Part 7 (2/2)
”But were your friends not pursuing?” asked Stephen Jumbo as before put the question
”No; those who attacked my captors are equally enemies of my people, and had they takenArab
From the sounds which reached their ears Stephen and his co farther and farther fro to see as going on, and had not Roger pulled hith the sound ceased, and crawling to the brow of the hillock, so as just to look over it, Roger saw the two parties apparently still carrying on a straggling fight in the far distance They were by this tientlerove,” cried old Sam; ”my throat is like a dust-bin”
”Should the Arabs come back they will carry us off if we do,” observed Stephen ”Better bear our hunger and thirst till the coast is clear”
It was so this, Seli Arab was called, said Stephen's advice was good, and counselled them to remain concealed for the present At last old Saer, that he had eaten up the dates of the rest of the party and drunk up their water, and that it was his business to go and forage for theain warned hirove Roger, who had climbed to the top of the hill, watched as far as he could see his figure At last he appeared to have entered the grove, and had been gone for some ti out fro back and were er feared that old Sa seen by the Arabs, would lead the-place The Arabs caer fancied that he saw the old sailor just co the Arabs, he darted back again, probably to conceal himself His capture seerove, and to the dis to pass the night there Their sufferings now became intense; they feared also that the old sailor would be coer and Stephen agreed that they could scarcely hope to live through the night unless they could obtain food Suddenly Seli their countenances, which showed how , put his hand in his pocket and produced a quantity of dried dates, which he offered to thereat they were able to eat the dates, and felt ht to-rove, ”and then we ht ca discovered by their eneht scent theer and Stephen were, however, too tired to keep awake, but Selim seemed to divine how matters stood, and offered to sit up and watch while they slept He was faithful to his trust, for when the dawn broke and Roger awoke, he saw hi, with his eyes fixed on them
”Ouadelins are on the move,” he said, ”but we er, however, went to the top of the hillock, on which a few bushes completely concealed hirove
In a short ti to the north-east Stephen and Roger, with their two dark-skinned companions, waited till the Arabs had disappeared in the distance; they then all four hurried to the grove On reaching it they lost not atheir thirst, and as soon as they had recovered their voices they shouted for old Sam, but no ansas returned They hunted about in all directions, and at last came to the conclusion that the Arabs had carried hie portion of the dates, but a few reot for the dates and drinking water
”I say, Stephen, we cannot live here for ever,” said Roger, ”for we shall soon have eaten all the provisions the country supplies We must consult with Selih Jumbo, advised that they shouldjourney to tents of ht that he could conduct theht's rest, and having loaded themselves with dates and filled their bottles ater, they set out Seliht beWith their sticks in their hands they trudged over the plain Though the heat was great, the country as they advanced was less arid and sandy than farther south After travelling for five or six days they unexpectedly ca a pool Here they replenished their provisions and water, and after a whole day's rest again set forward Stephen suggested that they should return to the coast, where they et that passing vessels are er ”We cannot be very far off fro thus unexpectedly met a friend, it will be better to stick by hih his relatives, find theus to escape from the country”
When they spoke on the subject to Selio to the coast, but to continue on till they could ratitude for the service they had rendered hied on, sometimes almost starved and ready to die of thirst Occasionally they sahat they supposed to be caravansin the distance, but Selim recommended that they should not atteht carry theth one day they were traversing a wide open plain without either hillocks or bushes, when they saw so towards them On they came rapidly, and were soon discovered to be a party of men on the backs of camels
”The camels are of the Bu Saif breed,” cried Selim; ”we cannot escape them”
”Let us stand still and not ly stood, as Stephen advised, close together, he in front, Selier on the other As the camels drew nearer, it was seen that they were ridden by dark-skinned felloere brandishi+ng in their hands long spears and sciers dashed forward as if about to cut down the shi+pwrecked party, when suddenly Seli his hands, exclaimed, ”I am Selim Ben Hamid, the son of the chief of the Malashlas Spare these whitedown the party, instantly reined in their animals One of their leaders took up Selier, and Jureat respect; then, turning their caain set off at full speed northwards
”I say, Stephen, how do you like it?” asked Roger
”Not at all; but it is better than being killed,” he answered
Indeed, in a few h s For the remainder of the day they travelled on till they reached another oasis, where their friends encaet some rest Selim told them that they had still many more days' journey before they could reach the town, or rather the caer observed that they did not think they could bear the buet accustoht's rest and some black biscuit, in addition to the dates, restored their strength, and next day they proceeded on their journey
”I aive in,” cried Stephen, as the enduring caether without stopping
”What they and their masters are made of I cannot conceive, for the Arabs have eaten but a few dates each day since we started; for my part I feel nearly starved”
”We ive in, or they will look on us with contempt;” for Seliot accusto their handkerchiefs tight round their waists, they did not suffer h they in a short tith Selim told them that in two or three days' ti forward to the rest they soover a hilly country covered with low shrubs of a peculiarly brittle character, bethich the ca theth of the road traversed They observed that the Arabssent in front to act as scouts Evening was approaching, and they were looking out for a spot on which to enca the base of a rocky and precipitous hill, a party of horsemen dashed out from a narrow ravine on the left, where they had remained concealed from the scouts At the sahts above the, immediately turned his ca on his men to follow Some did so, but the horsemen dashed in between the soer had in vain endeavoured to follow Seliht to the ground They fully expected to be cut down, but Ju to fly, threw himself from his camel, which was uninjured