King of the Air Part 10

With a deep salaam and a fawning smile the Jew departed.

"Um!" grunted Mr. Greatorex. "Don't like his _looks_, Tom."

"He's not prepossessing, certainly; a little too glib, don't you think?"

"A _rascal_, Tom; mark my words."

"I wouldn't go so far as that. But we may get something out of this, Mr.

Greatorex. This young Moor comes from the very country where Ingleton is said to be. Don't you think we may profit by that?"

"How do you mean?"

"Why, instead of making for Rabat, as we intended, why not find some quieter harbour where we shall not be such public characters, and get the youngster to act as guide into the hills? No doubt he bears a grudge against the sheikh who disposed of his father. If he has anything of the usual oriental thirst for revenge he will be very willing to help us."

"Well, sound him; go at it _cautiously_, you know; _tact_-that's the thing."

Meanwhile Salathiel ben Ezra had been clothed by Captain Bodgers in blue serge trousers, a nankeen waistcoat, and an oilskin, the only other garment available. The Jew cut a strange figure in this unfamiliar attire. He was short, fat, thick-necked; the lower part of his face was hidden by dense black moustache and beard; his eyes were unequal in size and different in colour, and had a trick of roaming all around as he talked.

"This is very elegant yacht," he said to Captain Bodgers as the garments were laid before him. The captain, always a silent man, made no reply.

"That is most marvellous creature, the thing that flies in the air," the Jew continued; "I have never seen anything like it. It is without doubt a new sport-the English love sport. They spend much money in sport. And where is the yacht bound for, good captain?"

"Goin' a cruise," said the captain shortly.

"Without doubt. And perhaps the kind governor will permit to call at a port-at Rabat, say; for I am not a man of the sea, and I have business there."

"Better ask him."

"I will do so. I will say also how I fill myself with wonder of the thing that flies. I myself am a sport!"

Salathiel not merely expressed his wonderment to Mr. Greatorex, but displayed a very active curiosity as to the construction of the machine and the choice of those waters for the practice of the new sport. Mr.

Greatorex gave him no satisfaction, and was indeed somewhat curt in his replies to the man's leading questions; but Salathiel smiled at each rebuff, thereby confirming Mr. Greatorex's conviction that he was a rascal.

The yacht lay to for several hours, getting under way again in the afternoon. It was very hot; everybody was more or less sleepy, and Tom thought it a good time to sound the Moor as to his willingness to a.s.sist in the expedition. They had a long conversation in the cabin, the result of which was entirely satisfactory to Tom. Abdul's one object in life was to wreak vengeance on the sheikh for the wrongs his family had suffered, and it was to be a thorough vengeance. He would not be satisfied merely with the death of his enemy; that might have been achieved already. But he was determined to ruin the sheikh's family, just as his own had been ruined. He had hoped to save enough money in course of time to gather about him a band of trusty Riffians who would raid the oppressor's stronghold. The loss of the vessel had swept away the savings of five years; but he was resolved to begin again and even if fifty years were to pa.s.s before he was in a position to accomplish his aim, he would never relinquish it. The sheikh himself might die before then; in that case the weight of the avenging hand would fall on his descendants.

When Tom reported to Mr. Greatorex the result of this conversation the worthy merchant was shocked.

"Terrible, terrible!" he said. "Most unchristian! The Moors are no better than _heathen_, Tom."

"Well, we don't know what it's like. I don't think you would be very sweetly disposed towards any one who had served you as he has been served."

"Me! I'd bring an _action_ against the villain, you may be sure of that."

"I don't suppose they have actions at law in Morocco. But it's quite clear that he will be willing to help us."

"True. I'll go down with you, and we'll come to an understanding with him."

At this second interview Tom explained to Abdul the object he had in view, and invited his a.s.sistance, Mr. Greatorex promising that if he would guide Tom to the spot where the British diplomatist was held captive he should be rewarded with a sum equal to what he had lost through the wreck. Further, if Sir Mark Ingleton should actually be got away safely, the sum should be doubled. Abdul jumped at the offer, and listened respectfully enough when Mr. Greatorex went on to say that he hoped the money would not be put to bad uses.

"Everything happens by the will of Allah," he said; "what is to be, must be."

It was dusk when the little party broke up. n.o.body noticed a figure wriggle away from a ventilating grating over the skylight of the cabin.

Salathiel ben Ezra had watched these conferences between the Moor and the Christians with much curiosity and suspicion, and without attracting the attention of any one on deck he had contrived to steal to a spot where he overheard a considerable part of the conversation.

Before he turned in, Tom had a long talk with Mr. Greatorex, which took an unexpected trend. The two were alone in the cabin. Tom was in the highest spirits, for the greatest difficulty he had foreseen-the difficulty of finding his way about the hill village when he should arrive at it-seemed to have been removed now that he had secured a guide in Abdul.

"You see, it's just about there," he said, putting his finger down on the map he had unrolled and spread on the table. "It is barely a hundred miles inland, and without putting any strain on the engines I can do it comfortably in four hours. Of course, we must arrive after dark; so to-morrow night I think we'll make a start-Timothy and I and the Moor."

Then it was that the unexpected happened. Mr. Greatorex had been staring gravely at the map. Suddenly he brought his fist down on it with a bang.

"Look here, Tom," he said, "we'll _drop_ it."

Tom was taken too much aback for words.

"Yes, we'll drop it. I won't _allow_ it. Suppose anything goes wrong with the machine, where _are_ you? tell me that! In those hills-wild country, wild men-_fanatics_, you know: hate all Christians, no sense of law and order, won't pay their taxes, don't care tuppence for their rulers-oh! I've _read_ all about 'em, you know, and 'pon my soul I don't know what I was thinking of to come out here at all. We've had a pleasant run, we've tested the airs.h.i.+p; it'll _do_, Tom: but now we'll go _back_, my boy, to our land of peace and settled government."

"But what about Sir Mark Ingleton?"

"Hang Ingleton! Ingleton never invented anything! If those Moors get hold of you, England loses an inventor and I lose my man. No, no; we mustn't meddle with state affairs."

And then Tom spent an hour in patiently combatting Mr. Greatorex's objections, and in the end had for his meagre reward the indecisive remark-

"Well, we'll see, Tom, we'll _see_."

Next morning Mr. Greatorex made no allusion to this conversation, but was observed in close colloquy with Captain Bodgers. The result of this removed the weight from Tom's mind. The yacht coasted up and down, the captain scanning the desolate sh.o.r.e narrowly through his gla.s.s. At last he found what he had been searching for, and steered the yacht into a snug little bay. The country was well wooded, the trees coming down almost to the edge of the narrow sandy beach.

"Can't better this, sir," said the captain. "The anchorage is none too good, and if a storm comes up we may have to put out to sea; but it's a quiet place, as you see; can't do no better."

"Very well. Now, Tom, I'm going to risk it. There's the _Country_ to consider, you see. But you'll make me a promise not to run into danger; I know you won't run away from it!"

"With all my heart," replied Tom. "We'll start to-night."

He spent the hours of daylight in making preparations. The machine was overhauled; provisions and arms were stowed in the car; and Tom eagerly awaited the moment for setting forth on his adventure.

In the afternoon, while the preparations were still in progress, a crowd of natives appeared on the cliffs south of the bay-wild-looking men clad in djellabas and kaftans and yellow shoes, and all armed with long guns.

They made no attempt to open communication with the yacht, but encamped on the cliff as though to keep an eye on her movements.

Some little time afterwards, a small native craft was observed entering the cove. Her appearance was hailed with shouts from the cliff, where there were signs of excitement among the throng of spectators.

"Barbary pirates, eh, Bodgers!" said Mr. Greatorex, taking a look at the felucca through his gla.s.s.

"Maybe, sir; they've plied that trade hereabouts for hundreds of years."

"They're making for the yacht."

"Yes. We'll serve out arms, sir; it's as well to be on the safe side."

"Tom, cover up the airs.h.i.+p. I don't suppose they'll know what it is, but, as Bodgers says, it's as well to be on the safe side."

As the vessel drew near, it was seen that she carried some thirty fierce-looking fellows, tall and finely made. One of them hailed the yacht. Mr. Greatorex called Abdul to his side and bade him interpret.