"It is not bad stuff when a fellow is hungry," observed Halliday, stuffing the porridge into his mouth as fast as he could lift it with his fingers; "but it's very flavourless; I wish we had some salt to put into it."

"So do I, for more reasons than one," I answered. "I do not quite like the appearance of things."

"But he seems to be a pretty good-natured kind of fellow; perhaps he does not know we like our food salted," said Halliday.

"We must take people as we find them; and I hope he has not omitted the salt intentionally, though I suspect he has not made up his mind whether to trust us or not," I observed.

We all did justice to the sheikh's couscoussu, however; for, notwithstanding its want of salt, we had eaten no food so wholesome since we were on board the Spanish ship. Another girl next brought in an earthen jar of water, which we in a few minutes completely emptied.

"Thank you, Mr Sheikh," said Ben, after his meal; "long life to your honour."

"What does he say?" asked our host.

"He hopes that your shadow may never grow less, and that you may live to be a blessing to your people for as long as the patriarchs of old."

The sheikh seemed pleased, and answered,--"Your lion-hunter is a fine fellow."

I explained that I only said he was as brave as a lion; but the sheikh replied that his bravery must have been proved by his hunting lions--and that he, at all events, would give him an opportunity of exhibiting his prowess.

Ben, tired of sitting so long on his feet, now got up, and, pulling a lock of his hair, walked out of the tent. Not supposing he would be molested, we sat on, wishing to practise our Arabic by talking to the sheikh, who made numerous inquiries about our country and other parts of Europe, evidently being not altogether ignorant of what had been taking place of late in the world. We at last also got up, to take the fresh air outside, when he said--

"Stop, stop! young Nazarenes. You came here to show me the precious treasures you possess; I desire you to exhibit them."

"Of course we will," I said, unslinging my telescope.

He looked at it, putting the field-gla.s.s to his eye, when he saw his own ugly face reflected in it.

"Bismillah! it's wonderful," he cried out.

I explained that this was the wrong way to use it; and inviting him to come to the door of the tent, I put it to my own eye to show him how it was to be used. As I did so, turning it eastward, what was my surprise to observe a sail standing towards the sh.o.r.e.

"Thank Heaven! here comes a vessel which may rescue us," I exclaimed.

"Let me look at her," said Halliday, taking the gla.s.s from me.

"Look again, Charlie," he said, returning it to me. "I am afraid that it is only a small boat."

"You are right," I answered; "or rather, it is no boat at all, but a raft!" Indeed, by this time we could distinguish the raft with our naked eyes.

"What is all this about?" asked the sheikh, observing our agitation. I gave him the gla.s.s, but he could not fix it on the object. He saw the raft, however, without it.

"Allah be praised! yonder vessel will certainly be thrown on our sh.o.r.e, and we shall obtain a rich booty," he exclaimed.

I did not undeceive him.

"Can that be the large raft, I wonder?" asked Halliday. "If so, some of the poor wretches have escaped death after all."

I examined it attentively, and saw that it was very much smaller than the large raft, and could not support more than two or three people. I also now observed that a reef of rocks ran parallel with the coast for some distance, the sea breaking heavily upon it.

There was soon a general commotion in the camp, and all fully believing that a vessel was approaching which could not escape being wrecked, were highly delighted at the prospect of making themselves the possessors of her cargo. The sheikh was as eager as any one, and, accompanied by his family, hastened down to the beach, hoping to be among the first on board.

Nearer drew the raft, and at length I made out that only one person sat upon it, steering with an oar. The people--who were all by this time down on the beach--soon discovered their mistake, and began to vent their disappointment by uttering curses on the head of the stranger,--we coming in for a share of their anger.

On came the raft, and presently, as we expected would be the case, was dashed on the reef, suffering even a worse fate than ours--being utterly broken to pieces. Its occupant, however, sprang forward, and we saw him striking out bravely in the calmer water, into which he had been thrown, towards the sh.o.r.e. He was followed by fragments of the raft, which I thought would strike him; but he escaped from them, and came on with rapid strokes towards us. The Arabs, some of whom rushed half-naked into the water, waved their hands and encouraged him by their shouts.

As he drew near we saw that he was either an Arab or a black man; and before he landed we recognised him as Antonio, the black we had met on board the Spanish ship. The Arabs now stretched out their hands to help him, and he was soon in their midst, supported by their arms.

Whether he had recognised us or not we could not tell, for at first he appeared to be too much exhausted to speak; and from the eagerness with which the Arabs gathered round him, and his general appearance, we suspected that he either belonged to their tribe, or to some other tribe on friendly terms with them. Such we had soon too good reason to know was the case. Presently we saw him borne to the tent of the sheikh, where food and water were carried to him. Remembering his conduct to us on board the Spanish ship, we could not but fear that his coming boded us no good; still, of course, if he was an honest man he could not fail to corroborate our story, and so we waited with some anxiety to speak to him.

In the meantime the women and children gathered round us, the latter especially treating us with scant respect; the urchins, like so many imps, grinning from ear to ear at us, pulled at our clothes and pinched our arms and legs; while several of them, pious, I have no doubt, according to their notions, spit at us to show their hatred of the Nazarenes. We knew that it would be of no use to run after the little wretches and punish them, so we bore the indignities we received with as much stoical indifference as we could a.s.sume. A big fellow whom we heard called Sinne--one of the men who had captured us--encouraged them; and at last approaching Ben, he insulted him with abusive language and gestures, s.n.a.t.c.hing at his hat, and even trying to pull off his jacket.

On this, Ben, without considering the consequences, lifted his fist and knocked the fellow down. Sinne got up considerably cowed for the moment, and stalked away; but, from the malignant glances he cast at Ben and us, we could not doubt that he meditated vengeance.

"Come back, old fellow, and I will do it again," shouted Ben; but the Arab did not wish to put himself within reach of the seaman's st.u.r.dy fists.

"I wish that you had not knocked the fellow over, Ben," I said; "our only hope of escaping is to keep on good terms with the Arabs."

"And so I wish to do, sir," answered Ben. "It may be, if I knock a few more of them over, they will be all the better friends with us; and it may teach them that we will stand no nonsense!"

Certainly, Ben's mode of proceeding appeared at first likely to answer, for both women and children kept at a more respectful distance, while none of the men seemed inclined to molest us.

Being tired with our previous exertions, we now sat down under the shade of a tent, whence we could watch the wide expanse of sea stretched out before us; but our eyelids were heavy, and, in spite of the doubtful disposition of the natives, we all dropped off to sleep.

CHAPTER NINE.

AN UNPLEASANT CHANGE--BEN UNDERGOES A SEVERE TRIAL--THE OUADLIMS RECEIVE AN UNWELCOME VISIT--WE ARE MADE PEACE-OFFERINGS--A CURIOUS SPECTACLE--I MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE SHEIKH'S BROTHER ABDALAH--THE SHIPWRECKED PARTY-- DISCOVER A VALUABLE FRIEND--ANTONIO'S ESCAPE FROM THE WRECK.

We were aroused by the voice of the sheikh. "Get up, you lazy sons of dogs!" he was exclaiming in an angry tone. "You have been deceiving me, I find, by pa.s.sing yourselves off as people of importance, when you are mere servants of servants. Get up, I say;" and he began to enforce his commands by kicks and blows. We sprang to our feet, and Ben, doubling his fists, would have knocked the sheikh down had I not held him back.

"What have we done to merit this treatment, O sheikh?" I asked.

"Told lies, vile Nazarene," he answered. "Henceforward know that you and your companions are to be slaves--should my people not prefer putting you to death."

The sheikh was heard by the rest of the community, who now gathered round us, delighted at being able to renew their insults,--some of them pulling off our caps, while others tugged away at our jackets and pinched us as before, even spitting at us in their fury. At length Antonio stalked out of the tent, casting malignant glances at us as he pa.s.sed.

"I say, mate, you know what better manners are," exclaimed Ben. "Do try and teach these people to treat us decently."

Antonio made no reply, but, without even turning his head, walked on.

"You are a pretty fellow," shouted Ben; "I thought you would have wished to be civil, at least."

Remembering the black's behaviour on board the Spanish ship, however, I felt that it would be useless to appeal to him.

Presently we saw him returning, accompanied by Sinne and several other fellows, mostly as ill-favoured as himself. Approaching Ben, they threw themselves upon him, and, pinioning his arms, led him off, ordering us to follow.

"I am afraid they mean mischief," said Halliday in a melancholy voice.

"Do you think, Charlie, that they intend to murder poor Ben?"

"I hope not," I answered, though I did not feel over confident about the matter. "I will do all I can to save him."