from which a yellow beetle was making frantic efforts to escape, "I find this little patch of country unusually interesting. The specimen which I have here--I spare you the scientific name for him--belongs to a cla.s.s of beetle which has for long eluded me."

Laura regarded the specimen with disfavour.

"So far as I am concerned," she observed, "I shouldn't have cared if he'd eluded you a little longer. Don't you dare let him out, Professor."

"My dear young lady," the Professor a.s.sured her, "the insect is perfectly secure. Through the cork, as you see, I have bored a couple of holes, hoping to keep him alive until we reach Port Said, when I can prepare him as a specimen."

"Port Said!" Lenora murmured. "It sounds like heaven."

Quest motioned them to sit a little nearer.

"Well," he said, "I fancy we are all feeling about the same except the Professor, and even he wants to get some powder for his beetle. I had a moment's talk with Craig this morning, and from what he says I fancy they mean to make a move a little further in before long. It'll be all the more difficult to escape then."

"You think we could get away?" Lenora whispered eagerly.

Quest glanced cautiously around. They were surrounded by thick vegetation, but they were only a very short distance from the camp.

"Seems to me," he continued, "we shall have to try it some day or other and I'm all for trying it soon. Even if they caught us, I don't believe they'd dare to kill us, with the English soldiers so close behind. I am going to get hold of two or three rifles and some ammunition. That's easy, because they leave them about all the time. And what you girls want to do is to hide some food and get a bottle of water."

"What about Craig?" the Professor asked.

"We are going to take him along," Quest declared grimly. "He's had the devil's own luck so far, but it can't last forever. I'll see to that part of the business, if you others get ready and wait for me to give the signal.... What's that?"

They all looked around. There had been a little rustling amongst the canopy of bushes. Quest peered through and returned, frowning.