Part 34 (1/2)

”This month of toil, all our leagues of weariness and pain among the men of the M'Geel are things lost, then,” went on the Moor impa.s.sively. ”An order has come and we must leap to obey it. The Sidi Jan, too? His voice is not to be heard in the matter.” He shrugged his shoulders apathetically. ”Only a child,” he added, and touched the golden curls with a caressing hand. ”Only a bale of merchandise, a thing to be bought and sold.”

Miller turned and looked at him keenly. The Moor met the glance with a droop of the head which spoke eloquently of submission. But a queer smile began to harden Landon's lips. He rose slowly to his feet.

”A bale of merchandise,” he repeated slowly. ”And, as I am reminded, we toiled to bring it uninjured across the wilds of the Beni M'Geel. Will that be reckoned in the value of it?” he asked, and wheeled suddenly towards Miller with a savage, cat-like motion. ”Will they pay me for my sweat and thirst and pain?”

The gray man was silent for a moment. There was something electric in the atmosphere, something menacing, something--and this was perhaps what his machine-like mind shrank from most--something human and pa.s.sionate.

These were not among the goods which Mr. Miller sought to purchase.

”You will do your own bargaining,” he said, in a level, dispa.s.sionate tone. ”But the child must be delivered. The price? There you are master of your own affairs.”

For the second time Landon's eyes dwelled on Muhammed's face.

”I shall answer him--how?” he asked quietly.

”Thus!” said the Moor, and flung his arms round Miller's elbows and smothered his lips upon his breast, while Landon, laughing a queer, excited laugh, s.n.a.t.c.hed up a garment from the dismal heap on the floor, tore off a liberal patch, and deftly wound it in gag-wise between the prisoner's teeth. Shackled with ragged waist-cloths at ankle and wrist, the gray figure was lowered down the steps into the darkness. Muhammed spoke rapidly and incisively for the s.p.a.ce of a minute to the Jew, who listened in impa.s.sive silence. Then, with a last commanding gesture, the Moor opened the door and went out again alone into the swiftly falling dusk.

CHAPTER XVII

MUHAMMED SCORES TWICE

Muhammed's steps were bent away from the town towards the row of dilapidated hovels which fringe the bank of sand below the nearer blockhouse. And he walked quickly; there was definite purpose and no sign of hesitation in his stride. He came to a halt before a dwelling, half burrow, half barn, round the entrance of which were cl.u.s.tered half a dozen ragged figures.

The Moor's face was dark in the shadow of his _haik_ hood, but he appeared to need no introduction. He raised a finger and beckoned. One of the lounging figures rose grudgingly and drew aside with him.

”I have it from Yakoob, Signor Luigi, that you leave to-morrow. That must be altered. It may be necessary to make a start to-night.”

The other raised a dark Italian face towards the Moor and eyed him questioningly. He shrugged his shoulders.

”I have no charter from Yakoob,” he said. ”I return home to Salicudi--to await the sponge-fis.h.i.+ng season. I need a holiday; this contraband running frets the nerves, do you see? I wish to forget the need of having eyes--and a telescope--at the back of one's head.”

For a moment Muhammed was silent, debating, as it seemed, something in which memory or experience gave him no a.s.sistance.

”Salicudi?” he questioned.

”In the Lipari group,” said the other, laconically. ”My home.”

”An island?” said the Moor. ”And your home? What is it? A house--a hut--a castle? Give me particulars. My chiefest need would be privacy.

Can you guarantee it?”

The Italian pondered.

”You flee from--what?” he demanded.

”From a curiosity which still seems to dog my footsteps,” said the Moor, drily. ”Let it be sufficient for you to know that with three friends I desire to vanish from Melilla to-night. We might find it convenient to remain temporarily on Salicudi. It depends on your neighbors' thirst for information and your capabilities of defeating it.”

Signor Luigi gave an expressive and contemptuous wave of the hand.

”On Salicudi are six families--cousins of mine, all of them. I and my brother Sandro alone possess boats or money. The others work for us and are fed. We do not encourage them to think; they do not tire their magnificent brains except under our direction.”