Part 15 (2/2)
”Gather thy belongings quickly, and follow me. It is thine only chance.”
In less time than it occupies to relate, we s.n.a.t.c.hed up our articles of dress, and hurried after him through several doors, until he came to a double one, whereat was seated a black slave. As we pa.s.sed quickly through this, the odour of fragrant perfumes greeted our nostrils, and, in the semi-darkness, there was the _frou-frou_ of silk, and the sound of hasty, shuffling feet. A second later, we found ourselves in a small apartment, lit more brightly than the others, tastefully decorated in green and gold, and containing many priceless Arab rugs and soft divans.
”Rest here undisturbed,” he said, waving his hands in the direction of the inviting-looking lounges, around which were scattered traces of women's occupation. ”Within the apartments sacred to my women they will not search for thee. Though I commit an offence against our law, thou art safe in this, my harem. I will s.h.i.+eld thee, even with mine own life, for the sake of the Lalla Azala, upon whom may Allah ever shower his blessings! Rest, then, while I go and complete the preparations for our flight.”
”We thank thee, O father!” I answered, fervently. ”May thy face be ever brightened by the sun of Allah's favour!”
But he was already out of hearing, so suddenly did he leave us.
Within a quarter of an hour, sounds of a loud and fierce altercation reaching us, caused us to stand rigid and silent. So rapidly were the words spoken in the Hausa tongue, that many of them were to me unintelligible, but, glancing at the dwarf, I noticed that his brow was contracted. His eyes glittered with a keen, murderous expression that I had never seen before, as, with unsheathed knife in hand, he stood near the doorway of the harem on the alert, determined not to be taken without a struggle, and to sell his life dearly.
The curtain on the opposite side of our place of concealment stirred, and a fair face peered forth inquisitively, listening as attentively as ourselves, to the heated argument outside. Her great, fathomless eyes were surmounted by two delicately-pencilled arches, and her black, glossy hair fell down her neck, covering her cheeks with its warm shadows.
With a suddenness that startled us, a deep voice, raised louder than the others, expressed a conviction that we were hidden there, and declared his intention of making a thorough search, whereupon approaching footsteps sounded on the paving; the young woman withdrew her head with a slight scream, realising that her privacy was to be intruded upon, and Tiamo and I stood together, dismayed at our base betrayal by the keepers of the city gate.
It was an exciting moment. In desperation, I drew my two-edged _jambiyah_--determined to fight desperately, rather than fall alive into the hands of the Sultan's torturers.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
THE FATHER OF THE BLUE HAND.
As with bated breath we listened, Mohammed, upon whom Tiamo had bestowed the sobriquet of ”The Father of the Blue Hand,” spoke in Arabic, denying in clear, indignant tones that any stranger had found succour beneath his roof, and expressing his readiness to a.s.sist his Majesty the Sultan in arresting the rascally Dervish spy.
”Proceed no further,” he cried, evidently barring their way resolutely.
”Lend me thine ears. Though a worker at the dye-pots I have, by diligence and integrity, ama.s.sed riches, and am honoured among the men of Sokoto. Desecrate not the quarters of my wives by intruding thy presence upon them. If thou thinkest that I lie when I tell thee that no stranger hath eaten salt with me, ask of the Governor, of the Cadi, of the Hadj Al-Wali, chief imam, whether untruths fall from my lips. By my beard! thou art mistaken. Even though thou art fighting-men of the Sultan 'Othman--whom may Allah enrich and guide to just actions!--his Majesty would never suffer thee to penetrate into his servant's harem.”
”He lieth! He lieth!” they all cried, loudly. ”The spy came hither, accompanied by a slave of small stature. Own it, or thy lying tongue shall be cut out.”
And one of the men added, ”His Majesty hath given us orders to bring unto him the head of the Dervish from Omdurman--whom may Allah cast into the pit Al-Hawiyat!--but thine own h.o.a.ry head will do as well,” whereat the others, with one accord, jeered at our protector.
The declaration of my pursuers caused my heart to sink. To be decapitated as a spy was as deplorable an end as to starve to death in the desert. But there was no escape; I resigned myself to the will of Allah.
The altercation increased, Mohammed being a.s.sailed with a thousand maledictions, while my ugly companion and myself held our peace in fear and trembling. Although the soldiers alternately threatened and cajoled for a considerable time none entered the apartment wherein we stood, yet our discovery seemed imminent, and looking around for means of escape we could detect none.
Suddenly, however, there was a shuffling of feet upon the flags, and a voice, loud in authority, cried,--
”Back, O men-at-arms! What meanest this? Let not thy feet desecrate the mats of Mohammed el-Arewa's harem, for of a verity he is honest and loyal, a trusty servant of our Imperial Master. By my beard! thy Koran giveth thee no right to intrude upon woman's domestic privacy. Back, I command thee. Back!”
”Who art thou, son of _sebel_, who vouchest for this dyer's loyalty, and darest to give orders unto the emissaries of his Majesty?” asked one of the armed men, evidently their leader.
”My name,” cried the newcomer, ”my name is Shukri Aga. I am Governor of Sokoto.”
Dead silence followed. The men mumbled together in an undertone, while our friend and protector briefly explained the position of affairs, laying stress on the fact that the soldiers had threatened to strike off his head. With one accord the men fell upon their knees before the representative of their Sultan, beseeching forgiveness, declaring that they had been misinformed, and that they had felt a.s.sured from the first that a devout man such as our host, would never harbour a dangerous spy.
But the Governor was inexorable. Irritated by the insolent manner in which his right to interfere had been questioned, he turned upon them angrily, saying--
”Get thee gone instantly. To-morrow the cadi shall curb thine excess of zeal, and peradventure a taste of the bastinado will cause thee to remember that a man's harem is sacred. Begone!”
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