Part 15 (2/2)
”You must accept me as an ally, my dear sir,” he said. ”You have seen that I have a pressing need to meet Landon. I should like to do so in your company.”
The other still hesitated.
”Why?” he asked.
”Because I would like to make the interview convincing--to you,” said Aylmer. ”Because I covet your friends.h.i.+p; because I want you and your family to revise their estimate of the name of Aylmer. Because,” he paused and deliberated over his words for a moment, ”because I want to be received by you at Villa Eulalia, inside.”
Again the gray face flushed; again the hand was raised in deprecation.
And then the bell in the porch rang furiously, and continued to ring till the porter emerged frowning from his lodge.
Aylmer heard the sound of blows and his own name repeated in fierce interrogation. He recognized the voice. It was Daoud who was shouting and endeavoring to gain entrance in the face of the porter's emphatic protests.
As Aylmer advanced to the bars, the tumult ceased.
”Sidi! Sidi!” cried the Moor. ”Your man left by the Larache road three hours back. A company of ne'er-do-wells have taken a sudden impulse to visit Arzeila, or so they said. He joined himself to them, wearing native dress, and was accepted by them without comment. Surely there is something of strangeness and importance in this. I have run, I have sweated, to let you know!”
Van Arlen gave an exclamation of alarm.
”It is as I thought!” he cried. ”The Arzeila road? That is a blind. They can make a cut across towards Spartel at any moment.” He shouted towards one of the watching attendants; his voice seemed to gain new force as he issued his orders alertly. He faced Aylmer again. ”It is a matter of speed,” he exclaimed. ”I must hasten--at the gallop.”
Aylmer gave him a protesting look.
”Not I! We,” he corrected.
For a moment the other still hesitated. Then a smile broke into being in his sombrely weary eyes.
”We, then,” he agreed. ”Even the gentleman who has sadly impaired the distinction of my porter, if you can guarantee him. We may need all the help we can get. Certainly we! G.o.d send we may be in time!”
CHAPTER VIII
THE FIRST TRICK IS LOST
The cavalcade of hors.e.m.e.n swept along a level plain of beach and from there turned aside to gain the broom-covered slope which led towards the cliff top. The white column of the lighthouse, which had been their guide heretofore, disappeared behind the shoulder of the ascent. It was no more than a couple of miles away. The riders spurred their horses up the steep, Aylmer and Van Arlen leading. The edge of their anxieties grew blunter as they neared their goal. They might be in time to meet and safeguard those they sought before they left the shelter of Spartel.
As they topped the rise and looked across the undulating stretch of green which lay before them, Daoud, riding behind Aylmer, gave a triumphant shout.
”_La bas, alk.u.mdullah!_” he cried fervently. ”No harm, thanks to G.o.d.
The lady is even now coming towards us with her party unharmed.”
Their eyes followed the direction of his finger. A great sigh of relief broke from Mr. Van Arlen's lips.
A party came slowly towards them, a couple of furlongs distant. Seven or eight were men mounted on barbs, and armed, in spite of prohibitions, with Remington rifles swung across their laps. In front of them, a couple of mules paced doggedly on, carrying two white-clad figures. At their bridles were _djelab_-clothed youths, whose adjurations of their charges were audible even at that distance, so still was the evening air. Two or three dogs chased each other and supposit.i.tious partridges from tuft to tuft.
Van Arlen and Aylmer saw that they were seen, but not recognized. The muleteers halted and cried loudly to the guard. The hors.e.m.e.n looked up, whirled up their rifles with their right hands, and spurred to the front.
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