Chapter 52 - The Boy Slaves by Mayne Reid
CAPTURED AGAIN
Golah's fear of the Arabs met by the well had not been without a cause. His forced night march, to avoid meeting them again, had not secured the object for which it had been made.
Approaching from the direction of the rising sun, the Arabs had not been discovered in the distance; and Golah, occupied in overcoming the obstinate resistance of the white slaves, had allowed them to come quite near before they had been observed by him.
Leaving his captives, the sheik seized his musket; and, followed by his son and brother-in-law, rushed forward to protect his wives and property.
He was too late. Before he could reach them they were in the possession of others; and as he drew near the spot where they had been captured, he saw a dozen muskets presented towards himself, and heard some one loudly commanding him, in the name of the Prophet, to approach in peace!
Golah had the discretion to yield to a destiny that could not be averted,—the misfortune of being made a prisoner and plundered at the same time.
Calmly saying, "It is the will of God," he sat down, and invited his captors to a conference on the terms of capitulation.
As soon as the caravan had fallen into the possession of the robbers, the Krooman's hands were unbound by his companion, and he hastened to the relief of the white slaves.
"Golah no our massa now," said he, while untying Harry's wrists; "our massa is Arab dat take us norf. We get free. Dat why dis Arab no buy us,—he know us he hab for noting."
The cords were quickly untied, and the attention of the others was now turned to disinterring Colin and the woman from their living graves.
To do this, Harry wanted to use the water-bowl the sheik had left for the purpose of tantalizing his victims with the sight of its contents.
"Here, drink this water," said he, holding the vessel to Colin's lips. "I want to make use of the dish."
"No, no; dig me out without that," answered Colin. "Leave the water as it is; I have a particular use for it when I get free. I wish the old sheik to see me drink it."
Bill, Harry, and the Krooman set to work: and Colin and the woman were soon uncovered and dragged out. Terence was then awakened to consciousness by a few drops of the water poured over his face.
Owing to the cramped position in which he had been placed and so long held, Colin was for a few minutes unable to walk. They waited, to give him time to recover the use of his limbs. The slave who had the care of the woman's children was now seen coming back with them, and the woman ran to meet him.
The delight of the wretched mother at again embracing her offspring was so great, that the gentle-souled Krooman was once more affected to tears.
In the conference with the Arab robbers, Golah was unable to obtain the terms he fancied a sheik should be entitled to.
They offered him two camels and the choice of one wife out of the three, on condition he should go back to his own country, and return to the desert no more.
These terms Golah indignantly refused, and declared that he would rather die in defence of his rights.
Golah was a pure negro, and one of a class of traders much disliked by the Arabs. He was a lawless intruder on their grounds,—a trespasser upon their special domain, the Great Desert. He had just acquired a large amount of wealth in goods and slaves, that had been cast on their coast; and these they were determined he should not carry back with him to his own country.
Though he was as much a robber as themselves, they had no sympathies with him, and would not be satisfied with merely a share of his plunder. They professed to understand all his doings in the past; and accused him of not being a fair trader!
They told him that he never came upon the desert with merchandise to exchange, but only with camels, to be driven away, laden with property justly belonging to them, the real owners of the land.
They denied his being a true believer in the Prophet; and concluded their talk by declaring that he should be thankful for the liberal terms they had offered him.
Golah's opposition to their proposal became so demonstrative, that the Arabs were obliged to disarm and bind him; though this was not accomplished without a fierce struggle, in which several of his adversaries were overthrown.
A blow on the head with the stock of a musket at length reduced him to subjection, after which his hands were fast tied behind his back.
During the struggle, Golah's son was prevented from interfering in behalf of his father, by the black slaves who had been so long the victims of his cruel care; while the brother-in-law, as well as Fatima and the third wife, remained passive spectators of the scene.
On Golah being secured, the white slaves, with old Bill at their head, came up and voluntarily surrendered themselves to their new masters.
Colin had in his hands the bowl of water, and the dried figs that had been placed beside it.
Advancing towards Golah, he held the figs up before his eyes, and then, with a nod and an expression that seemed to say, "Thank you for this," he raised the bowl to his lips with the intention of drinking.
The expression on the sheik's features became Satanic, but suddenly changed into a glance of pleasure, as one of the Arabs snatched the vessel out of Colin's hands, and instantly drank off its contents.
Colin received the lesson meekly, and said not a word.
The Arabs speedily commenced making arrangements for leaving the place. The first move was to establish a communication between Golah and the saddle of one of his camels.
This was accomplished by using a rope as a medium; and the black giant was compelled to walk after the animal with his hands tied behind him,—in the same fashion as he had lately set for Sailor Bill.
His wives and slaves seemed to comprehend the change in their fortunes, and readily adapted their conduct to the circumstances.
The greatest transformation of all was observable in the behavior of the favorite Fatima.
Since his capture she had kept altogether aloof from her late lord, and showed not the slightest sympathy for his misfortunes.
By her actions she seemed to say: "The mighty Golah has fallen, and is no longer worthy of my distinguished regard."
Very different was the behavior of the woman whom the cruel sheik would have left to die a lingering death. Her husband's misfortune seemed to have awakened within her a love for the father of her children: and her features, as she gazed upon the captive,—who, although defeated, was unsubdued in spirit,—wore a mingled expression of pity and grief.
Hungry, thirsty, weary and bleeding—enslaved on the Great Desert, still uncertain of what was to be their fate, and doubtful of surviving much longer the hardships they might be forced to endure—our adventurers were far from being happy; but, with all their misery, they felt joyful when comparing their present prospects with those before them but an hour ago.
With the exception of Golah, the Arabs had no trouble with their captives. The white and black slaves knew they were travelling towards the well; and the prospect of again having plenty of water was sufficient inducement to make them put forth all their strength in following the camels.
Early in the evening a short halt was made; when each of the company was served with about half a pint of water from the skins. The Arabs, expecting to reach the well soon after, could afford to be thus liberal; but the favor so granted, though thankfully received by the slaves was scornfully refused by their late master—the giant bodied and strong-minded Golah.
To accept of food and drink from his enemies in his present humiliating position—bound and dragged along like a slave—was a degradation to which he scorned to submit.
On Golah contemptuously refusing the proffered cup of water, the Arab who offered it simply ejaculated, "Thank God!" and then drank it himself.
The well was reached about an hour after midnight; and after quenching their thirst, the slaves were allowed to go to rest and sleep,—a privilege they stood sorely in need of having been over thirty hours afoot, upon their cheerless and arduous journey.