Volume I Part 69 (2/2)
He resolved to die bravely as becaainst his cell, and at the same moment Joliette heard a voice call to him:
”Captain, captain! Do not despair--help is at hand!”
Just then his cell door was burst open and the murderers rushed in
CHAPTER LIII
THE LION IN CONFLICT WITH THE LION
We la an ireen leaf could be seen for miles around, and yet it was here that Monte-Cristo cast his tent
Hardly had he arrived at Bona than he regained the vigor of his youthful days, and two hours after his landing Monte-Cristo was already on his way to the desert with a well-organized caravan One hundred energetic men accompanied hiht hundred camels He and Spero were at the head of the party; Bertuccio, Jacopo and Coucou followed behind Before he had left the shi+p, the count had called his son aside, and putting a la and said:
”This is the place wefor”
Monte-Cristo knew that in the centre of the desert the queen of the oases, Uargla, lay, and that it was the principal refuge of sedition He had known that Abd-el-Kader's i and bloody war The naiven him by the Zouave, Mohammed ben Abdallah, he knew to be that of a treacherous villain How did it happen, then, that Monte-Cristo had not recognized in the Arab who enjoyed his hospitality Mohaenerosity by having his cabin broken open, the contents of his safe scattered about, and being told to beware of the Khouans
What the Fenians are to Ireland, the Thugs to India, the Khouans are to Arabia They formed a brotherhood whose object was the murder and annihilation of all Europeans and Christians Monte-Cristo knew the savage nature of these enean to hope that perhaps he would find what he was seeking When night came, Monte-Cristo withdreith Spero to his tent
The count wrote to Haydee A courier went north every day, but Monte-Cristo had not yet been able to send Mercedes any consolation
Spero, tired out by the fatigues of the day, had fallen asleep, and the father often gazed with pleasure at the finely chiselled face How azed at Spero, he had to confess that he had dealt too harshly with Morcerf If he had been a father at that time, he would have hesitated before he had carried out his plan of vengeance Ah! heback to Mercedes her son, so that the punishment should not fall on Spero's head
Suddenly Spero uttered a cry in his sleep, and looked wildly about hi htened, bent over the sleeping boy
”What is the ?”
”Oh, how glad I am it was only a drea You know,” he consolingly added, ”dreams are untrue”
”Yes, you have often told me that, and yet--”
The child paused and looked timidly in the corner of the tent
”Why do you look so timidly over there?” asked the count, anxiously
”Papa, do not laugh at me,” whispered Spero, ”but I do not think I was asleep A little while ago, I saw the curtains of the tent part and a dark form appeared at the aperture”
”When was it, Spero?”