There was but one way for them to overcome the difficulty that had so unexpectedly presented itself. This was to separate the slaves by force; taking the four along with them, and leaving the other two to the purchaser, who would not revoke his bargain.

To accomplish this, the a.s.sistance of the bystanders was required, and readily obtained.

Harry was seized and hoisted to the back of his camel; to which he was firmly bound.

Colin, Bill, and the Krooman, were each set astride of a donkey, and then made fast by having their feet tied under the animal's belly.

For a small sum the merchants then engaged two of the bystanders to accompany them, and guard the white slaves to the frontier of the Moorish empire--a distance of two days' journey.

Just as the party was about to move away from the spot, one of the merchants, addressing himself to Jim, made the following observations:--

"Tell the young man--the nephew of the merchant 'For G.o.d's sake bias'-- that since we have started for Swearah, in the belief that his story is true, we shall now take him there, whether he be willing or not; and if he has in any way deceived us, he shall surely die."

"He has not deceived you," said Jim; "take him and the rest of us there, and you will certainly be rewarded."

"Then, why do they not go willingly?"

"Because they do not wish to leave their friends."

"Ungrateful dogs! cannot they be thankful for their own good fortune?

Do they take us for slaves, that we should do their will?"

While this conversation was going go, the other two merchants had headed their animals to the road; and in a minute after, Harry Blount and Colin had parted with their old messmate Terence, without a hope of ever seeing him again.

CHAPTER SEVENTY FOUR.

HOPE DEFERRED.

For the first hour of their journey, Harry, Colin, and Sailor Bill, were borne along, fast bound upon the backs of their animals. So disagreeable did they find this mode of locomotion, that the Krooman was requested to inform their masters that they were willing to accompany them without further opposition, if allowed the freedom of their limbs.

This was the first occasion on which the Krooman had made known to the Arab merchants that he could speak their language.

After receiving a few curses and blows for having so long concealed his knowledge of it, the white slaves were unbound, and the animals they bestrode were driven along in advance of the others, while the two hired guards were ordered to keep a careful watch over them.

The journey was continued until a late hour of the night, when the travellers arrived at a high wall enclosing a small village.

After the slaves had been conducted inside, and the gate fastened behind them, their masters, relieved of all anxiety about losing their property, accepted the hospitality of the sheik of the place, and took their departure for his house, leaving orders that the white slaves should be fed.

After the latter had eaten a hearty meal, consisting of barley-bread and milk, they were conducted to a penn, which was to be their sleeping place, and where they pa.s.sed the greater part of the night in fighting the fleas.

Never before had either of them encountered these insects either so large in size or of so keen appet.i.tes.

It was only at the time at which their journey should have been resumed, that they forgot their hopes and cares in the repose of sleep. Weary in body and soul, they slept on till a late hour; and when aroused to consciousness by an Arab bringing their breakfast, they were surprised to see that the sun was high up in the heavens.

Why had they not been awakened before?

Why this delay?

In the mind of each was an instinctive fear that there must be something wrong, that some other obstacle had arisen, blocking up their road to freedom.

Hours pa.s.sed, and still their masters came not near them.

They remained in much anxiety, vainly endeavouring to surmise what had caused the interruption to their journey.

Knowing that the merchants had expressed an intention to conduct them to Mogador as soon as possible, they could not doubt but that the delay arose from some cause affecting their welfare.

Late in the afternoon they were visited by their masters; and in that interview their worst fears were more than realised.

By the aid of the Krooman, one of the merchants informed Harry that he had deceived them, that the sheik, of whose hospitality they had been partaking, had often visited Swearah, and was acquainted with all the foreign residents there. He had told them that there was no one of the name of "For G.o.d's sake bias."

He had a.s.sured them that they were being imposed upon; and that by taking the white slaves to Swearah they would certainly lose them.

"We will not kill you," said one of their masters to Harry, "for we have not had the trouble of carrying you the whole distance; and besides, we should be doing an injury to ourselves. We shall take you back to the borders of the desert, and there sell you for what you will fetch."

Harry told the Krooman to inform his masters that he had freely pledged his existence on the truth of the story he had told them, that he a.s.suredly had a rich friend in Mogador, who would redeem them all; but that, should his uncle not be in the place at the time they should arrive there, it would make no difference, as they would certainly be ransomed by the English consul. "Tell them," added Harry, "that if they will take us to Mogador, and we are not ransomed as I promised, they shall be welcome to my life. I should then willingly die. Tell them not to sell us until they have proved my words to be false; and not to wrong both themselves and us by trusting too much to the words of a stranger."

To this communication the merchants made reply: that they had been told that slaves brought from the desert into the Empire of Morocco could, and sometimes did, claim the protection of that government, which set them free without paying anything; and those who had been at the expense of bringing them did not get even thanks for their trouble.

One of the merchants, whose name was Bo Muzem, seemed inclined to listen with some favour to the representations of Harry; but he was overruled by the other two: so that all the young Englishman's a.s.sertions about the wealth of his parents at home, and the immense worth he and his comrades were to their country, as officers in its navy, failed to convince those to whom his words were addressed.

The merchants at length went away, leaving Harry and Colin in an agony of despair; while Sailor Bill and the Krooman seemed wholly indifferent about their future destiny. The prospect of being again taken to the desert seemed to have so benumbed the intellect of both, as to leave them incapable of emotion.

Hope, fear, and energy, appeared to have forsaken the old sailor, who, usually so fond of thinking aloud, had not now sufficient spirit left, even for the anathematising of his enemies.

CHAPTER SEVENTY FIVE.

EL HAJI.

Late in the evening of the second day pa.s.sed within the walls of the town, two travellers knocked at the gate for admittance.

One of them gave a name which created quite a commotion in the village, all seeming eager to receive the owner with some show of hospitality.

The merchants sat up to a late hour, in company with these strangers and the sheik of the place.

Notwithstanding this, they were astir upon the following morning before daybreak, busied in making preparations to renew their journey.

Our adventurers, on being allowed some breakfast, were commanded to eat it in all haste, and then a.s.sist in preparing the animals for the road.

They were also informed that they were to be taken back to the Saara, and sold.

"Shall we go, or die?" asked Colin. "I, for one, had rather die than again pa.s.s through the hardships of a journey in the desert."

Neither of the others made any reply to this. The spirit of despair had taken too strong a hold upon them.

The merchants were themselves obliged to caparison the animals; and just as they were about to use some strong arguments to induce their refractory slaves to mount, they were told that "El Haji" ("the pilgrim") wished to have an interview with the Christians.