diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-21 21:00:44 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-01-21 21:00:44 -0800 |
| commit | a003314ed087f2cadefdfcfe3dd3f3e08b062f95 (patch) | |
| tree | faacf59d66e6c1f6b82ef03f6b4f934f2ce40e0d | |
| parent | 080c0db58107d0d1fa2fab4c8e77a94b5b4049df (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-0.txt | 9135 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-0.zip | bin | 112490 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-h.zip | bin | 819753 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-h/68164-h.htm | 10952 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 614144 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-h/images/cover_illo.jpg | bin | 81094 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/68164-h/images/i004.jpg | bin | 4343 -> 0 bytes |
10 files changed, 17 insertions, 20087 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b9a7aad --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #68164 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/68164) diff --git a/old/68164-0.txt b/old/68164-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 7b5d534..0000000 --- a/old/68164-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9135 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of In the volcano's mouth, by Frank -Sheridan - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: In the volcano's mouth - or, A boy against an army - -Author: Frank Sheridan - -Release Date: May 24, 2022 [eBook #68164] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Demian Katz, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy - of the Digital Library@Villanova University.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE VOLCANO'S MOUTH *** - - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_). - -Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end. - - * * * * * - -No. 134 - -BOUND-TO-WIN LIBRARY - -IN THE VOLCANO’S MOUTH - -BY FRANK SHERIDAN - -[Illustration] - -STREET & SMITH · PUBLISHERS · NEW YORK - - * * * * * - -THE BOUND TO WIN LIBRARY - -We called this new line of high-class copyrighted stories of adventure -for boys by this name because we felt assured that it was “bound to -win” its way into the heart of every true American lad. The stories -are exceptionally bright, clean and interesting. The writers had the -interest of our boys at heart when they wrote the stories, and have not -failed to show what a pure-minded lad with courage and mettle can do. -Remember, that these stories are copyrighted and cannot be had in any -other series. We give herewith a list of those already published and -those scheduled for publication. - -PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK - -To be Published During September - - 136--Spider and Stump By Bracebridge Hemyng - 135--The Creature of the Pines By John De Morgan - 134--In the Volcano’s Mouth By Frank Sheridan - 133--Muscles of Steel By Weldon J. Cobb - -To be Published During August - - 132--Home Base By Bracebridge Hemyng - 131--The Jewel of Florida By Cornelius Shea - 130--The Boys’ Revolt By Harrie Irving Hancock - 129--The Mystic Isle By Fred Thorpe - 128--With the Mad Mullah By Weldon J. Cobb - -To be Published During July - - 127--A Humble Hero By John De Morgan - 126--For Big Money By Fred Thorpe - 125--Too Fast to Last By Bracebridge Hemyng - 124--Caught in a Trap By Harrie Irving Hancock - - 123--The Tattooed Boy By Weldon J. Cobb - 122--The Young Horseman By Herbert Bellwood - 121--Sam Sawbones By Bracebridge Hemyng - 120--On His Mettle By Fred Thorpe - 119--Compound Interest By Harrie Irving Hancock - 118--Runaway and Rover By Weldon J. Cobb - 117--Larry O’Keefe By Bracebridge Hemyng - 116--The Boy Crusaders By John De Morgan - 115--Double Quick Dan By Fred Thorpe - 114--Money to Spend By Harrie Irving Hancock - 113--Billy Barlow By Bracebridge Hemyng - 112--A Battle with Fate By Weldon J. Cobb - 111--Gypsy Joe By John De Morgan - 110--Barred Out By Fred Thorpe - 109--Will Wilding By Bracebridge Hemyng - 108--Frank Bolton’s Chase By Harrie Irving Hancock - 107--Lucky-Stone Dick By Weldon J. Cobb - 106--Tom Scott, the American Robinson Crusoe By Frank Sheridan - 105--Fatherless Bob at Sea By Bracebridge Hemyng - 104--Fatherless Bob By Bracebridge Hemyng - 103--Hank the Hustler By Fred Thorpe - 102--Dick Stanhope Afloat By Harrie Irving Hancock - 101--The Golden Harpoon By Weldon J. Cobb - 100--Mischievous Matt’s Pranks By Bracebridge Hemyng - 99--Mischievous Matt By Bracebridge Hemyng - 98--Bert Chipley By John De Morgan - 97--Down-East Dave By Fred Thorpe - 96--The Young Diplomat By Harrie Irving Hancock - 95--The Fool of the Family By Bracebridge Hemyng - 94--Slam, Bang & Co By Weldon J. Cobb - 93--On the Road By Stanley Norris - 92--The Blood-Red Hand By John De Morgan - 91--The Diamond King By Cornelius Shea - 90--The Double-Faced Mystery By Fred Thorpe - 89--The Young Theatrical Manager By Stanley Norris - 88--The Young West-Pointer By Harrie Irving Hancock - 87--Held for Ransom By Weldon J. Cobb - 86--Boot-Black Bob By John De Morgan - 85--Engineer Tom By Cornelius Shea - 84--The Mascot of Hoodooville By Fred Thorpe - - - - -In the Volcano’s Mouth - - - OR - A BOY AGAINST AN ARMY - - _By_ FRANK SHERIDAN, _author of_ “_Bert Fairfax_,” - “_Through Flame to Fame_,” “_Life-Line Larry_,” “_Lion-Hearted - Jack_,” _etc._ - - [Illustration] - - STREET AND SMITH, PUBLISHERS - 79-89 SEVENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK - - * * * * * - - Copyright, 1890 - By Norman L. Munro - - In the Volcano’s Mouth - - * * * * * - -IN THE VOLCANO’S MOUTH. - - - - -CHAPTER I. MADCAP MAX. - - -“All aboard!” - -“All but passengers ashore.” - -The loud, stentorian voices of the officers of the magnificent palace -steamer L’Orient, of the Peninsular and Oriental Line, sounded all -along the Southampton docks, up the streets to the old gates, and even -penetrated into some of the business houses of the quaint old English -town. - -The shout, so commonplace to the citizens of Southampton, was one of -serious import to those gathered on the deck of the steamer. - -Parting is never pleasant, and when the journey is a long one, and it -is known the absence is for years, the last words are always tearful. - -On the deck stood two men, alone. - -Not one had come to bid them good-by or a godspeed on their journey. - -And yet tears filled the eyes of both. - -The elder was a bronzed veteran, his face as dark as that of any -mulatto, his long, white mustache standing out in startling contrast to -the color of his skin. - -He was sixty years of age, but his strong body, his hard muscles, and -firm walk, would rather betoken a man of forty. - -By his side stood his son, a youth almost effeminate in appearance, -but perhaps only because of the contrast to his father; there was a -brightness in his eyes which betokens an active spirit, and although so -effeminate-looking, when he clinched his hand one could see the strong -muscle rising beneath the sleeve. - -The elder man is Maximilian Gordon, of the mercantile firm of Gordon, -Welter & Maxwell, of New York. - -The son is Maximilian Gordon, also, but always called Max by those who -are intimate with him, and “Madcap Max” by his closest companions. - -Gordon, Welter & Maxwell were interested in Egyptian produce, and for -many years Maximilian Gordon had been a resident of Alexandria. - -His wife, sickly and delicate at all times, had been compelled to live -in England, where young Max had been educated. - -The elder man paid a yearly visit to his family, and had just completed -arrangements for them to return to Egypt with him when cholera broke -out, and he arrived home only just in time to close his wife’s eyes in -death and see her body committed to its eternal resting place. - -Hence it was that, as father and son looked at the English coast, which -was by this time fast receding, their eyes were filled with tears, for -they were leaving a plot of earth hallowed and sacred, because it was a -wife’s and mother’s grave. - -Youth is ever buoyant, and before the steamer had left the English -Channel, Max was the happy, light-hearted lad once again, laughing, -chatting and larking with everyone he came in contact with. - -His father could not hide his grief so easily, but showed by his manner -how nearly broken was his heart and ruined his life. - -When the troubled waters of the Bay of Biscay were reached, Max had -given plentiful evidence of his love of practical joking, and showed -that he fully deserved his sobriquet of Madcap. - -One of the passengers had on board an African monkey. - -This little, frolicsome animal became very fond of Max, and was easily -induced to adapt itself to the ways of the fun-loving youth. - -One night Max took Jocko and dressed him in a lady’s nightcap, which he -had obtained from a stewardess, and told Jocko he must lie in a certain -bed. - -The stateroom was occupied by a snarling old bachelor, who declared -that women and children were a nuisance. - -When the old fellow entered his room he saw, to his utter astonishment, -a head resting on his pillow. - -Without staying to investigate, he rushed out of his room, shouting -“Steward!” at the top of his voice. - -“What is it, Mr. Lawrence?” asked the first officer, startled by the -frantic shouting. - -“Some one has placed a nigger baby in my bed.” - -“Nonsense, Mr. Lawrence!” - -“I say they have, and I’ll report every officer of the vessel if the -offender is not punished.” - -“I will see that the matter is investigated,” said Officer Tunley. - -“Of course--but when? Why, in a week’s time, when everyone will have -easily forgotten--no, sir, come at once.” - -“I will do so; but allow me to suggest, Mr. Lawrence, that it may have -been the extra bottle of Bass’ ale----” - -“Do you dare, officer, to insinuate----” - -“Nothing, save that Welsh rarebit, highly seasoned, and three bottles -of strong ale, are likely to disturb the vision.” - -“I’ll report you, sir--mark me, I’ll report you. Come, now, to my room, -and if there is not a nigger baby there I’ll eat my hat.” - -“Very well, sir, I will come with you.” - -By the time the stateroom was reached, Jocko had fled the room, and Max -had stripped the cap from its head. - -The monkey sat on the table in the saloon, grinning, as if it enjoyed -the joke. - -The officer and Mr. Lawrence entered the stateroom. - -“By Jove!” exclaimed Lawrence, as he looked at his bed. - -“I was afraid you were romancing, sir,” said the officer, with proud -indignation. “Take care, sir, that it does not occur again.” - -The passenger was speechless. - -Another day, when the steamer _L’Orient_ was being tossed about in the -most fantastic manner, sometimes taking a swift pitch forward, then -curving and twisting in a way which would bring joy to the heart of a -baseball pitcher, Madcap Max thought the time had come for a pleasant -diversion. - -A drove of pigs, with other animals, was on board, to enable the -company to provide fresh meat for the passengers. - -Max quietly released the pigs from their quarters, and saw them, with -one accord, make for the saloon. - -That was just what he wanted. - -A lady was tossed off her bed to the floor, but to her horror she fell -on the back of a pig, who set up such a squeaking and squealing that, -although the passengers were feeling sick, they were compelled to laugh. - -After a voyage of fourteen days the city of Alexandria was sighted. - -“Thank goodness!” exclaimed an old Indian nabob. “I am glad I have to -stay at Alexandria, for _L’Orient_ is the worst disciplined ship I was -ever in.” - -The verdict was concurred in by nearly everyone on board. - -And yet it was not the officers’ fault, for nine-tenths of the trouble -was caused by the pranks of Madcap Max. - -“Do we land here?” asked Max. - -“Yes, Max. We shall finish our journey overland.” - -“Our journey?” repeated Max, opening his bright eyes still wider with -astonishment. - -“Yes, Max. We go to Cairo before we settle down at Alexandria.” - -“I am so glad.” - -Several scores of boats surrounded _L’Orient_, manned by swarthy and -not too-much dressed Arabs; a dozen or so seized upon Max and his -father and literally dragged them to a boat. - -On the way from the steamer to the landing dock, Mr. Gordon whispered -to Max: - -“No jokes with these fellows, or your life is not your own.” - -“All right, dad; I’ll be as sober as a judge and as full of fun as an -undertaker.” - -“For your own sake be careful.” - -“I will, dad. That is, as careful as I can be.” - - - - -CHAPTER II. EMIN BEY’S ESCAPE. - - -When the passengers landed, a rabble of donkey drivers met them. - -No more clever, impudent little gossoons exist on the face of the earth -than these same Arab donkey boys. - -They hit upon the nationality of the stranger almost intuitively. - -An American who had never been in Egypt before, was looking at the -surging, struggling lot of donkey drivers with wonder, when one of them -pushed forward and addressed him as follows: - -“I’se looking for you, sah. Here he is; my donkey is the one Pasha -Grant rode on; him called ‘Yankee Doodle.’” - -“Get away with yer. Can’t yer see the bey will only ride on Hail -Columbia?” - -Seated on a donkey, Max entered the city founded by Alexander three -hundred and thirty-three years before the birth of Christ. - -Before a strange-looking, square, flat-topped house the donkeys halted, -and Mr. Gordon bade Max dismount. - -“This is home.” - -“Do you live here, dad?” - -“Yes, Max. We will rest here to-night, and go on our journey to-morrow.” - -Max was delighted, and late in the day wandered alone to that wonderful -monolith of granite called “Pompey’s Pillar.” - -He sat down to think. - -He had always been fond of books on Egypt, and now he was actually -looking on one of the wonders of that old country. - -Suddenly he heard a cry. - -It was like a girl’s voice. - -Max was up in an instant and trying to locate the sound. - -He had no difficulty in so doing, for a girl--her face half covered -with a white veil--rushed past him, shrieking and crying. - -“Allah! Allah!” she shouted. - -Two men were in pursuit. - -Max never stopped to think. - -He leaped forward, and without knowing why he did so, or whether it -would be wise to interfere, he struck one of the Arabs to the earth, -and threw himself against the other, who was a strong, powerful fellow, -with muscles like iron. - -That did not worry Max, for he was lithe and strong, but he was -unaccustomed to foul play. - -When, therefore, he found that the man he had knocked down had risen -and drawn a long, sharp dagger, with which he threatened his life, Max -saw the unwisdom of his defense of the Arab girl. - -A muscular Arab in front of him, and another at his back brandishing a -dagger, was enough to frighten an older man than Max. - -The Arabs jabbered away in a gibberish which Max did not understand. - -He struck at the man in front of him and made him stagger back, then -with a quick movement, he stooped as he turned and caught the armed -Arab round the legs, throwing him over his shoulder. - -He had not disabled his opponents, so he thought discretion better -than valor. Using his legs as well as he could he ran away, only to be -stopped by the girl he had--as he thought--rescued. - -She flung her arms round his neck, and talking rapidly--though in an -unknown tongue to Max--held him fast until his pursuers were close upon -him. - -With a wild shout they seized him, and would have speedily rendered -him insensible had not a deliverer appeared. - -A man, bronzed and weather-beaten, though only in the prime of life, -slowly and with deliberation took hold of one of the Arabs and flung -him on one side. - -Presenting a revolver at the head of the other, he commanded him and -the girl to go, and that quickly. - -“You have saved my life, sir,” said Max. - -“Have I? Is it worth saving?” - -“Perhaps not, but all the same I do not want to lose it.” - -“Take care of it, then, and don’t go wandering about Alexandria without -weapons.” - -“What did they want with me?” - -“They would have captured you, and held you until ransomed.” - -“But----” - -“You are not rich, you would say. What does that matter? A ten-dollar -gold piece would seem a fortune to them. The girl practices that scream -on hundreds of unsuspecting foreigners.” - -“You speak of American money; are you from the States?” - -“From them? Yes; but I am a citizen of the world, a cosmopolitan.” - -“Might I ask your name?” inquired Max. - -“You might; but it does not signify. If I have saved your life, prove -that your life is of some value.” - -The stranger left Max in one of the most frequented streets of that -city where Cleopatra often rode, attracting the admiration of all to -the savage beauty of that - - “Queen, with swarthy cheeks and bold, black eyes; - Brow-bound with burning gold.” - -Max wondered whether the stranger spoke truly, and almost was inclined -to doubt, for he was at that age when the laughing black eyes of a girl -fascinate and lure, sometimes to ruin. - -Anyway, he was thankful for having been saved from the Arabs. - -He saw that night how much his father was respected, but he saw that -which made his heart sad. His father was bowed down with grief. - -And no wonder. He had loved his wife with a passion as strong as his -love of life. - -When they had left New York with Max, a boy of only eight summers of -life, all had seemed roseate. - -Leaving Max at a school in England, Mrs. Gordon accompanied her husband -to Egypt; but at the end of three years the malarious climate had -rendered it impossible for her to live there, and she returned to -England to be near Max. - -For seven years the husband had only been able to spend three months in -the year with the wife he so loved. - -Then came the time when once more the mother of Max was ready to brave -the treacherous climate of Egypt. - -How the husband had looked forward to that time, and with what -pleasure had he refurnished his house. Everything to please her was -obtained. - -Alas! her earthly eyes never saw them, and it was no wonder that Mr. -Gordon should feel most wretched when he returned to his Oriental home, -and knew that she would never grace it with her presence. - -His only tie to life now was Max, but even with him there was anxiety, -for the stern business man--the successful merchant had only seen the -frivolous side of his son’s life. - -To him he was the madcap. - -To him the boy was the practical joker, the mischievous lad, whose -thoughts were of fun and amusement. - -Early next morning they took train to Cairo. - -How strange it seems to the Biblical student, to think of traveling by -a railroad in that country, so famous in Bible stories! - -The comic rhyme of one who indulged in the ludicrous fancy of traveling -by means of steam through Egypt and Palestine: - - “Stop her. Now, then, for Joppa! - Ease her. Anyone for Gizeh?” - -has come to be literally true, for Max heard the conductor shout out: -“Gizeh--all out for Gizeh,” on the route between Alexandria and Cairo. - -At the citadel of the narrow-streeted city, Mr. Gordon roused up, and -told Max of the slaughter of the Mamelukes--that wonderful body of men -who, from being slaves, became the rulers of Egypt. - -“It was here,” said Mr. Gordon, “that when Mohammed Ali, in 1811, was -organizing his expedition against the Wahhabees, he heard that the -Mamelukes designed to rebel in his absence. He therefore invited their -chief to be present at the investiture of his son with the command of -the army. - -“Above four hundred accepted the invitation. After receiving a most -flattering welcome they were invited to parade in the courtyard of the -citadel.” - -“What for?” asked Max. “Did Mohammed want to impress them with his -generosity?” - -“No,” answered Mr. Gordon. “The Mamelukes defiled within its lofty -walls; the portcullis fell behind the last of their glittering array; -too late they perceived that their host had caught them in a trap, and -they turned to effect a retreat. - -“In vain. - -“Wherever they looked their eyes rested on the barred windows and -blank, pitiless walls. - -“But they saw more. - -“A thousand muskets were pointed at them, and from those muskets -incessant volleys were poured. - -“This sudden and terrible death was met with a courage worthy of the -past history of the Mamelukes. - -“Some folded their arms across their mailed bosoms, and stood waiting -for death.” - -“How brave!” ejaculated Max, in a low voice. - -“Others bent their turbaned heads in prayer. But some, with angry -brows, drew their swords and charged upon the gunners. - -“It was of no avail. They were shot down, and the withering fire did -its deadly work.” - -“Did all perish?” asked Max, excitedly. - -“Only one escaped.” - -“How did he manage it?” - -“Emin Bey--for that was his name--spurred his Arabian charger over a -pile of his dead and dying comrades. He sprang upon the battlements; -the next moment he was in the air; another and he released himself from -his crushed and bleeding horse amid a shower of bullets.” - -“What became of him?” - -“He fled, took refuge in a sanctuary of a mosque, and finally escaped -into the desert.” - -“Is he dead?” - -“What a question, Max! Emin was a middle-aged man at that time, and -that is over seventy years ago.” - -“Had he any sons?” - -“I believe so. Why do you ask?” - -“Because I would like to see any of his descendants. I would like to -speak to them. It would be a proud honor to say, ‘I shook hands, or ate -salt, with the grandson of Emin Bey.’” - -“Why, Madcap, I never saw you so serious before!” - -“Did you not, dad? Oh, I often get fits of that kind.” - -Max laughed as he spoke, and seemed once again the merry, happy, -careless boy. - -“Depend upon it, Max, they are nothing better than slave hunters or -pirates now.” - -“I hope you are wrong, dad.” - - - - -CHAPTER III. IN A DESERT TOMB. - - -The conversation about the last of the Mamelukes filled Max with a -restless ambition. - -He wanted to leave civilization behind him and go “far from the madding -crowd,” into the midst of the wild residents of the Dark Continent. - -Like those who believe the American Indians to be a grand race, -persecuted without reason by the dominant power, so Max looked upon the -residents of the Dark Continent as being a superior people. - -He said nothing to his father, knowing well that his boyish ideas would -be laughed at, but he spent all his waking moments dreaming dreams of -the savages of the jungles. - -The wonders of Cairo fascinated him, but there was something too -civilized about the houses. - -The lattices--which covered the windows instead of glass--pleased him, -and many a time would he catch a glimpse of some white brow of a lady -fair through the interstices of the lattice, and would feel like - - “The lover, all as frantic - Who saw Helen’s beauty on a brow of Egypt.” - -It was to be his father’s last day in Cairo. All the wonders of the -city--save the nearby pyramids and Heliopolis--had been seen, and these -had to be left to a future visit, for business called the merchant -back to Alexandria. - -Max pleaded for one more day--or at least that their journey should be -deferred until the morrow. - -He wanted to see that wonderful City of the Sun, where existed the -university at which Moses was educated, and the daughter of one of -whose professors Joseph married. - -And so Mr. Gordon yielded. - -Joyously the two passed by the venerable sycamore tree, hollow, gnarled -and almost leafless, beneath the branches of which tradition says that -Joseph and Mary rested with the infant Christ in their flight into -Egypt. - -The obelisk of Osertasen I., which has stood five thousand years, was -gazed at by young Madcap with a certain amount of awe. - -It was dark before Max was ready to return. - -Instead of taking the nearest route to the city, Mr. Gordon, to please -Max, dispensed with the guides who had been good for nothing save the -receipt of backsheesh, and made a detour, leaving Heliopolis on their -right. - -They had not gone far before they came upon a number of wild-looking -fellows, half Arab, half Nubian--a species of creature which is -interesting as a study at long range, but whose acquaintance is not -desirable. - -“What shall we do, dad?” asked Max, anxiously. - -“We must pass them.” - -“Is it safe?” - -“No, Max, far from it.” - -“Then why not retrace our steps?” - -“We have been seen and should be overtaken.” - -“But could we not reach the men we feed so liberally?” - -“We might, but they would help these fellows rather than us in order to -share the backsheesh.” - -While the two had been talking the Arabs had formed a circle round -them, at a distance of fifty or sixty yards. - -Gradually the circle diminished until the robbers closed in and stood -shoulder to shoulder in firm and solid phalanx. - -“What do you want?” asked Mr. Gordon. - -“Money,” was the reply. - -“You shall have all I have got with me.” - -“Hand it over.” - -Mr. Gordon was about to comply with the demand, but no sooner had he -put his hand into his pocket than they suspected danger. - -“No, no, by the beard of the prophet put up your hands!” - -It would be just as feasible to try and sweep back ocean’s tidal waves -with a broom as to oppose the demands of those robbers of the desert. - -Mr. Gordon raised his hands. - -“Now yours, also,” said the spokesman, whose English was intelligible. - -Max raised his hands as he was commanded. - -Every article of value was taken from them, and the robbers seemed to -be satisfied. - -“Sit down!” the chief commanded. - -“What for?” asked Max. - -But instead of receiving a reply he received a smart blow on the cheek -which caused him to reel. - -That was more than the boy could stand, and he answered the blow with -another. - -The chief interfered and stopped the fight. - -“Sit down!” - -Again Max pluckily asked: - -“What for?” - -“Because I order it, and I am the stronger.” - -“Are you?” - -“Yes; besides, I have men here who will do my bidding, even to the -death.” - -“Coward!” hissed Max, through his teeth, while his eyes flashed with -defiance. - -“Hush, Max!” whispered Mr. Gordon. “Do as we are bidden; it will be -better so.” - -But all the defiance of the boy’s nature was aroused, and he turned to -his father almost angrily. - -“You may, dad, you have lived here so long; but I am an American, and I -will not obey such a command without knowing the reason.” - -“You are a fool!” - -It was the chief who spoke. Max could not stand such a speech, and he -rushed at the strong Arab chief, aiming a blow which, had it struck the -man on the temple, might have knocked him low, for Max was an expert -boxer. - -The blow only struck the empty air, and Max was caught round the legs -and thrown to the ground. - -A cord was quickly fastened round his ankles, and he was rendered -powerless. - -“What have you gained?” asked the chief, with a sneer. - -“A knowledge of your cowardice,” answered Max, defiantly. “Frightened -of a boy less than half your age. Oh! you are a brave chief, are you -not?” - -“Cease, you young fool, or I will gag you!” - -“For my sake, hush!” whispered Mr. Gordon. - -“Go on, tell us what you want,” Max said, bitterly. - -“Monsieur Gordon, your wealth is well known. Send that young fool -there”--pointing to Max--“with one of my men for twenty thousand -piasters, and when he returns with it, both shall go free.” - -Twenty thousand piasters is equal to about one thousand dollars. - -“And if I refuse?” asked Mr. Gordon, nervously. - -“He shall lose his tongue; it has already wagged too much,” answered -the chief, pointing with his dagger at Max. - -“But he cannot get the money.” - -“Can’t he? Well, I can; and if you don’t send for it you shall die.” - -Merchant Gordon knew not what to do. - -He knew well enough that Egypt was overrun with bandits such as these, -and that the authorities made but a poor pretense of suppressing the -lawless bands. - -He tried to temporize, but the chief was cautious. He knew he had -wandered nearer to Cairo than was safe. - -One of the men spoke in a low tone to the Arab, and instantly all was -in commotion. - -The two Americans were bound quickly and raised to the back of donkeys. - -The whole gang of robbers mounted and hurried away from the vicinity of -the city at a speed that Max could not believe a donkey was capable of -maintaining. - -But the wild tribes of the Nile have long possessed the secret of -making the native donkey forget its natural laziness and go with the -speed of a well-trained mule. - -“Where are we going?” asked Max. - -He was answered by a slap across the face, which nearly capsized him. - -“Another word and the body of the American shall be but carrion.” - -“Don’t speak, Max,” entreated Mr. Gordon, who was trembling with fear. - -The chief led the way across a sandy desert. - -The moon shone brightly, and its rays made the drifting sand look like -so much dazzling silver. - -It was a scene of weird grandeur. - -In the distance rose the pyramids, those monuments of a past -civilization, which are alike the envy and the wonder of the world. - -The procession seemed to be winding round the city at an increasing -distance, and nearing the pyramids. - -Max forgot all fear and was oblivious to any danger. - -The scene was to him one of rare beauty, and he enjoyed it. - -If he could but have talked to the chief--if he could have been free, -his happiness would have been complete. - -But he was a prisoner, mistrusted and abused. - -He dare not speak, and could not act. - -Before he was aware of it the scene changed. - -He could not understand in what way at first. - -The sand was there, the moon was shining, although not so brightly, but -he could not see the pyramids. - -The shadows thrown across the desert convinced him that they had -entered a broad, inclined road, and were descending below the level of -the sandy desert. - -Of this he was speedily assured, for now the moon’s rays were no longer -seen, and in the darkness the sure-footed donkeys walked forward. - -Instead of a level plain of drifting sand, the road was over and -between great rocks. - -Massive pieces of granite, several tons in weight, had to be passed, -and it was evident that the donkeys had frequently traversed the -uncertain road. - -“Where are we going?” whispered Mr. Gordon. - -His voice sounded like a shout, although he had spoken under his breath. - -The stillness of the place was awful. - -Max felt his heart beat fast and then faster. - -He began to think that the road he traveled led to death. - -But when his thoughts were the most gloomy, the atmosphere seemed to -change. - -He could breathe freely. - -There was still the same oppressive silence, but it did not seem so -much like that of the grave. - -“Halt!” - -The command was given in English, and all understood it. - -Without a word of apology, and with an entire absence of ceremony, -Max and his father were dragged from their donkeys and thrown with -unnecessary violence on the ground. - -Then again all was still. - -Were they alone? - -Max could not endure the silence any longer. - -“Dad!” he called out. - -A blow on the head reminded him that speech was forbidden. - -What puzzled him was how these Arabs or Nubians--whatever nationality -they might be--could see in the dark. - -He could not distinguish anything in the blackness of the night. - -The minutes dragged along wearily, every sixty seconds seeming like an -hour, every hour as long as a day. - -With an almost supernatural quickness a score of pitch torches were -lighted, and Max saw that he was in a great cave. - -Rocks, or rather pieces of granite, were lying in every direction. - -One thing which flashed across his mind was, that the blocks of granite -had been fashioned by man, and brought to that cave at some period of -Egypt’s greatness. - -He looked round for his father, and screamed with horror when he saw -the bronzed face of the only relative he had all covered with blood. - -When Mr. Gordon had been thrown from the donkey, his head struck a -sharp piece of granite, and was severely wounded. - -The chief saw that Mr. Gordon was dying, and ordered him to be lifted -tenderly into the center of the cave. - -Max tried to rise, but unknown to himself his feet had been again tied -together. - -“My father! Oh, dad, speak to me!” - -The dying man turned his eyes round and a smile was on his lips. - -“Max--I--am--going--av----” - -Was he going to say “Avenge me?” - -Max never knew, for a cloth was stuffed into the dying man’s mouth, and -the bandits commenced a wild, weird dance round the body. - -Mr. Gordon turned his eyes in the direction of Max and tried to speak, -but either the cloth still prevented him or his voice was hushed by the -great shadow of death which was over him. - -A convulsive shudder, and the American merchant’s soul had gone into -the “Great Beyond” to join that of his loved wife. - -Max knew he was now alone. - -He could not weep. - -His eyes were hot as burning coals. - -If only the tear-drops would start, he felt that they would ease him; -but no, his eyes were dry and his brain seemed scorched. - -His tongue began to swell, and when he tried to speak it appeared to -fill up his mouth. - -The torches were extinguished, the place became quiet, and instinct -told him that he was alone--alone with the dead. - -Not a sound disturbed the silence. - -A horrible thought passed through his burning brain. - -“What if he were left there to starve to death beside his father’s -body?” - -Madcap Max was not a coward. - -He had no real fear of death, but he would rather meet the great -destroyer on the open field, or in any way but that slow struggle in -the solitude of a big grave--a death from starvation. - -The strongest soul would quake. - -The hours passed along. - -Time’s chariot wheels continue to revolve no matter who may wish to -stay them. - -Max began to think of other things besides death. - -He wondered how he could escape. And if he did, how could he avenge his -father’s death? - -Weary and exhausted, Max at last fell asleep. - -Youth had conquered. - -Had he remained awake an hour longer he would have been a raving maniac. - -Youth asserted itself, and “nature’s sweet restorer, balmy sleep,” came -to his relief and saved his reason. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. UNDER THE PYRAMID. - - -Max slept soundly, and for hours did not dream. - -When the visions of the night visited his brain, they shaped themselves -in pleasing form. - -He saw again the massacre of the Mamelukes, but the sight seemed -stripped of its hideousness, and it appeared to Max that the foul -murder committed by Mohammed Ali was necessary--that from that murder -would spring the regeneration of Egypt. - -Max saw the flight of Emin Bey, and fancied that the brave Mameluke -still lived, and was at the head of an all-conquering army, overcoming -French and English and Turk, and proclaiming the freedom of Egypt from -foreign rule. - -And as all this passed before the mental vision of the sleeping -American boy, he thought that by the side of the conqueror he rode--not -as he was then, a beardless youth, but with bronzed face and flowing -beard--a turban on his head, and the sacred carpet of Mohammed carried -by his side. - -Then his vision changed, and he saw his father, not dead, but living, -and successful as a merchant. By his side was the wife whose love had -been so lavishly given to her husband and her son. - -The sight of his father and mother brought tears to the dreamer’s eyes, -and caused him to wake. - -It was some time before he could bring back to his memory the events of -the preceding day. - -When they recurred to him he felt most wretched. - -Had the bandits removed his father’s body, or was it still in the cave? - -Could he not snap the cords which bound him, and escape from that -living tomb? - -“Hush!” - -Was that a human voice, or only the playful prank of a gust of wind? - -Max, madcap as he was, had learned wisdom. - -He was not going to fall into any trap, and so he did not speak. - -“Son of the morning, thou wilt die.” - -“Am I dreaming,” Max wondered, “or have I gone mad?” - -He raised his head, but his eyes could not penetrate the darkness. - -“Confound it!” he muttered, “this is Egyptian darkness with a -vengeance.” - -“Dost thou want to die?” - -The question came out of the darkness and sounded afar off, yet Max -could almost fancy that the breath of the speaker fanned his cheek. - -“Who is that speaks?” - -“Question not my name.” - -“Where am I?” - -“In the depths of the storehouse of the great Gizeh.” - -The answer was given in a low voice, almost as soft as a whisper. - -“Am I then under the pyramid?” - -“That is how thou wouldst express it.” - -“Will you aid me to escape?” - -“And thou wouldst destroy those who saved thee.” - -“Nay--thou art a woman.” - -“_Wah Illahi sahe!_” - -(By Allah, it is true.) - -“I would not harm thee.” - -“I can save thee if thou wilt swear by the beard of the prophet that -thou wilt not seek revenge.” - -“The price is too great.” - -“And if thou refusest, death will be thy portion.” - -“Better death than dishonor,” said Max, in a grandiloquent tone, which -sounded almost ridiculous in the dark, but which would have been the -signal for a burst of applause from the gallery of a theater had an -actor so uttered the words on a stage. - -All was still as the grave. - -He fancied his ankles and wrists were swelling as the cord cut into the -flesh. - -His brain began to reel, and he almost wished for death. - -“Am I to die like this? Oh, it is horrible!” he moaned, aloud, as the -agony of the thought took possession of his mind. - -“Help!” - -He shouted and the echo of the vault answered back mockingly: - -“Help!” - -He shouted again, but the only reply was the faint echo of his words. - -“I shall die,” he groaned. - -“Die,” said the echo, with taunting emphasis. - -His brain became frenzied, and he began to laugh with boisterous -guffaws. - -It was the laughter of delirium and not of mirth. - -The echo answered back. - -The whole cave seemed peopled with laughing demons. - -“Fiends!” he shouted, and his head fell back with stunning force on the -rock. - -When he recovered consciousness, a calmly sweet breath of air was -blowing on his face. - -He was being fanned. - -He dare not speak for fear that the delicious breeze might cease. - -The fanning continued until at last he could bear the silence no longer. - -“Thou art an angel!” he exclaimed. - -“I know not what thou meanest. If I am thy houri, wilt thou follow me?” - -“I will.” - -By some means a pitch torch was lighted and in its glare Max saw the -horrible cave to which he had been removed by some unknown hands. - -Skeletons and mummies, rude stone sarcophagi, and blocks of red granite -in endless confusion. - -But in the circle of light made by the torch he saw-- - -A girl. - -She was not what the fashionable world would call lovely. - -Her skin was dark, her hair was black as a raven’s wing. - -Over her dark tresses a silver band encircled her head, almost like a -halo of glory. - -Her limbs were bare to the knees, but round each ankle was a massive -band of silver similar to those she wore on each arm above the elbow. - -Her dress was of a gauzy tissue and Max could scarcely believe but that -it was a phantasm of the mind which was before him, and not a living -entity. - -She smiled and waved her torch as a fairy queen might her wand, and in -a voice of rare sweetness said: - -“If thou wouldst save thy life, follow me.” - -“I am bound,” answered Max. - -Two rows of shiny, white teeth were shown as she pointed laughingly at -the severed cords, and again she said: - -“Come! Follow me!” - -“To the death,” answered Max, forgetful of all danger. - -“Come, and thou shalt be one of my people.” - -The houri took Max by the hand, causing a strange thrill to pass -through him. - -“Be not afraid,” she said, as she extinguished the light. - -“With you, never!” answered Max, gallantly. - -And Madcap Max followed in the dark the strange creature who had found -him alone and suffering in the cave beneath the great pyramid. - -Followed! But where? - - - - -CHAPTER V. GIRZILLA. - - -With the greatest confidence in the strange Arab girl, Madcap -Max followed her, without asking any question until she suddenly -extinguished the torch. - -“Why did you do that?” he inquired. - -The girl did not answer in words, but dextrously placed her hand over -his mouth and held it there so tightly that Max could scarcely breathe. - -He struggled to release himself, but she was strong, and to add to her -power, she whispered: - -“Get free and I’ll kill thee!” - -However disagreeable it might be it was better to have a pretty girl’s -hand over his mouth than to be killed, and therefore Max made no -further resistance. - -A slight noise, like the dropping of water on rocks, attracted his -attention. - -“Do you hear that?” asked his guide. - -“Yes; what is it?” - -“Hush! Speak in whisper only. Thine enemies seek thee.” - -“And if they find?” - -“Will kill. I will save, if----” - -“What?” - -“Thou hast courage. Come, then, hold to my dress and follow. The least -noise may seal thy fate and mine.” - -“Who art thou, mysterious one? What is thy name?” - -“Name, as thou wouldst say, I have several; to thee I am Girzilla. Let -that be my name.” - -“I will call thee Gazelle.” - -“No, no, no. Girzilla, or nothing at all. Come.” - -Whoever the girl with the strange name might be, she evidently knew her -way, for never once did her foot slip, although Max found his ankles -turning every minute, and had he not a firm hold on Girzilla’s dress, -which, though of gauzy linen, seemed as strong as a hempen cord, he -would have fallen frequently. - -“Sit down!” - -The words were uttered very abruptly, and were in the nature of a -command. - -Max did as ordered, and sat in silence--a silence so great that he -could hear the beating of his heart, and fancied that he could also -distinguish the pulsations of his guide’s organ of life at the same -time. The silence was almost unbearable, and Max grew fidgety and -restless. - -“I have got into some queer streets before this, but I confess this is -the strangest,” he mused. - -“To save thee, thou must go through the place of the dead.” - -The voice was that of Girzilla, but it sounded so sepulchral that -Madcap Max felt a cold shiver pass over him. - -“Hast thou courage?” she asked. - -“I--h-have,” he stammered, his teeth chattering with nervous fear of -the unknown. - -“Come!” - -Once more the journey was resumed, and Girzilla walked slower than -before. - -Suddenly Max got such a rap on the head that it made him groan with -pain. - -“Stoop. Better still, crawl,” said the girl, almost contemptuously. - -Max felt humiliated, but he was in a quandary. - -He could not go back, for he did not know the way, and he dare not go -forward alone, for he was afraid. - -Girzilla seemed to read his thoughts, for she laughed softly and -murmured: - -“Poor boy! He will have to trust his Girzilla; she will save him.” - -Stooping until his head was only a few inches higher than his knees, he -followed as well as he could. - -Very soon the way became easier to travel, and a glimmer of light -showed that the sun had risen again, and found some crevice through -which it sent its heavenly rays. - -Gradually the light increased, and the road became better. - -The sand was so hot, however, that Max felt the shoes on his feet -drying up, and even baking. - -He resolved to remove them, and the hot sand blistered his tender feet. - -High up above him was an opening, through which the light and heat came. - -“If one of thy enemies shouldst see thee, a little stone from -there”--and Girzilla pointed upward--“would make thee fit for a mummy.” - -Again the spinal marrow in Max’s back seemed turned to ice, and he was -almost afraid to glance upward. - -“Where are we?” - -“Under the temple of great Isis.” - -“Under?” - -“Yes, Isis had the temple high above where thou dost stand.” - -“Lead on; I would know more of these mysterious passages, but I am -hungry and cold.” - -“Just now thou wert hot.” - -“Yes, I am chilled and yet feverish.” - -“Come, my gentle boy, and Girzilla will take thee where thou canst -rest.” - -A few yards and a sudden turn, and the narrow passageway gave place to -a large plateau, on which huge bowlders were scattered promiscuously. - -Scattered--apparently too large for human hands to move, and yet they -bore evidence of having been transported thither. - -They were of red granite, while the native rocks were of a different -stone. - -Max, tired and weary, sat down on one of the granite blocks, but he -quickly left his seat. - -He leaped away as though he had been stung by a viper. - -Girzilla laughed at him, which of course added to his annoyance. - -The stone was as hot as an oven bottom, and poor Max felt he would be -baked or fried if he stayed there a minute. - -Girzilla moved round one of the great bowlders and began scratching -away the sand. - -“Come and help,” she called out to Max, who was sulking since she had -laughed at him. - -“The way we must go is under this stone.” - -“Under that stone!” repeated Max. - -“Yes; there is only a small hole, but we must go through it.” - -The girl was right. - -The hole was so small that she could only just squeeze herself through, -while the madcap declared he would not descend. - -“Very well, then, you must save yourself.” - -The prospect was not pleasing, and Max managed to follow the girl, -though in doing so he tore his clothes and scratched his face. - -But once down, he was amply repaid. - -The cave, or hole, led to a large room, the atmosphere of which was -charmingly cool. - -Girzilla had lighted her torch, and seated herself on an open -sarcophagus. - -She was a happy-go-lucky kind of creature, fearing nothing, and having -no superstitious dread of sitting on the stone coffin, wherein was -dust, which had once been molded in human form. - -“I have food here.” - -“Food?” - -“Yes.” - -“Here?” - -“Yes; art thou not hungry?” - -“I am. But the place is a tomb.” - -“Hush! Better men than thou lived here.” - -“Have been buried here, you mean?” - -“Years and years ago a brave man fled from those who would kill him, -and sought refuge here.” - -“Tell me of him.” - -“He fought--oh, my, didn’t he fight? He cut right and left with his -scimiter, and when he got tired he spurred his horse and made a run for -liberty.” - -“Did you know him?” - -“Stupid! do I look so old, then?” and Girzilla looked coquettishly at -Madcap. - -“I don’t know how long it is ago; how should I?” - -“Don’t get naughty again. The man was a soldier, a Mameluke----” - -“What! Was it Emin Bey?” - -“That was how he was called.” - -“Tell me all about him. Where did he go? Had he any sons? Tell me, I am -all impatience.” - -“I see you are; but you must eat.” - -This houri of the caves--a strange child of the desert--pushed aside -the lid of another sarcophagus and took therefrom a piece of confection -known as Turkish delight. - -She offered it to Max, but he turned away. - -Girzilla bit off a large piece and sat chewing it with all the ardor -with which a Kentucky girl chews gum. - -“Good!” she said, as she helped herself to another bite. - -Approaching close to Max she held the confection close to his mouth, -and he was tempted to take a small piece. - -It was so appetizing that he asked for more. - -When the gum candy was all eaten Girzilla found some bread--cakes baked -in the sun, not in an oven--and some fruit, but what kind it was Max -did not know. - -He ate heartily and felt refreshed. - -But he was thirsty. - -Girzilla knew that, and produced a bottle of the most delicious sherbet -he had ever tasted. - -When the repast was finished Girzilla told Max that he must stay there -until she came for him. - -“Am I to be here alone?” - -“Certainly. I must go and provide a means of escape for thee.” - -“Tell me first why you have done all this for me.” - -“I have my reasons.” - -“And will you not tell me?” - -“I heard thee speak to him who is not----” - -“You mean my father?” - -“Yes.” - -“When?” - -“When thou didst tell him that thou wouldst like to eat salt with the -sons of Emin Bey.” - -“And are you interested?” - -“I have Mameluke blood in my veins. Find the descendant of Emin and he -will restore Egypt to its greatness--I have said it, and the prophet -hath spoken.” - -“And will you help me?” - -“If I can. I--had--another--reason----” - -Girzilla hesitated, paused between her words, looked confused, and -really blushed. - -“And that was----” asked Max. - -“Why should I not tell thee? I will save thee, even though I lose thee. -I will prevent thy enemies taking thee, even if thou spurned me ever -after. Oh! how shall I say it? Thou art the handsomest man I ever saw, -and--I--love--thee.” - -Before Max could recover from his astonishment she had fled. - -Her secret had been revealed, and, modest maiden as she was, she felt -she could not meet the eyes of the youth to whom she had confessed her -love. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. WAS IT AN ECHO? - - -When Madcap Max felt that he was a prisoner, and that self-interest, -at least, for a time, rendered it inadvisable to attempt to escape, he -began to look about his strange abode. - -Girzilla was more than ever a puzzle to him. - -She was refined and educated--of that there could be no doubt. - -She had said she had several names, but only one had she given him. - -What did the word mean? - -It had some special significance--of that he was sure. - -Was it Arabic or Nubian? Was it of the ancient language of the -Pharoahs, or the almost as ancient Syrian? - -How did she overhear his conversation about the Mamelukes? - -“I begin to think she is a fairy,” said Max, his head growing dizzy -with puzzling over the matter. - -“How long am I to remain here?” - -There was no one to answer the question, so it had to remain still in -the realm of doubt. - -“Where am I?” - -That query he could answer with a positiveness that could not be -controverted. He was in a tomb. - -At first the thought nearly drove him mad, but he got accustomed to the -idea. After eating and drinking there, much of the superstitious fear -had left him. - -“Where shall I sleep?” he asked himself, “for I am tired and exhausted. -The sand man has been about a long time,” he laughed; “yes, sand in my -eyes, up my nostrils, down my throat, in my ears--the sand man has done -his work this time. What was that?” - -Max possessed a splendid amount of courage, but to be alone in -a tomb and suddenly to hear a terrible noise, and to be nearly -suffocated with dust, to have the torch knocked over--fortunately -not extinguished--would be sufficient to set the strongest nerves -quivering, and make the most valiant man tremble. He dare not raise -his head. - -He was afraid to open his eyes. - -Had he done so, he would have known that the commotion was caused by a -huge bat trying to escape from the inhabited tomb. - -Nearly an hour passed before Max found courage enough to lift up the -torch, which had nearly burned itself out. - -If his torch went out, what was he to do? - -He was far from being a madcap at that time. - -But youth asserted itself, and Max found his spirits rising, perhaps -aided considerably by his eyes suddenly perceiving another torch. - -“I’ll have a gay old time. Why shouldn’t I? Eh, old fellow?” - -Was Max addressing himself or one of the mummies in the place? - -He lighted the torch, and began to look round his prison house. - -On the walls--which had once been smoothed by sculptor’s skill--were -the remains of paintings and hieroglyphic inscriptions. - -“These old fellows believed in having their tombs beautiful!” exclaimed -Max, aloud. - -And the words had scarcely left his lips when his hair began to rise on -his head, for he heard a voice add, with sepulchral emphasis: - -“Beautiful!” - -“Who’s there?” asked Max, half afraid of his own voice. - -“There!” - -“It was only an echo,” said Max; but all the same it was startling, -especially when the voice of the tomb repeated the last syllable: - -“Oh!” - -But the sturdy young American laughed; and the whole tomb seemed alive -with demoniac mirth, as the walls beat back the loud guffaws of the -youth. - -“I shall go mad!” exclaimed Max. - -“Mad!” repeated the echo. - -With wonderful courage Madcap Max remained silent for a time, afraid of -the echo, and yet not afraid to continue his search. - -Close to the place where Girzilla had kept the eatables was a -sarcophagus, which seemed as if it had not been opened. - -Here was something to do. - -He resolved to open the stone casket. - -The work was easier than he anticipated, for the lid was not fastened -down, and Max was able to push it on one side. - -He brought over a torch so that he might the better look into the huge -cavern-like coffin. - -When he did so he saw a mummy; the face, outlined by the cloths, was -that of a woman. - -“Who can it have been?” he wondered. - -And then, with a pure love of fun, he resolved to unwrap the body, -which may have been hidden from the world two or three thousand years, -and present the mummy to his strange girl friend. - -Max was now in his glory. - -He had something to do, and at the same time his spirit of mischief was -aroused. - -He never imagined that Girzilla would be frightened if she entered and -saw a mummified Egyptian looking at her. - -It would be fun to watch her countenance. And that was all that Max did -it for. - -He managed to get the first wrapper off very easily, but when he came -to the second, he found that the ancient Egyptians knew how to make a -strong bandage, for every fold had to be cut with his knife. - -Under this he found spices, lotos leaves and ears of corn. - -The latter interested him, for while the grains looked like wheat, the -general appearance was that of barley, only there were seven ears on -every stalk. - -“I’ll pocket some of this, and if ever I get back to America I’ll plant -it and see if embalmed wheat will grow.” - -As this thought passed through the mind of the daring young desecrator -of the dead, he began to whistle “Yankee Doodle.” - -The echo kept pace with him, and the louder he whistled the more -distinct was the echo. - -Suddenly stopping, his patriotic soul was stirred to its depths as the -thought crossed his mind that men who had been buried there thousands -of years before America was known to civilization were, through the -echo, joining in the chorus of “Yankee Doodle.” - -“Old Pharoah was a fine old fellow,” said Max, “but I’d rather be an -American citizen than----” - -“A mummy.” - -That was no echo. - -It was a human voice. - -Max could stand no more. - -His eyes seemed like coals of fire, his brain was burning, his lips -were parched. - -“Oh, God! I am dying!” he gasped, as he fell on the floor, scattering -the dust of centuries and causing the tomb to be filled with a cloud, -suffocating and unpleasant. - -When he recovered consciousness he was still lying on the floor, but -his head rested on Girzilla’s knee, and she was fanning him with a palm -leaf which she had brought in with her. - -“You silly boy, did I frighten you?” - -“Was it you who said ‘a mummy?’” - -“Of course it was. Who else could it be?” - -“I thought----” - -“That these dead-and-gone people had suddenly recovered the voice which -perished before Isis’ great temple was built. You silly--silly boy. But -what were you doing?” - -There was so much nineteenth century life about Girzilla that Max -thought but little of the bygone Pharoahs. - -He told her about unwrapping the mummy, and she chided him for doing -it. - -“I have looked on that mummy ever since I was so high,” she said, -placing her hand about two feet above the floor. - -“You have!” - -“Of course I have, and I was going to show her to you.” - -“You were?” - -“Did I not say so?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then why ask me? What did you do with the writing you found?” - -“I did not see any.” - -“I placed some there.” - -“When?” - -“The Nile did rise and fall and rise again since I placed it there.” - -“Where did you find it? What is it about?” - -“I don’t know; I could not read it.” - -“Get it for me.” - -“You silly boy, how can I? Your head is heavy, and holds me down.” - -“My head resteth on a nice pillow.” - -“Osiris must have fanned thy cheeks,” she said, using an Egyptian -metaphor which in more modern English would mean: “You are a -flatterer,” or “You have kissed the blarney stone.” - -Max was not so gallant as an American youth ought to be, so he sprang -to his feet and reached over into the casket, drawing therefrom a -package of papers which were decidedly modern. - -The language was a strange one to him, however, and his only hope was -that once away from the strange tomb he might find some one who could -translate the document for him. - -He had become an ardent Egyptologist. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. SPLENDID HEROISM. - - -“We will leave here at once.” - -There was a sadness in Girzilla’s voice as she answered: - -“And art thou tired of the houri of the cave?” - -“Not tired of you, Girzilla, but I want freedom. I must search for -Emin’s race.” - -“Yes, yes. Fate wills it. Isis must be obeyed. Ra”--god of the -sun--“ordains it. And Girzilla’s heart must be rent in twain.” - -“Why so? Art thou not my guide? Shall I not restore thy family to the -powerful throne?” - -“I am not deceived. You of the great storehouses care not for my -people.” - -“But----” - -“Nay, thou silly boy; the sun does not mate with darkness. Girzilla -will take thee from thine enemies and will return to the tomb.” - -“You are sad.” - -“Did I not look upon thy face when it was sad?” - -Max sat down on a broken sarcophagus, and hot, scalding tears poured -from his eyes. - -She had recalled to him the death of his father, nearly a week ago. - -A veil of oblivion had been over his senses, and he had not been able -to weep. - -The tears eased his heart and soothed him more than any other thing -could have done. - -Girzilla, with womanly tact, withdrew and let him weep, for she knew -the value of tears to the sorrow-stricken. - -Truly, this girl was more than ever a mystery. - -With the simple innocence of her race she looked upon herself as the -consoler of the bereaved one, because she had been present when his -eyes first opened to the great sorrow. - -When his grief had subsided, Girzilla was transformed. - -She was no longer the lively girl, but the stern guide. - -“Follow me,” she said, coldly. - -“Nay, stay a while.” - -“Why should I? Does not the Frank desire to be free?” - -“Thou knowest I do; but I have not yet explored this tomb.” - -Girzilla raised herself to her full height; her eyes flashed with -scorn, her little hands were clinched tightly, causing the muscles upon -her arms to distend until the silver armlets must have cut into the -flesh. - -Her face was crimson, her body trembled with excitement. - -“Explore! Yes, you Franks come to my land and carry away its images, -destroy its old ruins, ransack the temples, overthrow the gods, and, -not satisfied with that, dare even to desecrate the tombs!” - -“You brought me here,” pleaded Max. - -“I brought thee to save thy life. I brought thee, even though I knew I -might die in thy place.” - -“What mean you? Are you in danger?” - -Girzilla laughed bitterly. - -“Danger!--how silly you are!” And then, changing her manner, she added: -“Have you any sense? Do you Franks ever think? I know these men who -brought thee here. I know that they would take all thy gold and slit -your nose--that they would slowly kill thee. Like the bird of prey -looking for its victim were they. I saved thee--wilt not the vulture -turn upon me? Thou knowest I shall die if I am caught.” - -There was an eloquent, passionate fervor in her manner which seemed to -raise her from the apathetic lazy Egyptian race and elevate her to the -level of the American. - -Max was about to speak, but like a queen she motioned him to be silent. - -“I have been here since I was so high”--again measuring two feet from -the ground. “Did I ever take the sacred bandages from the bodies of -the embalmed? Never. And yet thou couldst not be alone an hour without -desecrating the dead. Isis will punish thee--Osiris will return and -claim his own.” - -Max listened. - -He was charmed. - -What a splendid actress this girl would make! - -What a magnificent woman she was!--and yet in years she could be only a -girl. - -“You speak of Isis and Osiris as though you believed in them,” Max -ventured to say. - -“My belief is my own. If thou wouldst escape--if thou wouldst find the -son’s son of Emin, get thee ready and I will lead thee to the desert, -the way that Emin traveled.” - -“Lead me from here and I will ask no more.” - -“Thou art a Frank! Thou askest me to risk all, and when thou art safe I -may go.” - -She turned away her head to hide her tears. - -Going to a secluded part of the cave she took from a sarcophagus a -scimiter with edge as sharp as any razor, a knife with double edge, -keen as a dagger, and a small stiletto. - -These she handed to Max. - -“They may be useful,” she said, coldly, and prepared to leave the cave. - -“Come, and quickly.” - -“I have offended thee----” Max commenced, but Girzilla had scrambled -through the opening, and could not hear what he was saying. - -She led him across the burning sands; at every step his feet seemed to -be blistering. There was no shade save from the great bowlders, and -they were so hot that it was unpleasant to approach them. - -On she went, keeping in advance of the American. - -Not one word would she utter; and when he attempted to speak she -motioned him to be silent. - -It was like a new country--a land without inhabitants. - -Where were they? - -So near, as it seemed, to the city, and yet not a living thing to be -seen. - -Hour after hour they walked, blinded by the drifting sand, but never -stopping. - -Max would not ask Girzilla to rest, and she was too proud to suggest it. - -The sun was high in the heavens. - -The air seemed like the hot blast from a furnace. - -Max found his tongue swelling in his mouth. - -He walked along mechanically. - -All control over himself appeared to be lost. - -Like the fabled Wandering Jew, he continued moving, without the power -to stop. - -His eyes no longer saw the sand--they were hot and glassy with the -glare of the sun. - -Still he kept on, following that never-tiring figure in front of him. - -Suddenly his foot slipped into a little hole, and he fell. - -That was more eloquent than words. - -Girzilla was by his side in a moment. - -A little leather bottle she carried was unslung, and some water was -poured down the youth’s throat. - -She had resolved not to offer her aid, but now, when he was helpless -and suffering, she could not resist. - -She bathed his face, and fanned it so that the skin might not blister. - -He was unconscious. - -“He is dying,” she moaned. “And I cannot save him.” - -Her bare arms and ankles seemed impervious to the heat--she was -accustomed to it. - -“Oh, if Jockian were but here!” she moaned; but the man she referred to -was many miles away. - -“I will try.” - -The speech was in answer to her thoughts. - -Removing the armlets from her arms, she stooped over the prostrate form -of Madcap Max, and raised him as if he were a child. - -Strong she undoubtedly was, but Max was heavy. - -She carried him a few steps. - -The perspiration ran in streams down her face. - -The muscles of her arms were strained to their utmost. - -She had to rest. - -Again she raised him, and carried him a dozen yards or so. - -It was but slow progress, but she knew he would die if she left him -there. - -She tightened the girdle round her waist, and again took him in her -arms. - -But her strength gave out. - -She fell with her burden on the hot sand. - -Exhausted herself, yet she would not give up the battle. - -She worked like a slave, making a hole in the sand. - -The blood spurted from her fingers, but she kept on until she had -scraped away the sand a foot deep. - -Into this hole she rolled Max. - -The sun was pouring its hot rays with deadly vehemence, but Girzilla -cared not, if Max were but safe. - -She looked for something to shelter him. - -Nothing could be seen. - -With splendid devotion, she took off the loose linen blouse which was -the only covering of the upper part of her body, and sprinkling it well -with water, laid it over the youth’s face. - -Her own skin, almost as fair as that of the American, was exposed to -the torture of the heat. - -The thermometer must have registered a hundred and fifty degrees, but -Girzilla merely clinched her teeth and waited. - -She had placed herself in a position between the sun and Max. - -Hour after hour this child of the desert, this magnificent heroine, -shielded the American from the rays of the Egyptian sun. - -Her own shoulders were bare. The sun blistered her skin. A slight -breeze, but as a furnace blast, swept across her, but it carried -myriads of sand flies and atoms of sand with it. - -The flies settled on her bare shoulders; they attacked the blistered -flesh. - -The pain must have been intense, but she never moved. - -Once she shrieked with agony and resolved to rise, but a look of -self-denying heroism crossed her face, and she remained still. - -“If I move they will attack him,” she thought, and that was enough. - -He must be saved at all costs. - -Her senses were leaving her, gradually her thoughts became more -indistinct. - -She fell forward across Max, and knew she must die. - -But if it would save him, she was satisfied. - -She stretched forth her hand and placed it on his forehead. - -Her garment was still there, shielding his face from the sun. - -“He will be saved,” she said. “Allah be praised,” she moaned. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. SHERIF EL HABIB. - - -“Allah! Allah! Great is Allah, and Mahomet is his prophet.” - -The speaker had spread before him a square of carpet, and had -prostrated himself, bowing before the setting sun. - -“Allah be praised!” - -The prayers were ended, but the man remained prostrate on the carpet. - -In the distance a score of men stood, evidently waiting for their chief -to rise. - -When his devotions were concluded he stood up, looked in the direction -of the setting sun, bowed his head once more, and sat down on the sand -to put on his sandals. - -The man was evidently an Arab of high rank. - -Dressed in white, his face partly covered, after the manner of the -chiefs of Arabia, he presented a most picturesque appearance. - -Several of his escort, or guard, came forward and folded up the carpet, -placing it with great care on the back of a camel, which had been -brought forward. - -The chief--Sherif el Habib--walked away from his servants, his -companion being a youth, fair as a girl, but strong as a lion. - -“Ibrahim, my heart is sad,” said Sherif el Habib to the youth. - -“Sad! and why so, my uncle?” - -“For all these moons have we journeyed, but mine eyes have not seen the -glory of his coming.” - -“Uncle, you did not expect to see the Great One at Cairo?” - -“And why not?” - -“Methinks the eyes of the houris as they peer through the lattices -would spoil even the prophet’s mission,” answered Ibrahim, smiling, as -he uttered the words. - -“Those eyes were nearly thy ruin. But hath not the holy prophet spoken -of the Prophet of prophets, who should come and restore the ancient -glory of Egypt, and after visiting Mecca, plant the banner of the -crescent and Mahomet in every land?” - -“But why do you think he has come now?” asked Ibrahim. - -“In a vision of the night I heard the voice of Mahomet say out to me: -‘Arise, Sherif el Habib; cross thou the sea and go as I direct thee, -and thine eyes shall see the glory of the last _imaum_’--leader--‘the -rise of the Mahdi of whom I spake.’” - -“So, uncle, we made a pilgrimage to Mecca, crossed the Red Sea, -wandered about these deserts for months, deserted the towns and left -the pretty girls--I beg pardon--all because of a dream.” - -“You young men,” said Sherif el Habib, “are material. Is there nothing -better than making shawls?” - -“There may be; I like to travel. I would like to go to Alexandria, to -Constantinople, to Paris, London. Oh, uncle, you are rich; give up -these dreams, and let us enjoy life.” - -“Ibrahim, how old are you?” - -“Eighteen, uncle.” - -“And I am sixty-eight. Wait but a few more years and all my wealth will -be thine; then thou canst journey whither thou pleasest. But I have a -mission. When I go down to the grave of my fathers, my soul will have -seen the light of great Mahdi’s face.” - -It is believed by devout followers of Mahomet that before the end of -the world there shall arise a mahdi--literally, a director who shall be -of the family of Mahomet, whose name should be Mahomet Achmet, and who -should fill the world with righteousness. For six hundred years the -Mohammedans have been expecting their messiah to appear. - -“As thou wilt, uncle, but----” - -Ibrahim’s speech was cut short abruptly by the hurried salaam of -Effendi, the Sherif el Habib’s confidential eunuch and secretary. - -“What is it, Effendi?” - -“Your excellency! I know not, but a young and beautiful girl hath -fainted, and with her----” - -“Who is she?” asked Ibrahim. “Lead me to her!” - -“Nay, nephew, it is not fit that thou----” - -“Go along, uncle; when I am your age I shall do as you do. Go along, I -care not for all the girls of Egypt.” - -Sherif el Habib had not heard all the boy’s speech, for he had hurried -away with Effendi. - -The eunuch led him across the sands to the place where Madcap Max had -fallen, and over him the girl, Girzilla. - -Sherif el Habib looked at the youthful couple, and seemed strangely -disturbed. - -He stooped and placed his hand over their hearts, and found that both -were alive. - -“It is well,” he said, in a half-audible voice. Then, turning to -Effendi, he motioned him to follow. - -Going to his camel, Sherif el Habib took from the pack a small bottle. - -On the side of the vial were some hieroglyphics which, if translated -into good United States language, would signify that the contents were -known to be that strange result of modern research, chloroform. - -Giving the bottle to Effendi, Sherif el Habib said: - -“It is my will that these people should go with us in a sleep as of -death; do thou with this as is usual.” - -Effendi took the vial, and pouring some of the contents on two pieces -of linen, he returned to the Arab girl and Max and placed the linen -over their mouths. When the fumes of the chloroform had done their work -effectually he called some of the attendants, and ordered them to place -Max and Girzilla on the backs of camels. - -“It is done,” he said to Sherif el Habib, making a low salaam. - -“It is well,” was the chief’s answer. - -Effendi moved away, leaving his master and Ibrahim alone. - -“What new fancy has taken possession of you, uncle?” - -“The glory of the great Mahomet surrounds me,” was the reply. - -“If I were not the most loving of nephews,” said the youth, “I should -declare that you were mad.” - -“My dear boy, for years I have hoped for a vision of the celestial, and -now mine eyes have been directed to the approach of the great mahdi. In -my dreams I heard a voice saying: ‘Go thou, and thou shalt be directed. -The guides even are sleeping, but they shall awake and direct thee.’ -Now did not this mean this youth and maiden? this brother and sister -who were asleep and awaiting me?” - -“As you like, uncle. I will go with thee, for I love adventure; but I -hope we shall return alive.” - -“Of that there is no doubt. Come, Effendi awaits us.” - -The caravan started. - -More than thirty camels were in procession; twelve of them carried -baggage, tents, and provisions, the other eighteen bore upon their -backs the bodyguard of Sherif el Habib. - -Max and Girzilla, still unconscious, were on the same camel, being -fastened to basket paniers, one on either side of the animal. - -As the caravan moved across the sandy plain we will take the -opportunity of more fully introducing the party to our readers. - -Sherif el Habib was a Persian. In Khorassan he was known as the most -prosperous shawl manufacturer of all Persia. - -He gave employment to over a hundred men, and Sherif el Habib’s Persian -shawls had been worn by the empresses and queens of the world. - -Sherif el Habib became a widower in a peculiar way. According to the -custom of his land, he had several wives. - -In the palace of the Sherif--for this shawl manufacturer was ranked -as a prince--every contrivance had been resorted to to render the -happiness of the ladies complete. - -Among other things was a large marble bath, fifty feet long by thirty -feet wide, and capable of holding fifteen feet of water in depth. - -By clever mechanical contrivances the supply of water was so nicely -regulated that a stream to the depth of four feet was always flowing -through the bath. - -This water was highly perfumed with attar of roses, and was so -delicious to the senses that it was an intoxicating pleasure to bathe. - -One day the ladies of Sherif el Habib’s household were disporting -themselves in the bath, when by some accident the working gear got out -of order and the water began to rise. - -The ladies were not alarmed, for all were good swimmers. - -Gradually the water increased in volume until it was six feet deep. - -How merrily the ladies laughed! - -How delighted they were at this new experience! - -They could no longer touch the marble bottom of the bath. - -Like children paddling in the surf, they laughed and made fun of each -other. - -They floated and swam about, dived and turned somersaults as though -they were amphibious animals. - -The entrance to the bathroom was locked. It was water-tight, so that -should Sherif el Habib at any time desire the whole fifteen feet of -depth to be flooded, no water could escape into the other parts of the -palace. - -When the ladies had grown weary they made a move to leave. But they -were tired. - -The water was ten feet deep, and still rising. - -One, the beauteous Lola, a sweet creature made to be loved, was so -exhausted that she begged one of the others to save her. - -Buba, another Persian beauty, went to her assistance, but Lola clung -so tightly to her that both became exhausted and sank, never to rise -again in life. - -The others shrieked for help. - -No one heard them. - -They could not stand on the sides. The steps were slippery as glass, -and could not be ascended. - -The water gradually rose until twelve feet of water was in the bath. - -When Sherif, alarmed at the long absence of the bathers, burst open the -door, he was almost swept away by the overflow of the water. - -His mind was unstrung, as well it might be, for floating on the surface -of the water were the dead bodies of all his wives. - -Almost beside himself with grief, he refused to be consoled until he -thought of his sister’s orphan child, the young Ibrahim, who was living -in Teheran. - -From that day the love of this merchant prince’s heart was centered on -Ibrahim. - -European teachers were engaged, and by the time the young Persian was -seventeen years old he could speak English, German and French fluently, -besides having a good knowledge of Persian, Arabic and other Oriental -languages and dialects. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. IBRAHIM AND MAX. - - -When Ibrahim was seventeen his uncle told him that he was about to make -a pilgrimage. - -It was his intention to visit the shrine of the prophet at Mecca, -across the Red Sea, and after exploring the wonders of Luxor, Carnac, -and ancient Thebes, go up the Nile, past Cairo, to Alexandria. - -It was just the kind of pilgrimage to suit Ibrahim, and his heart beat -so fast with expectancy that his uncle feared he might bring on a -nervous fever. When Mecca was reached Sherif was so full of religious -fervor that he began to see visions and dream dreams, much to the -annoyance and yet amusement of Ibrahim. - -Among other things, Sherif el Habib became convinced that he was to -be the discoverer of the Mahdi, or Mohammedan Messiah. When Cairo was -reached he said to Ibrahim that, instead of going to Alexandria, they -would cross the Libyan desert in search of the Mahdi. - -As the promised route was likely to be one of wild adventure, with -plenty of excitement, Ibrahim fell in with his uncle’s ideas, and with -but few murmurings agreed to leave civilization behind and go into -the interior of that land of mystery--the great deserts of the Dark -Continent. - -But we must return to our caravan. - -The cavalcade had moved in silence for several hours. - -The time was a most miserable one to Ibrahim, but he had learned enough -of his uncle’s ways to be assured that he would fall into disgrace if -he dared to intrude on the silent meditations of Sherif el Habib. - -The caravan stopped. - -The camels were unloaded, tents were pitched, and after devotions the -meal for the evening was spread. - -Max and Girzilla had not yet roused from their unconsciousness. - -They had been lifted with tender care from the camel, and laid down -under the best and largest tent. - -Girzilla was the first to awake. - -She opened her eyes and closed them suddenly; she imagined she was -dreaming. - -Again the temptation was so great that she gently raised her eyelids, -and saw that the tent was hung with Oriental silk drapery, while a -thick Persian carpet had been spread upon the sand. - -There was so much reality about it that she felt elated. - -Where could she be? - -Where was Max? - -Raising her head she saw on the other side of the tent another carpet, -and on it reclined the form of Max. - -Should she awaken him? - -A deep affection for the madcap had taken possession of her, and she -was determined to do all she could to remain near him. - -Cautiously she moved from the carpet and to the entrance of the tent. - -She was utterly bewildered. - -A score of tents surrounded the one she had just left. - -Camels were lying down, chewing their cuds--others were asleep. - -Over all was the sky like a bright, blue canopy, studded with jets of -brilliant light. - -The night air was calm and sweet, and Girzilla felt a soothing -influence pass over her. - -With all the passionate fervor of her race she burst forth into poetic -declamation. - -Clothing her ideas in Oriental language, developing the most beautiful -imagery, she apostrophized the sky and the stars, speaking of the sky -as the million-eyed goddess, looking down through the millions of stars -on the earth, and directing the destinies of men. - -She thought she was unheard, but standing in the shadow of a tent was -Ibrahim. - -He was entranced. - -“More beauteous than the daughters of Iran! More eloquent than the -houris of Istaphan! Speak to me, and tell me who thou art.” - -Girzilla heard the voice. - -It was not that of Madcap Max. - -Who, then, could be speaking? - -All was silent, the stillness only broken by the champ, champ, champ of -the camels. - -Ibrahim could see her, but the shadow of the tent enshrouded him in -darkness, and her eyes could not penetrate into the blackness. - -“Who spake?” she whispered in her own language. - -“Thine eyes, which rival the stars in their brightness, should be able -to see, though the clouds were blacker than the tomb, and thy soul, -which speaks through thy lips, should divine that one who loves the -music of thy mouth is near to thee.” - -Girzilla made no answer. - -She could not understand her surroundings. - -All was so pleasant that she feared it was a dream. - -To avert the calamity of awakening and finding that ’twas but a vision -of the night, she returned silently to the carpets and fell asleep. - -The chloroform had not lost all its power. - -Ibrahim grew bolder when he found she did not answer him. - -“Come, sweet voice of the night,” he said, as he approached the tent. - -But Girzilla was asleep. - -“My own gazelle----” - -Max moved uneasily. - -“I will sing to thee the songs of Istaphan. I will make thee a throne -upon which thou shalt sit as queen of my heart.” - -“Am I dreaming,” asked Max, “or where am I? Ah, I remember! I died out -on the sand. Girzilla was with me. Where is she? Is this death? I am -very comfortable. Am I dead? I don’t feel like it.” - -Max pinched himself and smiled. - -“If I am dead, I can hurt myself I find. This isn’t sand. By the great -Jehosaphat! it is carpet, and I am in a tent. I have it--I am not dead, -but only kidnaped. I’ll get up and have a look around.” - -“My beauteous one, speak to me again, and let the son of Iran hear the -liquid notes that pour from the throat of my gentle gazelle.” - -“Who is there?” asked Max, gruffly. - -He sprang to his feet, and moved slowly, and kept close to the side of -the tent until he reached the opening. - -“My sweet enchantress, I feel that I could----” - -“You could, eh? Well, how do you feel now?” - -Max had struck out from the shoulder, and Ibrahim went heels over head -into the sand. - -“How do you feel?” asked Max, in English. - -To his surprise, he was answered in the same language. - -“Feel! Very sore. Where did you get so much strength?” - -“Who are you?” asked Max. - -“I am Ibrahim of Khorassan; and who are you?” - -“Well, Mr. Abraham----” - -“Ibrahim,” corrected the youth. - -“Well, Ibrahim, I am Max; that is enough for you. If it isn’t, I am -also the madcap, and I can fight as well as talk. How do you feel?” - -“So you are the young fellow we picked up in the sand?” - -“I don’t know. I only know that I don’t know, I mean I know----” - -“You know plenty,” said Ibrahim, laughing at the confusion displayed by -Max. - -“Where am I?” - -“In the tent belonging to Sherif el Habib of Khorassan: and I am -Ibrahim, his nephew and friend.” - -“Where is Girzilla?” - -“Who is that? Your sister?” - -“My sister? No; my friend, my guide, my----” - -“You mean the charming creature whose eloquence is the sweetest music -mine ears have ever heard?” - -“When did you hear? What do you know?” asked Max, abruptly. - -“Don’t get mad. I am Ibrahim of Khorassan.” - -“I don’t care who you are.” - -“But my uncle is the great chief, Sherif el Habib----” - -“I don’t care for that, either; I don’t care whether he is a sheriff, a -policeman, or a soldier.” - -Ibrahim laughed. - -He understood Max, and the idea of confusing the Persian Sherif with -the English sheriff amused him. - -“You don’t understand--that is my uncle’s name.” - -“Fetch him here and let me see him.” - -Ibrahim was astounded. - -The way Max spoke was something for which he was not prepared. - -The sun was rising very rapidly, and as its rays, tinted with the -morning hues, fell upon the glittering sand and white tents, Max was -dazzled. - -“Where am I?” - -“You are with the caravan of the great Persian chief, Sherif el Habib. -My uncle found you dying, and he brought you and your sister here.” - -“Thanks, awfully! Shake hands--that is what we do in England and -America----” - -The youths clasped their hands. - -“We shall be friends?” said Ibrahim. - -“I hope so.” - -“Have you a father?” asked the Persian. - -“Alas! no. He was murdered at Cairo.” - -“We shall be comrades?” - -“Yes, I hope it, indeed.” - -“Have you a mother?” - -“Alas! no,” answered Max. - -“Then we shall be brothers. I, too, am alone--I have no one but my -uncle.” - -“I have no one at all.” - -“He shall be your uncle, and I will be your brother. But who is she?” - -“I told you--she is my guide.” - -“No, Max. She may be a princess, a queen; she is a beauty, as lovely as -she is eloquent, and as poetic as the birds which fly above the gardens -of Paradise.” - - - - -CHAPTER X. THE PETRIFIED FOREST. - - -Max asserted himself so strongly in favor of Girzilla that Ibrahim -refrained from approaching her, not because he had conquered the -passion he felt for her, but entirely out of respect for the madcap. - -Sherif el Habib treated Max as a guest, and when he told him that he -was on a pilgrimage to find the promised mahdi, Max so thoroughly threw -himself into the work that the Persian devotee believed more than ever -in fate. - -Girzilla had never been away so far, and so long as she could see Max -she was satisfied. - -Nothing would make the chiefs of the caravan treat her other than Max’s -sister. - -In this way the journey was continued into the desert of Lybia. - -All had been tranquil. - -No hordes of savages had disturbed the religious pilgrims, and Max -began to yearn for adventure. - -Nearly a month had passed, and Max was as strong as a young elephant, -and as for Girzilla, nothing seemed to tire her. - -One day a forest was sighted. - -For many days not a leaf, not a tree--no, not so much as a blade of -grass, had been seen. - -The unmistakable forest was as acceptable to the travelers as is a rain -shower to the parched earth. - -It was impossible to reach the forest that day, but so impetuous was -the spirit of the two youths that they obtained permission to go in -advance of the party, and while Sherif el Habib rested--for he was -getting to look jaded and tired--they would investigate and return to -report. - -Max and Ibrahim, now the best of friends, went forward, joyously. - -They were both well armed, and carried enough rations to last them four -days. - -It was noon on the following day before they were near to the forest. - -Never before had they seen such gigantic trees. - -But there was something weird and strange about the trees. - -Not one of them appeared to have any foliage. - -They stood erect, with their topmost branches piercing the clouds, as -it were, but not a sign or movement was visible. - -A slight breeze whistled through the forest, but not a bough swayed, -not a tree bent its head before the wind. - -“Haughty old fellows,” exclaimed Max, as he looked forward at the -unbending trees. - -“They look more like stone than wood,” commented Ibrahim. - -“You are right. I wonder what timber they are.” - -There was another peculiarity noticeable. - -Not a bit of brush, nor tuft of grass was to be seen. - -So excited were the explorers that they bid defiance to the blazing -rays of the sun, and ran forward. - -Max was the first to reach a tree. - -The monarch who guarded the earth was many feet in diameter, as -straight as a flagstaff, and entirely without leaves. - -Max touched the bark, and withdrew his hand, suddenly. - -“What is it, Madcap? A viper stung you?” - -“I don’t know. It seems as if the tree was red-hot,” answered Max. - -“That is good. How could a tree be red-hot?” - -“Feel for yourself.” - -“You are right. By the beard of the prophet the tree must be burning.” - -Max struck the trunk with a knife, but the blade broke in two, and no -impression was made on the tree. - -Another, and still another tree was tried, with the same result. - -A couple of hours wandering about, striking trees with the hafts of -their knives, or the butt of their guns, convinced them that they had -discovered a freak of nature--a veritable petrified forest. - -It was true. - -Every tree, by some action of nature, had changed its allegiance from -the vegetable to the mineral kingdom. - -Each of the monarchs of the forest had been turned to stone. - -There was something appalling in those great stone statues. - -How many ages had they stood there? - -What action of nature had changed them from living, sap-flowing trees -into blocks of granite, having only the appearance of their former -reality? - -Ibrahim was scared. - -His face lost its color, and he prostrated himself on the ground. - -“Come along, old fellow,” said Max. “You are not afraid of these big -stones, are you?” - -Ibrahim did not answer. - -He was awe-stricken. - -“Get up, Ib,” exclaimed Max, shortening his companion’s name very -materially. - -It is a matter of doubt how long Ibrahim would have remained prostrate -had not some counter irritant appeared. - -A couple of arrows were fired, and fortunately struck the trees, -glancing off close to our young explorers. - -“Stop that, old fellow, whoever you are, and let us have a look at -you,” shouted Max. - -He had scarcely uttered the words when the whole forest seemed alive. - -It looked as if every tree had hidden a man, and yet not a living -creature had the explorers seen before. - -Where did all these savages come from? - -The savages were something superlative. - -They were almost as naked as when they came into the world. - -Their bodies were rubbed all over with some filthy-looking clay. - -The men wore heavy coils of beads round their necks; two heavy -bracelets of ivory, rudely carved, on their arms, just above the elbow; -and on each wrist was a bracelet or ring, in which, by some cunning -device, sharp pieces of flint, and in some cases lions’ claws, had -been inserted. These fellows surrounded Max and Ibrahim, dancing in a -fantastic manner and flourishing their arrows in the manner of spears, -only that they had four arrows in each hand--held between the fingers -so that the heads of the arrows were stretched out fan shape. - -The circle of savages closed in upon the explorers. - -The faces of the blacks increased in savagery of expression. - -They spoke a language which neither Max nor Ibrahim understood. - -“We are in for it,” said Max. - -“We shall die,” asserted Ibrahim, solemnly. “Oh, why did I ever come?” - -“To have some fun. Wait, and we will see what they mean to do.” - -The savages got so close that our heroes were compelled at times to -dodge the fans of arrows, which threatened to mar the beauty of their -faces, they were so near. - -“It is time to stop this,” said Max, drawing his old-fashioned -revolver--a weapon which must have been one of the first ever made, so -primitive was its construction. It had been given to Max by Sherif el -Habib, who believed it to be the most wonderful weapon ever invented. - -Max happened to catch sight of a monkey jumping from tree to tree, so -he put back his revolver and raised his rifle, a more modern and more -reliable weapon. - -The savages stood still. - -Surely this must be some magician or medicine man who had come among -them. - -That must have been the burden of their thoughts, for they stood -watching and waiting. - -But each man held his fan of arrows ready for use. - -Carefully taking aim, Max fired. - -The savages screamed as they heard the report, and the monkey dropped -dead. - -As if by the stroke of a magician’s wand the arrows were gathered -together and held under the left arm. - -“You conquered them,” said Ibrahim. - -“It seems so; but I don’t know how we are going to escape.” - -“No, nor I. What are they up to now?” - -The chief had said something to the tribe, and instantly the naked, -ugly representatives of the genus man, as known in the petrified -forests of Lybia, disappeared, leaving only the chief and perhaps a -dozen to guard the white explorers. - -A few minutes elapsed, and again the forest was alive; every man had -brought a woman with him. - -The women were more repulsive looking than the men. - -Their backs were gashed and scarred in every direction, while all over -their bodies deep furrows had been plowed out of the flesh. - -At a signal all began dancing. The men at every movement struck the -women with their spiked bracelets, and soon the black bodies of the -females were dripping with blood. - -But the women made no effort to escape, but laughed heartily when they -managed to escape a more than usually vicious blow from their loving -husband’s spiked bracelet. - -“Can’t we stop it?” asked Max. - -“I am afraid not.” - -“I would like to kill the savages.” - -“So would I; but we can’t, and so must endure it----” - -“Or run away.” - -“Let us try.” - -No sooner suggested than attempted. - -The dance was stopped, and the men and women alike rushed after the -runaways, capturing them easily, and holding them firmly until the -dance was finished. - -When the dancing was concluded, the chief gave another command. - -An aged woman, toothless and haggard-looking, with only a few hairs on -her head, was brought from some mysterious place and placed against one -of the stone trees. - -Then the chief, by pantomimic action, showed that he wanted Max to -shoot her. - -To make the madcap understand, he took the dead monkey and held it in -front of the old woman, then raised an arrow, as Max had done his gun, -and pointed it at the woman, letting the monkey fall as he did so. - -Max shook his head. - -The gesture was not understood. - -The chief stood by the side of Max, and raised the rifle to the -madcap’s shoulder, making a peculiar noise with his lips as he did so. - -“Don’t shoot,” said Ibrahim. - -“I am not going to do so,” answered Max, “unless I shoot his nibs here.” - -“Who?” asked the Persian, not understanding the slang expression. - -Max was about to explain, when a loud whoop was given. - -The old woman had fallen forward--dead. - -Fright had killed her. - -But the savages believed that the white man’s magic had ended the poor, -old creature’s life. - -Max and Ibrahim were the heroes of the day. - -Songs of triumph--in gibberish which might mean anything--dances of the -most grotesque kind were indulged in, and it was plain to be seen that -these poor savages were nearly mad with joy. - -When the excitement was at its height, Max whispered to Ibrahim: - -“Let us run--but as we do so we had better point our guns at the -fellows; then they won’t follow.” - -Awaiting a favorable moment, the young fellows started. - -The dancing stopped, and the savages went in pursuit. - -A shower of arrows fell round the explorers. - -Max turned and raised his rifle. - -What a change took place! - -Instead of a hundred warriors pursuing two young men, a hundred backs -could be seen, and every savage was trying to break the world’s record -in running, not toward the explorers, but away from them. - -Max laughed so heartily, that had the savages turned, the American -would never have been able to point the gun at them. - -“Come along, Max, or they may repent and follow.” - -Max needed no second invitation, and had a balloon been above the -forest, he would have seen a hundred savages fleeing in one direction, -as though pursued by a regiment of well-trained soldiers, and the boys -they were afraid of, running just as fast in an opposite one. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. THE TRIBE OF KLATCH. - - -When Ibrahim and Max returned to the camp, they easily persuaded the -Sherif el Habib to steer clear of the petrified forest and its savage -occupants. - -Turning to the southeast, the caravan entered upon an oasis. - -After the sand which had nearly choked them, it was pleasant to get -among the tall marsh grass. - -It seemed strange that such a difference could exist in so short a -distance. - -Mile after mile of sand, without one drop of water to be found, and -then suddenly the sand would cease, and a patch of swampy ground, -perhaps covering twenty square miles, would be entered upon. - -The oasis was the exact antithesis of the desert. - -There everything was dry, not a leaf of vegetation visible; no water -could be obtained, even by sinking deep wells. - -Now, on the oasis, the land appeared to be covered ankle deep with -water. - -Palm and mimosa trees grew to an enormous height, yams were found in -abundance, and wild fruits and vegetables in plenty. - -A river flowed through the oasis, and was the theme of much talk and -great bewilderment. - -“Where does it empty itself?” asked Ibrahim. - -“It seems to flow to the desert,” answered the Sherif el Habib. - -Max looked at it intently. - -“I guess by the time it reaches the desert it gets so thirsty it drinks -itself all dry,” he said, speaking so seriously that his friends -thought he must have evolved from his inner consciousness some new fact -in nature. - -Girzilla danced in the water. She was like a child paddling in the surf -at the seashore. - -“Would that my father could see this,” she exclaimed, and when asked to -repeat, she replied: - -“Nothing, nothing! I was only thinking.” - -The mysterious girl could never be induced to say anything about her -parentage or kith. - -She had left her tribe or home, and was loyal to Max and his friends. - -She never seemed to have a thought away from them. - -The camels were at first delighted at meeting with the water, but after -loading up with the refreshing liquid, they treated the water with -haughty disdain, treading lazily along without a care. - -Following the banks of the stream they found the grass getting greener, -but shorter, and the water less deep. - -After an hour’s march through the marsh grass they reached a little -hillock well adapted for encampment, being perfectly dry, and the grass -green and soft. - -But just as the eunuch Effendi had given orders for the tents to be -pitched, Max came running back to his friends, declaring that there -were plenty of savages to keep them company. - -Sherif el Habib, accompanied by Ibrahim and guided by Max, went to look -at the savages. - -Across the little stream they saw large herds of cattle, tended by -naked natives. - -The grass was so high that, as the cattle and natives moved about, they -appeared as if they were in water. - -Sherif motioned for the natives to approach, and timidly they did so. - -He held up some strings of glass beads, and the untutored Africans -shouted for joy. - -Never had the party seen more miserable-looking creatures. - -Every bone showed through their skin, and they were evidently half -starved. - -They would not kill the cattle, and only ate one when it happened to -die of sickness. - -“What do you eat?” asked Sherif, and was delighted to think that he -could make himself understood. - -“Rats, snakes, lizards, and fish,” was the reply. - -The fish, they found, were caught by spearing, the natives casting the -harpoon at random among the reeds; thus, out of several hundred casts, -they might, by good luck, catch one fish. - -The natives said the chief’s name was Klatch, and Sherif sent for him. - -A few minutes and a tall, well-formed man appeared, accompanied by two -women. - -Klatch wore a leopard skin across his shoulders, and a skull cap of -white beads, with a crest of white ostrich feathers; but the mantle -which was slung across his shoulders was his only attempt at clothing. - -He spoke of one of the women as his wife, and the other as his daughter. - -“What want you?” asked Klatch. - -“We seek the white man’s mahdi,” answered Sherif el Habib, solemnly. - -“What you give for him?” asked Klatch, not comprehending the question. - -It was in vain that Sherif tried to explain. - -The more he tried, the more obscure did his meaning appear. - -At last Klatch thought he understood, and taking his daughter by the -shoulders, gave her a push toward Sherif. - -“She is yours; give Klatch beads and feathers.” - -Ibrahim laughed heartily at the mistake. - -“Uncle, you have bought the dusky maiden; what will you do with her?” - -Sherif was amazed. - -His religious fervor was dampened. - -He explained to Klatch that he did not want his daughter, but the chief -could not, or would not, understand. - -A compromise was reached, Sherif purchasing the girl, and then giving -her back again to her father. - -When night came it was pleasant to sleep on the thick green turf, and -all the party--save only Effendi--slept soundly. - -As for Effendi, he imagined everyone was going to kill his master, -and, therefore, he kept awake, or at least only allowed himself short -intervals of sleep. - -When Sherif el Habib emerged from his tent in the morning, he saw the -chief’s daughter lying across the entrance fast asleep. - -She had gone to her purchaser, and no doubt the poor girl felt that she -would be far happier with the white man than with her own people. - -All day the natives came to the camp, carrying small gourd shells to -receive gifts of corn. - -Sherif treated them so generously that the poor, half-starved blacks -fell down before him and kissed his feet. - -Max thought of doing a stroke of business on his own account, by -offering to purchase a bull or a cow. - -But the natives would not sell. - -Exasperated, Max raised his gun and shot an animal, unfortunately a -sacred bull. - -He was instantly surrounded by the natives who howled and yelled at -him, threatening to tear him in pieces and drink his blood. - -He learned that to every herd of cattle, Klatch’s tribe had a sacred -bull, who was supposed to exert an influence over the prosperity of the -flock. - -The horns of the sacred bull were ornamented with tufts of feathers and -strings of shells, which jingled as he moved along. - -Every morning the natives addressed the bull in the cattle kraal, -bidding him keep the cows from straying, and to see that they found the -best grass, so that they could give the most milk. - -It was one of the sacred bulls that Max had killed. - -Klatch, hearing the howling, went to see what had so disturbed his -people. - -When they saw the chief, they clamored for Max’s death. - -“He killed the sacred bull,” said one. - -“Then he dies,” answered the chief. - -Sherif el Habib offered to pay for the animal, but no amount of beads -or rings, shells or jewelry, would purchase a sacred bull. - -Max must die. - -Ibrahim asked how Max had killed the bull. - -The natives said he had speared him. - -“Where is my spear?” asked Max. - -They pointed to his gun. - -He raised it and showed that it was no spear at all. - -The bull was dead. - -That did not admit of any doubt. - -But how did it die? - -Klatch was so curious that he told Max he might kill a cow, if he could -do so without a spear. - -Max had a repeating gun, an old-fashioned one, but still better than an -old musket. - -He singled out a cow, raised his gun to his shoulder, the natives -watching him. There was a puff of smoke, a flash, a loud report, and -the cow dropped dead. - -It was a miracle. - -“Another!” cried Klatch, and Max, who anticipated some good beefsteaks -as his reward, picked off a bull who was looking at him very steadily. - -As a reward for these miracles Max was given the first bull, and the -other dead animals were divided among the natives. - -After two days rest the caravan resumed its journey, Klatch and the -entire tribe pleading hard to go with Sherif. - -When the caravan rested after the next day’s journey, Sherif found the -chief’s daughter sleeping by his tent. She had followed in the distance -and under cover of the night reached the pasha’s tent. - -Sherif ordered her back, but she refused to return, and he threatened -to use force to compel her. - -She explained that according to the custom of her people she would be -killed. - -If a girl was sold to a man, and he repented of his bargain, the girl -must die. - -“But I sold you back again,” said Sherif. - -The girl wept as bitterly as ever did white woman, but Sherif was -obdurate, and when she did return it was easy to see that she expected -she was going to her death. - -Whether she was killed or allowed to live, our party of pilgrims never -discovered. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. “WHAT SAYS GIRZILLA?” - - -“I would like to know where that river empties itself,” said Max. - -“We will follow its course, if you like,” answered Sherif el Habib, -good-naturedly. - -“That will suit me,” assented Ibrahim. - -“What says Girzilla?” - -Girzilla had become a most important factor to consider. - -She had conversed with the Persian shawl manufacturer, and had told him -she believed that Mameluke blood ran in her veins. - -This set Sherif thinking. - -The Mamelukes were originally slaves, brought from the Caucasus. - -When Selim the First overthrew the Mameluke kingdom in 1517, he was -compelled to allow twenty-four of their number to remain governors of -provinces. - -Ten of these beys were Arabians, and rumor declared that at least three -of them were descended from the Prophet Mahomet. - -To find the last of the Mamelukes was an important step, for he would -have the record of his race, and might direct the pilgrims to the -mahdi, who was shortly expected. - -Girzilla could help them in this, if she really possessed Mameluke -blood, for she would know the signs and signals which bound together -that most powerful body of men. - -The Mamelukes were a brotherhood, having secret signs, and possessed of -all the fraternal strength of the Free Masons. - -That was the reason Sherif asked the question: - -“What says Girzilla?” - -The girl smiled, sadly. - -“I am away from my people; they mourn me as dead. I am thy slave, do -with me as thou wilt--I am thine.” - -“No, Girzilla, not mine,” said Sherif; “if thou dost belong to anyone, -’tis to Max, the audacious young madcap.” - -A tinge of carmine suffused itself over the girl’s face, and she bent -down her head. - -“He careth not. I am not of his race; the sun doth not care for the -dark--I am dark----” - -“But comely,” quickly added Max, quoting from Solomon. “I do care for -thee, Girzilla. I----” - -“Nay, I understand thee. I will lead thee or go with thee--but it is -great Sherif el Habib who is the master. As he pleases so I wilt do.” - -Had this child of the desert, around whose life there was so much of -mystery, learned the lessons of coquetry and flattery? - -She pleased the old merchant, and so infatuated did he become, that he -took Max on one side, and in a mysterious manner whispered: - -“I have solved it.” - -“What?” - -“Girzilla.” - -“Have you discovered who she is?” - -“No, but who she is going to be.” - -Max started. A crimson tide passed through the veins of his face. - -In a whisper he asked: - -“Who is she to be?” - -“Ibrahim shall marry her.” - -The union would be a good one. The marriage of a Persian with an -Arabian could not be considered a _mesalliance_, at least as regards -race; but to Max there was a certain pride of rank which would be -outraged. - -Ibrahim was worth, perhaps, a million dollars, Girzilla nothing; the -Persian took rank as a pasha in his own land, while who knew anything -about Girzilla? - -The silver bands she wore round her arms and ankles betokened rank, but -might not her father be a bandit, and bedecked his child with them? - -Girzilla was well educated, but even that was an objection to Max’s -mind, for he could not help thinking that, perhaps, she was educated to -serve as a decoy for the robber band. - -Sherif el Habib was surprised at the young American’s silence. - -“If thou wouldst marry her yourself----” - -“I, an American, marry an Arab?” - -“My dear fellow,” said Sherif el Habib, earnestly, “you of all men -oughtn’t to think her race an objection.” - -“And why?” - -“Simply because your minister to Teheran told me that the great -strength of your nation laid in the fact that you declared and -recognized ‘that all are born free and equal.’” - -Max knew not what to say. He had been confronted with that very -difficulty before. - -His father had told him that instead of being a reality, the present -generation treated the time-honored declaration as a theory, very -beautiful, but impractical. - -Alas! there is too much truth in that statement of Merchant Gordon. - -Max knew not what to answer. - -He was in a peculiar humor. Like the dog who did not want the bone, -he was angry at any other dog getting it, and so Max, while he would -not marry Girzilla, was furious and jealous at the thought of Ibrahim -claiming her as his wife. - -Sherif el Habib walked back to the camp, and orders were given to -follow the course of the stream. - -For four hours the march was continued through the long grass. - -It was almost as wearisome as journeying across the sand. - -After two hours journey on the next day, a quagmire prevented them from -following the stream, and they had to make a detour to the right. - -The river was kept in sight, however, and for two days it could be seen -flowing briskly along toward the realm of illimitable sand. - -“Where is the river?” asked Max. - -The mystery increased. - -The river seemed to end abruptly in a sand bank. - -It was true. - -All vegetation ceased; the oasis had been crossed. - -The green grass was to give way to dry sand. - -That did not surprise them. - -They expected it, but what puzzled them was that a little stream, -rising from springs at one end of the rectangular oasis, had swollen -into a river, whose rippling waves showed a strong current, and when -some great lake was expected, or another river, of which it might be -tributary, nothing was found but sand. - -“It was all a mirage,” suggested Max. - -“What do you mean?” - -“Why, we only imagined the river.” - -“You are a fool!” angrily exclaimed Ibrahim. - -“Thank you; we are brothers,” retorted Max. - -Ibrahim laughed, and acknowledged that Max had the best of it. - -“Seriously, though, there was a river and the water must empty itself -somewhere.” - -“Of course.” - -“Well, where does it go to?” - -“To the place where it empties itself,” answered Max. - -“Confound you, Max! be serious. Who knows but that we are on the verge -of a great discovery?” - -“Yes; and that we may be heralded all over the world as the mighty -explorers who found the river Ibrahim, which had its rise in an atom of -sand, and flowed into the lake of nothing.” - -Then, pausing, he suddenly slapped Ibrahim on the shoulder. - -“Say, wouldn’t we make money as lecturers? You should go as the great -Persian pasha, warranted genuine; while I would introduce you----” - -“Boys, there is a mystery here,” said Sherif el Habib, coming up at the -time; “and if I were your age----” - -“So you are, pasha,” said Max. - -“Yes, my boy, and older. But if I were young I would find a way to -solve the mystery.” - -“May we try it?” - -“Yes; and may Allah and the Prophet guide you.” - -“But what says Girzilla?” asked Max. - -“She is willing,” responded Sherif, solemnly. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. DANGEROUS JESTS. - - -Sherif el Habib, having chosen a camping ground in the oasis, and being -supplied with provisions enough for several months, agreed to wait for -the return of the young explorers. - -No sooner were Max and Ibrahim away from the camp than they felt like -boys. - -They were their own masters, and not only that, but they had two Arabs -with them as stewards and porters. - -Provisions for two weeks were packed into convenient form, and the four -started. - -Ibrahim insisted on Max taking the lead, the very thing not to do, for -Max was venturesome, and when freed from restraint a perfect madcap. -However, Ibrahim believed in him most implicitly, and it was agreed -that Max should be captain. - -The madcap had seen, some hours journey back, a boat, and to it they -went. - -A native, who was fishing, objected to them having it, but a few beads -and a china doll were considered a princely recompense, and Max became -the owner of the boat. - -He asked the native where the river led to, and was told that in the -great quagmire was a fire that had been burning for hundreds of moons, -and it took all the water to keep the fire down; if the water stopped -the whole world would be burned up, and, added the native, naïvely: - -“Even Klatch would be burned.” - -And the terrible climax made the naked savage look so frightened that -Max burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. - -“Did you ever see the fire?” asked Ibrahim. - -“No, no! but Baas must not ask.” - -“We are going to see it; will you come?” - -“No, no.” - -“Will give you beads.” - -“No.” - -“China doll”--holding another up to view. - -“No, no, no!” - -The answer was very emphatic, and the man looked the very -personification of fear. - -The boat was a good, strong dugout. - -A log of the talha, a species of mimosa tree, had been hollowed out -with rude tools. - -This dugout formed one of the strongest kinds of canoe or boat known in -Africa. - -There was room for seven or eight in it, and Max, out of a pure spirit -of mischief, determined that the naked native should be one of the -party. - -The man objected, but the Arabs seized him by the arms and legs and -lifted him into the boat. - -The poor fellow trembled as though he had one of those terrible agues -so prevalent in some countries, and which makes one: - - “Shake! shake! shake! - Shudder, and cower, and quake, - Till every nerve has its separate quiver, - And every sinew its separate shiver, - And every bone its particular ache; - For either he or the chill must break! - - “Shake! shake! shake! - Till joints are loose and sinews slack, - Till every bone is a torturing thing, - And every nerve is a hornet’s sting, - While up and down the weary back - An army of icebergs, stern and solemn, - Marches along the spinal column.” - -That was just how poor, wild Klatchman--as he called himself--felt when -he was lifted into the boat and held there by fear that Max would kill -him if he attempted to move. - -The man gave himself up for lost, and bade farewell by gestures to the -cows and the sacred bulls, to his tribe and his kindred. - -The Arabs bent themselves to the oars and the boat seemed to fly along. - -The water was rough. - -At times waves buffeted the boat and rocked it as if it were a paper -shell. - -The oars were needed, not to propel the boat, but rather to prevent it -going too fast. - -“Hurrah for the rapids!” shouted Max, but Ibrahim was getting scared. - -“Pull us to the land,” he commanded, but Max was in for mischief. - -“Don’t do it. On we go,” and then he began to sing: - - “A life on the ocean wave, - A home on the rolling deep.” - -Poor Klatchman overcame his fear of Max and jumped out of the boat. - -A big, powerful fellow--swimming like a fish--he tried to reach the -land. - -The current was too strong. - -He struck out vigorously, but was carried along backward. - -Ibrahim was so frightened that he threatened to jump out. - -“Don’t do it,” implored Max. - -But Ibrahim was determined and Max was afraid that not only would the -native perish, but that his Persian friend would be sacrificed also. - -“It is only a joke,” said Max, “we will pull back now.” - -“And Klatchman?” - -“He will catch up to us.” - -Ibrahim sat down again, and Max ordered the Arabs to pull back to the -place from which they started. - -A few strokes and Ibrahim again interfered. - -“Save the poor wretch, Max, for my sake.” - -“If you like, but Klatcher can catch up to us; it is good to give him a -scare.” - -“Please save him.” - -Max laughed long and heartily. - -“How serious you are. One would think we were in the rapids of Niagara.” - -“My dear fellow--Klatchman is a human being----” - -“Is he?” - -“Of course he is.” - -“Thought perhaps he was Darwin’s missing link.” - -Max may appear to the reader to have been thoroughly heartless, but he -was not. - -For weeks he had curbed his spirit of fun and had played no practical -jokes. - -Now he had a chance to frighten the poor savage and Ibrahim at the same -time. - -That was his only idea. If he had thought poor Klatchman was in any -danger he would have been the first to have even risked his life to -rescue him; but in the first place he did not believe in the danger, -and then he looked upon the savage much as he would upon a Newfoundland -dog--one quite as much at home in the water as out of it. - -“Never mind what he is,” said Ibrahim, “don’t be heartless, Max. Save -the poor wretch.” - -Max looked round and saw that the native had resigned himself to his -fate. - -He had ceased to make any effort to save himself. - -“Look, Ib. It’s a whirlpool, by all that’s holy!” - -Max was right; Klatchman’s body was being whirled round at a furious -rate. - -“If only he had a torch in his hand he would look like a Fourth of July -pin-wheel,” continued the madcap. - -Turning to the Arabs, he said: - -“Pull to the wretch and drag him into the boat.” - -“It is not safe, your excellency.” - -“Tush! do as you are told.” - -The men bent to the oars and pulled toward the whirlpool, but no sooner -had they changed the position of the boat than it seemed to fly over -the water, borne along by some fierce current below the surface. - -“This is awful,” exclaimed Ibrahim. - -“Awfully jolly, you mean,” replied the American. - -“I am afraid.” - -“Are you? Whyou!” whistled Max, “but we are in for it now.” - -He was right; the boat whirled round like a teetotum. - -It was useless to try and manage it. - -“Great Scott! What a race.” - -Max could scarcely get enough breath to speak, but even then he was -more than delighted. - -There was the African whirling round in a smaller circle, while the -boat was going equally fast in a larger one around him. - -“Jewilikins! what was that?” - -Even Max turned sick when he knew what it was. - -The boat had struck Klatchman such a blow on the head that the poor -creature’s brains were spattered all over the boat. - -“Good-by, Max!” gasped Ibrahim. - -“Good-by, old fellow! I have brought you to death, but I didn’t mean to -do so.” - -“I forgive you. Poor Girzilla!” - -One of the Arabs had fainted with fright, and before either of his -comrades or Max could reach forward to save him, he had fallen out of -the boat and was dashed to pieces in the whirlpool. - -“Gone only a few minutes before us,” Max groaned, now thoroughly -serious and alive to his fate. - -Was it imagination? - -Were their senses so numbed that they did not feel the dizzying whirl -of the boat, or had the boat suddenly become stationary? - -Ibrahim looked with bloodshot eyes at Max. - -The madcap returned the look, equally puzzled as to what had taken -place. - -They had reached the very center of the whirlpool, and the fury of the -whirling waters had spent themselves. - -Like the famous Moskoestrom or Maelstrom, off the Norwegian coast, the -center was calm and still, while the outer rings were lashed everything -with the greatest fury. - -Like that European whirlpool, the smaller African one seemed to get -tired and have a period of rest. - -“Pull back, boys,” said Max, when he saw that Ibrahim had seized the -oar the dead Arab had let fall. - -Both bent themselves with their whole strength to the oars, and the -boat moved as they willed it. - -“Change places with me--let me pull!” exclaimed Max. - -Ibrahim was nothing loath to do so, and he took the rudely-shaped -paddle from Max, which he had used to guide the boat in place of a -rudder. - -The American was stronger than either the Persian or the Arab, and the -force of his oar soon made itself felt. - -The outer ring of the now quiescent whirlpool was reached, and Max -uttered devoutly the words: - -“Thank Heaven!” - -While Ibrahim, after the manner of his people, exclaimed: - -“Allah be praised! _Sin Syu!_” - -Which latter was equivalent to saying: - -“Allah be praised! I have said it!” - -“We have not found the outlet of the river,” said Max. - -“No, nor don’t want to.” - -“I do, and I have already named the whirlpool ‘the Ibrahim.’” - -“Thanks for the honor. But let us get back to uncle, and--Girzilla.” - -“My dear fellow, you are in love with the pretty Egyptian. How she will -listen to your ‘hairbreadth ’scapes on sea and land.’” - -“Hush! we are drifting.” - -“Drifting isn’t the word for it, we are going thirty miles an hour. -Pull, you lazy Arab, pull!” - -Max exerted all his strength. - -The Arab became purple in the face with the strain. - -On both the perspiration stood in great drops; their sinews were like -huge cords stretched under the skin. - -“Snap!” - -And as the sound broke upon his ears, both Max and Ibrahim groaned -aloud. - -An oar had broken. - -“The paddle, quick!” - -Max seized the badly-shaped paddle, and tried to use it like an oar. - -In vain. - -The Arab’s oar was broken, and the boat and its occupants were at the -mercy of the cruel river. - -Where was it taking them? - -Not to the whirlpool. - -That was passed long ago. - -They could see it again as they looked back. - -Ibrahim reached out his hand to seize a branch of a mimosa tree, but -his effort was in vain. - -“See, what is that? Oh, Allah!” exclaimed the Persian as he saw the -face of the dead Arab close to the boat, with its eyes open, and -peering into the face of the young chief. - -“It is horrible!” groaned Max. - -On sped the boat, faster and yet faster. - -The living Arab was the picture of stoicism. - -He sat erect, his arms folded, the turban on his head scarcely -wrinkled; but his teeth were clinched together, and he awaited death. - -Ibrahim had passed through the terror of the valley of the shadow of -death, and had mentally wished his uncle farewell. - -As for Max, he was occupied thinking of a way to escape. - -And yet a few minutes of life only remained to them. - -The water had changed to dull, heavy red in color. - -All along the banks Max could see the quagmire the caravan had avoided. - -But the boat sped on so rapidly that nothing definite could be noted. - -It seemed the boat was going uphill, but of course that was imagination. - -A few yards before them was tall marsh grass growing in the water. - -“Our troubles are at an end,” gasped Max, catching his breath, as he -spoke. - -The boat tossed slightly. - -A sudden lurch, and the small dugout, with its three occupants, -was precipitated over a cataract, a seething cauldron of hissing, -sputtering, bubbling water! - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. THE SUBTERRANEAN RIVER. - - -The sudden shooting of the cataract, the wild plunge into the water -beneath, had taken away their breath, and neither Max nor Ibrahim was -able to speak. - -Instinctively, the three men caught hold tightly of the sides of the -dugout, and it was well that they did so, and maintained their grip -like grim death. - -The boat rolled over and over, constantly righting itself, and its -occupants got more baths in a few minutes than they cared for. - -They found the water quite warm, which was some consolation, for had -it been icy cold they would have been unable to retain their hold upon -the boat. - -How the water came tumbling down! All sorts of strange noises were made -in its descent. - -To Max and Ibrahim it seemed that ten thousand peals of thunder had -impressed themselves on the tympanum of their ears. The Arab might have -been a statue of marble. - -He clutched the boat with both hands, but his features were as rigid as -death. He had his eyes and mouth closed tightly, and had it not been -for the swelling of his bosom he might have been thought dead. - -Every time the boat was submerged it was carried further away from the -cataract, and in a very few minutes--but the few minutes seemed an -eternity--the water grew calmer and the boat more steady. - -Then it was that they opened their eyes. - -“Am I blind?” asked Ibrahim. - -“Am I?” echoed Max. - -The Arab was asked if he could see anything, and he answered in the -negative. - -“Then we are blind!” Max solemnly asserted. - -“Why so?” - -“We cannot see.” - -“True.” - -“Is not that sufficient evidence?” - -“No.” - -“Why not?” - -“Because we may be underground.” - -“You mean----?” - -“That we are on the breast of a subterranean river, flowing under the -desert.” - -“You mean it?” - -“Is it not as probable as that we are all blind?” - -“Perhaps so.” - -The water was as calm as a stagnant pool. Scarcely a ripple passed over -its surface. - -And yet the boat was borne along quietly and slowly. - -Max had recovered his good spirits, and with them his appetite. - -“I am hungry.” - -“So am I.” - -“Let us refresh.” - -Fortunately the packages of food were all incased in waterproof -covering, a precaution which should always be taken by explorers. One -of the packages was unfastened from the Arab’s back, and a thoroughly -good repast was partaken by all three. - -“I feel ever so much braver,” said Ibrahim. - -“Yes, there is a great satisfaction in having a full stomach.” - -“How do you feel, Selim?” - -The man groaned, wearily, and in a quaint manner told his master that -he felt bad. - -“I shall die,” he said, “and I don’t want to do so. Before I ate salt -with your excellency I wanted to die, but now--I don’t like it at all.” - -The Arab had been so miserable that all terror had been removed from -the thought of death. His appetite satisfied, his love of life grew -stronger, and the very thought of his impending fate was horrible. - -“Hold my hand,” suddenly exclaimed Max. - -“What are you going to do?” - -“Never mind; I want to stand up, and this confounded boat is so shaky I -am afraid I’ll fall over into the water.” - -Ibrahim grasped Max around the legs, while Selim held one hand. - -Max raised the other above his head. - -He was trying if he could touch anything which would satisfy him that -they were really drifting through a tunnel. - -But he could not reach anything. If he really were in a subterranean -cave or passage, the roof was too lofty for him to reach. - -On went the boat, its speed gradually increasing. - -Its occupants were victims of fate. - -They were without paddle or oar, and had positively no means of guiding -or directing the boat. - -Ibrahim put his hand into the water, and exclaimed: - -“It is hot!” - -Max repeated the experiment, and found that the water was many degrees -warmer than it had been. - -“What do you make of it?” Max asked. - -“That the air being more confined causes the water to be warmer.” - -“Absurd! It would be the exact opposite of that. The water ought to be -colder.” - -“What is your theory?” - -“We are approaching a boiling spring.” - -“That is a pleasant reflection--see, can you discern anything?” - -Max looked all around, but failed to see anything. - -“Am I imagining a rosy tint in the distance?” - -“Excellency, pasha, bey!” exclaimed Selim, utterly bewildered as to his -choice of titles. - -“What is it, Selim?” - -“Fire!” - -“Where?” - -“Right ahead!” - -All three looked in the direction the boat was drifting, and saw -unmistakable evidences of a big fire. - -“Klatchee was right, the water runs to the fire,” said Max. - -“We are not blind, are we?” - -“No; see the falls. Jewilikins, what beauty!” - -The light from the fire was now so great that they could see the walls -and roof of the immense tunnel they were in. - -The rocks glistened as if bestudded with millions of gems; huge -stalactites hung from the roof, each one like a glittering diamond or -dazzling emerald. - -The water was a river of precious stones, for every gem, every -stalactite, each piece of quartz, was reflected in the clear, pellucid -stream, giving it the appearance of a sheet of glass besprinkled with -gems of the greatest value. - -“The palace of Aladdin contained not so many gems!” Ibrahim exclaimed. - -“I wish this was in America and belonged to me,” said Max. - -“Why?” - -“I would make millions out of it.” - -“Inshallah! Isn’t it hot?” - -The perspiration poured from them in pints. - -They steamed as the heat dried their wet clothes, and, as the vapor -arose, it acted like a prism, and made innumerable rainbows in the cave. - -“Better be drowned than burned,” said Ibrahim. “I shall jump overboard.” - -“And be boiled,” laughed Max, who had just put his hand into the water -and felt that the skin had been taken off. - -Ibrahim put down his hand, but gave a shriek, weird and unearthly, as -he found the water was many degrees hotter than human flesh could stand. - -The heat was getting unbearable, but escape there was none. - -“Ib, old fellow, I brought you to this.” - -“By Allah! it is not so.” - -“Yes, it is.” - -“No, old chap. Uncle Sherif suggested it.” - -“But he did not know----” - -“Did you?” - -“No, but----” - -“Well, then, how can you be responsible?” - -“What are we to do?” - -“Say our prayers and die.” - -“I should like--you won’t mind, will you, Ib?--it is a custom--I should -like to shake hands with you.” - -“You silly fellow, give me your hand. You feel better now?” - -“Yes--and yours, Selim. We are all in the same boat.” - -They were nearly suffocated. - -The air was filled with sulphur. - -“Throw your coat over your head, Max, and let us die like men.” - -The three hastily muffled up their faces and awaited death. - -Each mumbled something--perhaps their prayers. - -“I shall soon be with you, father,” Max said. - -“Poor Girzilla! how bright life seemed by your side,” were the last -words Max heard Ibrahim utter, as he muffled up his face. - -Selim called on Allah, and with Oriental indifference waited the -solution of the great mystery of the hereafter. - -The boat began to rock violently. Something was agitating the water. - -“Good-by, Ib,” Max called out, but there was no answer. - -The Persian was unconscious. - -A strange, nervous fear took possession of Max. - -How can it be accounted for? - -He was afraid the boat would capsize, and he would be drowned. - -And as he clutched the side of the boat with tenacious grip, he prayed -that he might not fall overboard, and yet he felt certain his life -would be ended by fire in a few minutes. - -It is recorded by one of the great English generals who was in India at -the time of the mutiny--1859--that a sepoy on his way to execution, was -scared at the thought of accidental death. - -The sentence had been, that he was to be tied to the muzzle of a -cannon, and blown to pieces. - -Horrible as the death was to be, the man saw, or fancied he saw, an -English soldier level his gun at him. - -He became hysterical. - -His shrieks rent the air. - -He was asked what had so suddenly unnerved him. - -He pointed to the soldier, who was only practicing the manual of arms, -and gasped out nervously that he was afraid the gun might go off and he -would be killed. - -And yet ten minutes later that very man assisted his executioners to -strap him to the cannon which was to blow him into eternity. - -It was so with Max. - -He had nerved himself for death in the flames to which the boat was -speeding, but he was afraid he might fall overboard and be drowned. - -Selim sat as rigid as stone. - -Save the movement of his chest no sign of life was perceptible. - -As if by magic the air became cooler, the boat rocked less violently, -there was but a slight rumbling to be heard, but in its place a -sizzing, as if gas was being forced through an open pipe. - -“What does it mean?” thought Max. “The end has come. Good-by, -world--good-by.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV. IN THE VOLCANO’S MOUTH. - - -But gradually a belief stole into the American’s mind that the end was -not yet. - -The water had become calm. - -Max, while keeping his right hand firm on the side of the boat, -gradually threw off the covering from his head. - -A sight met his gaze which caused him to shiver with fear. - -Above his head he could see the clear, blue Oriental sky and the -bright, twinkling stars. - -A shaft, yet not regularly made, but one excavated by volcanic action, -rose above him. - -It seemed hundreds of feet to the top. - -The boat was resting placidly on the water, if the strange-looking -liquid could be called by such a name. - -Strange looking! - -But few ever saw a lake or river like unto it. - -That there was water was not a matter of doubt, but in it floated -strange-looking lizards and fishes. - -Pieces of stone, or glass, seemed as buoyant as the fish themselves. - -Curiosity got the better of fear, and Max grabbed one of the fish as it -floated by. - -He dropped it in the boat, and it broke in two. - -It was petrified, or rather changed into lava. - -“Girzilla! Girzilla! my own--my love! Fit queen of my household, where -art thou?” - -Ibrahim was talking in his delirium. - -“Get up, old fellow; stop your dreaming!” shouted Max so loudly that he -was startled by the sound of his own voice. - -Ibrahim moved so uneasily that Max was afraid he would capsize the boat. - -He held him firmly on his seat, and shouted in his ear: - -“Wake up!” - -“Where am I?” - -“Uncover your head and see.” - -When Ibrahim was sufficiently awake to do so, he was as charmed as if -he had awoke in an enchanted land. - -“Allah be praised!” he exclaimed. - -“Yes, old fellow, but how are we going to get out?” - -“Allah will save us.” - -“I believe it, Ib; but we have a saying in my country that ‘God helps -only those who try to help themselves.’” - -“Where is the fire?” asked the Persian, not noticing the American’s -quotation. - -“I don’t know, but I have an idea.” - -“What is it?” - -“The fire we saw was an erratic eruption of some volcano. We are in the -crater----” - -“Wha-at?” - -“We are in the crater, I repeat, at the present time. The boat is -stationary, and if----” - -“What?” - -“If the eruption starts again we shall go ge-whiz, ker-slush, up there.” - -As Max spoke Ibrahim looked up the shaft and shuddered. - -The slang expressions used by Max had raised him much in the estimation -of the Persian, for he imagined the American was speaking in some -language of which Ibrahim was ignorant. - -“How can we get out?” - -“Could you climb that shaft?” asked Max. - -“No, not if my life depended on it.” - -“Could you, Selim?” - -The Arab was staring upward at the clear sky, and had to be asked -several times before he would answer. - -He shook his head, and Max shrugged his shoulders. - -“I could.” - -“You could climb those walls?” - -“Yes; it is easy.” - -“Easy!” - -Ibrahim could only repeat the word in an inane manner. - -“Yes; the surface is so irregular that there are plenty of footholds.” - -“Shall you do so?” - -“No.” - -“Why not?” - -“Because----” - -Max stopped. He was hesitating whether to tell the whole truth or not. - -“Because what?” - -“It seems our only chance of safety.” - -“Then why not seek it?” - -“You cannot climb.” - -“What of that?” - -“We will be saved together or die in each other’s company.” - -“And you could save yourself?” - -“Perhaps not.” - -But Max was confident he could do it. - -“Since you think that is impracticable, we must find some other way -out.” - -Ibrahim pleaded with Max, and implored him to save himself, but the -American was firm. - -When once he had resolved on a thing, nothing could cause him to change. - -“If we had only some oars----” - -“But we have not.” - -“No, and yet we must get away from here.” - -“How?” - -“In the way our ancestors did before they invented oars.” - -“How was that?” - -“With our hands.” - -And the three set to work, leaning over the sides of the boat with -their hands agitating the water and acting as oars. - -It was slow--very slow work--but the boat moved. - -“Get it to the side.” - -To do so was a work of considerable time; but when they succeeded -progression was much more rapid. - -The only chance of escape seemed to be in following the current; that -is, if they were able to find it. - -It seemed certain that the water did not empty itself into the crater -of the volcano alone, as the natives believed. - -There must be some other outlet. - -When the other side of the crater had been reached, they were surprised -at its immensity. - -When in the center they had imagined the diameter of the almost -circular crater to be some fifty or sixty feet, but as they pushed -their boat round, they discovered that it must be more than three times -that distance. - -Another thing puzzled them. - -Were fish and lizards constantly petrified as they floated or swam into -the vortex, or was it only during an eruption? - -“Shall we go on or wait here?” asked Ibrahim. - -“We will go on after we have had something to eat.” - -“Happy thought that, Max, for I am hungry.” - -A package of food was opened out, and Max commenced eating; but he made -such a grimace that Ibrahim laughed heartily. - -“Stop that. The echo will drive me mad!” exclaimed Max, who recalled -that terrible time in the tomb near Cairo. - -“Stop making faces then.” - -“You will make a worse one when you taste----” - -“What?” - -“Your lunch.” - -“Why?” - -“It is strong with sulphur.” - -Alas! all their food had become impregnated with sulphur fumes and -almost turned them sick, but they could get no other and hunger is a -tyrannic master. - -They ate heartily, notwithstanding the sulphur, Max telling them how -civilized people will travel many miles and spend large sums of money -in order to drink water impregnated with sulphur. - -“Had we better commence to limit our rations?” asked Ibrahim, when he -had eaten all he possibly could. - -They had not thought of that. - -It was becoming serious. They might be a long time before they could -obtain a fresh supply of food. - -“We will start to-morrow,” Max decided. - -The water began to be agitated again and it was deemed advisable to get -away from the crater. - -After a short journey through another tunnel they reached daylight. - -The river ran sluggishly along between two high cliffs. - -“I am sure we are the first to navigate this river.” - -“I think so, too, Max.” - -“I am sure of it. It is not on any map, for I have always been -interested in African deserts.” - -“You have?” - -“Yes, I think a wonderful people are to be found in Sahara--white -people whose knowledge is greater than ours.” - -“Fact?” - -“Yes, Ib. I have often thought that the ancient Egyptians knew many -engineering secrets which are lost to us; they certainly had power -of divination and many other things which puzzle the brains of our -best men to-day. Why should not these old fellows have left Egypt and -founded a new country where they would be free from the incursions of -other nations?” - -“But they died thousands of years ago.” - -“Of course they did, but we didn’t. And their descendants may be -living.” - -“Don’t say a word to Uncle Sherif, or he will make us start off in -search at once.” - -“Seriously, do you ever expect to see your uncle or Girzilla again?” - -It was a cruel question to ask, but Max was in the same boat, and he -had but little hope of escape. - -“I hope so. Why not?” - -“Because---- Hello! we are in the dark again.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. BEYOND HUMAN IMAGINATION. - - -As the crater was left behind, the water became more turbid, and flowed -faster, carrying along with it the boat and its three adventurous -occupants. - -“Max!” - -The voice sounded almost sepulchral in the darkness. - -“Yes, Ibrahim.” - -“Isn’t this horrible?” - -“It is, but we are gaining knowledge.” - -“I know enough of the fearful----” - -“And yet--perhaps what we don’t know is far more horrible.” - -“Don’t talk like that, or I shall go mad.” - -“Ha! ha! ha!” - -The laugh was from Selim. - -“I’ve got it. It is here. Great prophet, isn’t it beautiful?” - -“What are you talking about, Selim?” - -“This--look at it.” - -“Look at what? Isn’t it so dark that you could cut the very atmosphere?” - -“He has gone mad,” whispered Ibrahim. - -“I am afraid it is so.” - -No wonder! The strain was something frightful. - -It would require nerves of steel to withstand such a terrible tension. - -“Jewilikins! what’s that?” - -Some strange, slimy water monster had crawled into the boat and onto -Max’s back. - -It was impossible to see what it was, and all that Ibrahim could do was -to knock it off; but he almost fainted as he touched it. - -On went the boat, drifting just where the current liked to take it. - -There was no means of guiding or steering it. - -They were victims of their curiosity, without a chance of saving -themselves. - -Again there was a glimmer of light, and the explorers rejoiced. - -But their pleasure was but for a moment. - -The darkness was preferable. - -It hid from them the horrors of the river they had to traverse. - -Monster lizards crawled up and down the slimy walls which confined the -river to its bed. - -Fish, with wings, would fly from the water and strike the occupants of -the boat as they passed by. - -Great crabs, the like of which have never been seen before, struggled -on every little ledge of rock or piece of sandy ground. - -One big fellow had got into the boat, and was slowly devouring pieces -of Selim’s leg. - -The poor Arab was unconscious, and it could only be a question of -minutes before his soul would leave the mortal tenement. - -As Max and Ibrahim realized it they were almost frantic with fear. - -“Five when we started,” said Max, “but only three now, and a few -moments more there will be but two.” - -Ibrahim’s face was as white as death. - -His pulses were beating so slowly that it was almost a miracle he lived. - -Suddenly his mood changed. - -His heart began throbbing and pumping out blood at terrific speed. - -The color of his face was almost purple, and as he tried to stand up in -the little boat his head fell back, and Max only saved him by a hair’s -breadth. - -Max was now alone. - -Ibrahim lived, but was not only helpless, but in his delirium, -dangerous to himself and his companion. - -Selim was dead. - -It grieved Max to have to throw the body overboard, but that was the -only course which could be adopted. - -Unstrapping the packages of food from the man’s back, he exerted all -his strength and pushed the man overboard. - -It was horrible. - -Max was sickened at the sight, and yet he felt that he dare not take -his eyes away. - -Horrible water monsters sought the body, and almost instantly crabs -and lizards, fish with ugly fins, and water newts, were covering the -remains of the poor Arab and rapidly devouring all that was left of him. - -Ibrahim was raving. - -He imagined he saw all sorts of frightful shapes, wanting to tear him -to pieces. - -“I shall go mad,” exclaimed Max, and he felt that it was only a -question of a few minutes. - -The boat drifted along slowly, and Max wondered whether they would ever -again stand on land. - -Once he thought he heard human voices, but it must have been -imagination. - -At the very moment when the delicate cords of his brain seemed ready to -snap asunder, a thought saved him. - -He wondered how the water had made the tunnels. - -That set him thinking, and he fancied that the underground channels -had been made by the sheer force of the water, and its petrifying -action--that perhaps at some time the sand had drifted to the water and -become by its action solid rock. - -If so, the tunnels were under the desert, and maybe the open cuttings -were through oases. - -How long had they been on the river? - -They had no means of keeping record of the time, but their food was -nearly gone. - -Had he slept? - -He could not recall whether he had done so, and yet nature could not -have endured the strain so long without sleep. - -These thoughts saved him from the delirium which afflicted his friend. - -He felt easier and more contented. - -A strange drowsiness came over him, and he settled himself as -comfortably as he could in the bottom of the boat and fell asleep. - - * * * * * - -On the banks of a tributary of the Nile a tribe--darker in color than -the Egyptians and yet less black than the Africans of the Soudan or -Congo State--dwelt in comparative peace. - -This tribe is peculiar. - -Its members eat no animal food, neither do they hanker after fire water -or tobacco. - -They do not believe in fighting, and yet at times they are compelled to -resist by force of brute strength the onslaughts and invasions of their -neighbors. - -Their dwellings are the perfection of cleanliness; the domicile of each -family is surrounded with a hedge of the almost impenetrable euphorbia, -and the interior of the inclosure is a yard neatly plastered with a -cement of ashes, cow dung and sand. - -On this cleanly swept surface are one or more huts surrounded by -granaries of neat wickerwork, thatched and resting upon raised -platforms. - -The huts have projecting roofs in order to afford a shade, and the -entrance is usually about two feet high. - -The men are well grown and rather refined. - -Their dress is very limited, usually only an apron of leather--either a -piece of cowhide or goatskin. - -Tattoo marks or lines across their forehead denote their rank. - -The chief has his forehead lined closely together, his assistants or -deputies have less in number, while the ordinary members of the tribe -have only two lines. - -The women are not handsome. Their heads are shaved, and around their -bald pates they wear a band of beads or shells. - -Living peaceably and not even fishing, they devote all their time to -the cultivation of maize and other kinds of vegetable food. - -They make excellent butter and drink great quantities of milk. - -At the time we make their acquaintance they are greatly disturbed. - -The chief has called together all the tribe, and a strange-looking -gathering it is. - -The men stood round the chief in a circle, the women taking positions -outside. - -The chief called for silence, and instantly every man shouted: -“_Mkrasi! mkrasi!_” which being interpreted means: “We obey, we obey.” - -The chief, looking very wrinkled with his innumerable tattoo marks, -adopted the catechetical method of addressing his people. - -“Where does the river come from?” he asked, and a deputy chief answered: - -“From the innermost parts of the earth.” - -“Good! And hath man ever been to the place where the gods make the -springs of water to flow?” - -“No; man could not live.” - -“Why?” - -“The water comes from the fire god, who burns all who approach.” - -“Then what shall be done with those who have come from the fire?” - -“They shall be exalted.” - -“_Mkrasi! mkrasi_!” shouted all the members of the tribe. - -The conversation, or rather public discussion, which we have recorded -occupied considerable time, for the language of this tribe of Gondos -was very diffuse, abounding in metaphor, and making the repeating of -whole sentences necessary where emphasis was required. - -The chief stepped down from the platform in front of his house, and -calling on ten of his deputies headed the procession across the great -square, round which the houses were placed. - -While the chief was away, the utmost decorum was observed. - -Not one spoke a word. - -Even the women were silent. - -Soon a great noise was heard. - -Drums were beating and rude cymbals were being played. The drums were -original in their make. - -A piece of wood had been hollowed out, and over the top a sheepskin had -been tightly stretched. - -Into the square the procession moved. - -First came ten young girls, playing very rudely constructed cymbals. - -Following them were five older girls, keeping time by striking shells -together. Then came the drummers, boys whose strength seemed almost too -frail for the big, heavy drums they carried. - -After them was a drummer who made a most ear-splitting noise by beating -an old tin pan--which had been found in a deserted camp, and which -the Gondos verily believed must have been the white man’s musical -instrument. - -What meant all this pageantry and display? - -The chief emerged from his yard, and, with head bowed down, led the -way to where the people were standing. Immediately behind him were the -ten deputies, carrying a strange-looking log of wood shoulder high. - -With measured tread these natives walked under their heavy burden. - -When the center of the tribe’s gathering had been reached, the chief -ordered the men to set down their load. - -Instantly there was a cry of rapture from every man there assembled. - -The women pressed forward, and really screamed with delight. - -“From the gods!” exclaimed the chief, and these poor, benighted savages -really believed it. - -The log was in reality a dugout, and in the dugout two young men were -sleeping the sleep of exhaustion. - -They were our friends, Ibrahim and Max, rescued by the Gondos, and now -the objects of their adoration. - -The shouting of the men, the screeching of the women, caused Max to -awake. - -He sprang to his feet and looked round. - -“Well, jewilikins! this caps the climax!” he exclaimed, while the -people fell on their faces and wriggled about on the ground. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. THE RAINMAKER. - - -It was some time before Madcap Max could realize just where he was, and -the significance of the demonstration of which he was the recipient. - -But when once his mind got a clew, he quickly followed it up, and with -the natural smartness of his Yankee ancestry, saw the advantages of his -position. - -He very carefully abstained from uttering a word. - -The silence impressed the Gondos with awe. - -They were more than ever convinced that he was a messenger from the -mysterious powers which they, in their ignorance, worshiped. - -The Gondos had a religious belief almost akin to that of the ancient -Scandinavians. - -They believed that the thunder was the angry voice of the storm god, -that a deity presided over everything in nature, and that the entrance -to the home of the most powerful of these deities was through the -mysterious volcanoes which at times emitted vast columns of molten lava -and made the waters of the rivers so hot that no one could bathe in -them and live. - -Having this belief, it was no wonder that they thought Max and Ibrahim -were sent by the presiding deity. - -Ibrahim continued to sleep. - -That was a good sign, and if only the delirium left him when he awoke, -Max made sure all would be well. - -He managed to convey to the chief a desire to be alone, and the boat -was again raised on the shoulders of the deputy chiefs and carried to a -large house which the chief had set apart for his honored guests. - -Max was hungry, and when food was brought he ate heartily. - -He had no idea of what the dish was composed, neither did he, at that -time, care. - -He was too hungry to be fastidious. - -He reserved some of the savory food for Ibrahim, and motioned the -natives to leave the place. - -All that day Max stayed by Ibrahim’s side, and awaited his awakening. - -His devoted patience was rewarded, and toward night Ibrahim awoke and -raised his head. - -“Are we alive?” he asked. - -“I am,” was the madcap’s answer. - -“Then I think I must be; but, by the beard of the prophet, I have been -beyond the grave.” - -“Good! Stick to that, Ib, and your fortune is made.” - -Ibrahim was indignant at the light way in which his companion spoke, -but Max persisted. - -“I tell you, Ib, if only you will stick to that, and do as I tell you, -we will coin the dollars.” - -“That is like you Americans--always thinking of dollars.” - -“And why not? Can you get along without dollars?” - -“Perhaps not; but why be always thinking about them? I hate the very -name of money,” exclaimed Ibrahim, fretfully. - -“Do you? Well, I don’t,” answered Max, and continued talking, for -he realized that there was no better way to rouse Ibrahim’s dormant -faculties than by a good discussion. - -“I don’t,” he said--“neither do you. You will go on making shawls in -Persia, no matter how many dollars you get. You want to travel--you -must have the money or you cannot do it. Say, old chap! did you never -imagine that every dollar is coined through some fellow’s think tank -being agitated?” - -“Think tank! What do you mean?” - -“Brain, if you like. Think tank, I call it--thought factory, if you -like it better. But, say! you were dead, and you have come to life -again. I have brought you from the grave.” - -“You are mad.” - -“Madcap, please; don’t abbreviate my sobriquet.” - -“You are insane.” - -“Am I?” - -“Yes. But tell me, Max, where are we?” - -“You are in a boat, I am on the floor; we are in a house belonging to -the Gondos----” - -“Who?” - -“The Gondos.” - -“Are you sure?” - -“Yes, why?” - -“Have you spoken to them?” - -“Not much.” - -“Can you understand what they say?” - -“Only a little.” - -“If they are Gondos, I am safe.” - -“Are you? And why so, Mister Ibrahim Pasha?” asked Max, with a broad -brogue. - -“The Gondos were originally Persians----” - -“Your relatives?” - -“And were fire worshipers.” - -“Is that so?” - -“And I have learned their language.” - -“Have you, really?” - -“I thought they were extinct.” - -“Not by any means; they are as thick as blackberries on a bramble bush, -and as lively as June bugs.” - -By talking in this fashion, Max succeeded in making Ibrahim vexed, and -that was the very best thing for his mind. - -When his temper had cooled a little, Ibrahim became calm, and then Max -told him how they had been rescued. - -“They think we are from the storm gods, and so we must be, or they must -think so, and we shall be safe. Once let them get any other idea into -their ugly heads, and we shall be made into soup.” - -“The Gondos never eat meat,” said Ibrahim, taking Max to mean what he -said in a literal sense. - -“Anyway, we must keep up the delusion.” - -“Can we?” - -“Yes.” - -“How?” - -“You must do just what I tell you. I have it all arranged.” - -“If we fail?” - -“We shall die; but if we succeed, we shall soon see Sherif el Habib----” - -“And Girzilla,” added Ibrahim. - -“We shall. Now to begin. I am going to make it rain. You know the -language, you said?” - -“I believe so.” - -“Then you must tell them what I am going to do.” - -“What can you do?” - -“Never mind. I know they want rain, and would do anything to get it. I -want you to hurry, or my power will be lost.” - -Ibrahim was of too serious a nature to care for practical joking, and -that was just what he imagined the madcap was after. - -But Max was in earnest, and he led Ibrahim from the strange-looking -house to the one occupied by the chief. - -The tattooed chieftain bowed himself to the ground when he saw Ibrahim. - -But when the Persian spoke a few words in the Gondo language, the old -fellow was so delighted that he danced about and shouted like a good -fellow. - -“The Gondos want rain. Their fields are dry, the crops are spoiling. -Tell them I will cause the rain to come.” - -Max spoke in English and Ibrahim translated into the Gondo language. - -The chief ordered the girls to play the cymbals and the drums to be -beaten. - -All the people gathered together, and Max raised his hands above his -head as if in the act of supplicating. - -Almost immediately a few drops of rain fell, and the people were -delighted. - -The drops became larger and more numerous, until a good, healthy shower -descended, and the Gondos were frantic with joy. - -Even Ibrahim was excited. - -“How did you do it?” he asked, earnestly, when Max had pleaded for -permission to return to their house. - -“You silly fellow, I did nothing. It was all hocus-pocus on my part.” - -“But the rain----” - -“Came; of course it did. I saw that we were in for a shower, and I -meant to get the credit of it; that is all there is to it.” - -Max was a weather prophet. - -He had a better knowledge of meteorology than many a so-called expert, -and he saw clear indications that a rain-cloud was gathering. - -The one happy chance of his life had come. - -It was a miracle, at least so thought the Gondos, and nothing was too -good for Ibrahim and Max. - -But even among those primitive people there were skeptics, and a long -discussion took place as to the powers possessed by Max. - -Ibrahim heard the discussion, and returned to the madcap, his face -white as death. - -“You are to be taken to some high rock and ordered to jump down. If you -fail your character is gone.” - -“And life, too. Never mind. Get me some giant palm leaves, and I’ll not -be afraid.” - -Ibrahim obeyed without question, and when on the following morning -Max and the Persian were conducted by the tribe to a steep cliff, Max -laughed heartily. - -But when he looked over, he saw that he had a thousand chances against -him, and naturally felt nervous. - -“Tell them,” he said, in English, to Ibrahim, “that to jump off there -would be no test. Anyone could do it.” - -“Of course they could, but they would be killed.” - -“Don’t say that, but say that I will go to the top of yonder palm and -leap from it.” - -The palm was a tall one, the trunk slender and easily climbed, but the -height was such that to jump from the top meant death. - -The offer made by Max was accepted, and the young madcap began his -perilous ascent. - -When near the top he stood on the stem of one of the monster leaves, -and rested a moment. - -From under his coat he took two palm leaves which he had succeeded in -joining together. - -Opening them above his head, he held his breath and jumped. - -As he expected, the wind filled out the palm leaves like a parachute -and Max came to the ground so gently that the most pronounced skeptic -was enthused, and ready to do anything for the young hero. - -“We have a mission!” Ibrahim said to the chief, “and thy people must -help. In the desert there is an oasis, and on the oasis is a great man, -one Sherif el Habib, who is seeking the Mahdi of his people. We wish -to find him.” - -Ibrahim explained the locations of the oasis as well as he could, and -the chief recognized it as being a place some adventurous member of his -tribe had told him about. - -After some days absolute rest a caravan was formed, and with girls -playing cymbals and others beating drums, Max and Ibrahim started on -their journey across the desert to find their friends. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. WHY OUR HEROES DESERT. - - -For some hours the caravan passed through a country which was parklike, -but parched by the dry weather. - -The ground was sandy, but firm, and interspersed with villages, all of -which were surrounded with a strong fence of euphorbia. - -The girls kept up an incessant discord on the cymbals and drums, and -the men, sent by the chief of the Gondos, were so impressed with the -importance of their mission that every hundred yards or so they would -stop, congratulate each other, and make some wonderful salaams before -they continued the journey. - -At the end of the second day’s march, a tribe hostile to the Gondos was -encountered. - -Five or six hundred naked savages appeared, well armed with lances, -having flint heads, bows and arrows, and a peculiar weapon shaped -almost like a sledge hammer--one side of the flint head being sharpened -to a fine point, while the other was a hammer. - -One of their number stepped forward, and addressing Ibrahim asked: - -“Who are you?” - -“A traveler, wishing to cross the desert.” - -“Do you want ivory?” - -“We would hunt the elephant, and divide the spoil.” - -“Where do you come from?” - -Ibrahim answered proudly: - -“From Persia.” - -“It’s a lie!” was the emphatic reply made by the chief. - -“Very well,” answered Ibrahim; “what am I?” - -“A Turk.” - -“Allah forbid!” muttered the Persian. - -The chief pointed to Max. - -“Who is he?” - -“An American.” - -The native had never heard of such people, and he began to think -Ibrahim was making a fool of him. - -The natives laughed and raised their weapons. - -Ibrahim, in a loud voice, told them that they were going to be killed -if they dared to touch Max; that he could cause the storm to come and -the wind to blow, and advised them to ask the Gondos. - -Among the few things saved from the boat in which they had made their -perilous journey was a bottle of araki--a native spirit almost equal in -power to proof alcohol. - -Max suggested that the hostile chief should be regaled with a little of -the araki, and that his friendship should be purchased that way. - -The bottle was produced, but neither Ibrahim nor Max had any chance of -opening it, for the hostile chief took the bottle from them, broke off -the neck, and drank the contents as easily as he could have swallowed -water. - -“Good, good! more!” he exclaimed; but at that moment a violent storm of -thunder and rain burst upon them with terrific fury. - -The rain fell like a veritable cloudburst, and the natives, remembering -what Ibrahim had said, ascribed the storm to Max, and fled as though -ten thousand soldiers were pursuing them. - -The American’s reputation was now well assured, and the musicians beat -the cymbals louder than ever, while the men shouted themselves hoarse. - -Max was getting tired of the assumed position, but he saw no way out of -it. - -One thing troubled both explorers--they were either going in the wrong -direction, or the distance was greater than they had imagined. - -They, however, had to submit. - -They were treated as superior mortals, and oftentimes were in dilemmas -from which it was difficult to extricate themselves. - -One morning the deputy chief who was in command of the Gondos threw -himself on his stomach in front of Max and wriggled like a snake to -attract attention. - -“What is it, M’Kamba?” asked Ibrahim. - -“The great chief hath said it,” answered the native. - -“What hath he said?” - -“That the wonderful medicine man whose life could not be -destroyed”--meaning Max--“must take all the cymbal girls as his wives, -and his great friend, whose tongue speaketh wonders, shall take all the -drummer girls as his wives.” - -“Allah forbid!” ejaculated Ibrahim, under his breath. - -Making an excuse that he must consult with Max, he got rid of the Gondo. - -“Here is a fix we’ve got into,” said Ibrahim, when alone with his -friend. - -“What is it?” - -“Do you know how many cymbal players we have?” - -“About thirty.” - -“Yes, I suppose so. Well, they are all yours.” - -“Mine?” - -“You have to marry them.” - -“The----” - -Max stopped. His thoughts evidently formed the name by which the prince -of the power of the air is familiarly known, but he bit his lips and -did not utter his thoughts. - -“Yes; and I am to marry all the drummers.” - -“What a lark!” - -“Eh?” - -“I said it would be fun,” answered Max. - -“Do you think so?” - -“Fancy, if you offended your wives, or if you wished to give them a -lecture, they would seize their drums and beat such a tattoo that you -would acknowledge yourself vanquished.” - -Max laughed so heartily at the idea that Ibrahim almost feared for his -reason. - -Taking up the challenge, however, he retaliated. - -“And wouldn’t your ears be split with the chorus of tinkling cymbals?” - -“It is horrible. Of course you refused the honor.” - -“I did not.” - -“Wha-at?” - -“I did not, because I dare not.” - -“Why?” - -“Have you never heard of the custom of the Gondos?” - -“No.” - -“It is this: The chief calls a favorite to him and desires to honor -him. He does so by giving him one or more wives--the more wives the -greater honor.” - -“Indeed!” - -“If the favored one declines the honor, he insults the chief.” - -“Well?” - -“And that can never be forgiven.” - -“What do I care about that?” - -“Perhaps nothing; only----” - -“Don’t hesitate. You drive a fellow mad with your long pauses,” -exclaimed Max, almost angrily. - -“Don’t get mad, there’s a good chap. They only roast the one who -insults the chief.” - -“Really?” - -“Yes, really. It is true; ask any of them. Now I don’t want to -be either roasted, baked, or boiled, so I will have to accept the -drummers, only----” - -Again Ibrahim paused, and Max stood staring at him, but remained silent. - -“Only I shall delay as long as I can.” - -“We will get out of it.” - -“How?” - -“Leave that to me. I will find a way.” - -Before Ibrahim could ask again what plan had formulated itself in the -madcap’s brain, M’Kamba, the deputy chief, came forward, and this time -standing erect, said: - -“We will all drink araki now.” - -Ibrahim knew enough of the marriage customs of the African tribes to -realize that the espousal of the girls was to take place at once, and -that the drinking of the powerful araki was the outward symbol of the -marriage. - -“It is all over with us,” sighed Ibrahim. - -“I don’t think so. Who has any araki?” - -“M’Kamba must have, or he would not have suggested it.” - -“Then let him bring the bottles here, and the girls shall drink first.” - -“You are a mystery, Max. What do you intend doing?” - -“Wait and see. Curb your impatience a little bit, there’s a good chap. -Do just as I tell you, and all will be well.” - -Ibrahim approached M’Kamba and told him that Max was ready to open the -araki bottles, and all should drink. - -“The great chief did send the araki for the wives,” answered M’Kamba, -proving clearly that all had been arranged beforehand. - -The bottles--made of the bladders of cows, dried--were produced, and -Max very quietly, in the presence of all, poured some white liquid in -each of the bottles. - -Ibrahim looked on in astonishment. - -“Give a good drink to each of your wives, Ibrahim, but don’t touch a -drop yourself.” - -“Is it poison, Max?” - -“On my honor, no.” - -The girls drank heartily. It was the gala day of their lives. - -They were about to become brides, and they felt their importance. - -While they were single they were slaves; when they were married they -would become free. - -It was a proud time for them, and they took deep draughts of the -powerful spirit. - -Then the Gondos took the bottles, and each man upheld the credit of his -stomach by drinking pretty heavily. - -But the spirit was too strong. - -One by one the girls began to feel drowsy, and fell asleep. - -Then the men followed. - -In less than half an hour only Max and Ibrahim were awake. - -“Now is our time; we must run for it. They won’t wake for an hour.” - -“What did you give them?” - -“Sleeping potion--pretty stiff dose, too.” - -“What is that?” - -“What your uncle uses when he wishes anyone to sleep long.” - -“And you have some?” - -“I had. They have it now”--pointing to the sleeping Gondos. “I took it -from the great Sherif el Habib’s medicine case.” - -“Oh!” - -Ibrahim evidently was alarmed at the consequences of the madcap’s -theft, or as he would put it, enforced borrowing. - -Max laughed heartily, and suggested that they should “git up and get.” - -This Yankeeism was too much for the Persian. - -He began to believe that Max was really mad. - -The suggestion, however, was a good one, and gathering together food, -and some other stores, enough to last several days, the two young men -left their escorts fast asleep and proceeded alone on their journey. - -Instead of following the route M’Kamba had sketched out for them, they -turned to the right, determined to follow as far as possible the course -of the river until the oasis was crossed, and then to trust to their -luck in finding the encampment of Sherif el Habib. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. MOHAMMED. - - -The oasis was nearly crossed when they left the Gondo escorts, and the -young explorers soon found themselves on the terrible African desert. - -They were not pursued--at least, as far as they knew--and they were -delighted at regaining their freedom. - -After a day of misery on the sand, when their eyes were blistered, -their nostrils swollen, and their ears deafened with the never-ending -atoms, which drifted everywhere, Ibrahim directed the attention of his -companion to a cloud of sand in the distance. - -“What of it?” asked Max. - -“Camels.” - -“Well?” - -“It is a caravan, and if we can reach it we shall be safe.” - -“But----” - -“Never mind any buts; come along, Max.” - -“I shan’t stir one inch,” asserted Max, resolutely. - -“Why?” - -“Because the caravan is coming this way.” - -“Bravo! So it is. _Inshallah!_” - -Resting in the hot burning sand, the young men waited until they could -distinguish the outlines of the approaching caravan. - -Then they rose up and went to meet them. - -In the front rode a man, with olive skin, not darker than a Spaniard. -He was dressed in Egyptian costume, and sat perfectly contented on his -camel. - -A spear rested across the animal’s back, and a modern rifle was slung -over the rider’s shoulders. - -But what was most remarkable was a sacred carpet, which acted as a kind -of saddle cloth, and on which had been worked the symbolic sign of the -crescent suspended over the cross. - -The combination was so strange that Max was inclined to believe the -rider was some monomaniac, or, in modern parlance, a crank. - -Ibrahim, stepping up to the rider, and in good Arabic, asked who he -was, and whither he was going. - -The rider looked at the young Persian some minutes before answering, -giving Max an opportunity to look at the people who composed the -caravan. - -Some thirty men, dressed like the leader, save that they had not the -sacred carpet with the double symbols, rode as many camels. - -With them were at least twenty women, their faces covered so that the -eye of man could not invade the sanctity of the countenance, which -Oriental law and custom declared to be sacred to the husband alone. - -“I am Mohammed!” said the leader, when his examination of Ibrahim’s -features was completed. - -“Mohammed!” repeated Ibrahim. - -“I am Mohammed, and am of the family of the faithful.” - -“And whither wilt thou go?” - -“The sun will cast my shadow to the north as I journey to the south.” - -It was useless asking to what part of Africa the pilgrims were going, -until the _entente cordiale_ was fully established. - -Ibrahim prostrated himself after the manner of the Musselmen and beat -his brow on the sand. - -The Mohammedan left the saddle, and spreading the sacred carpet on the -sand, prostrated himself by Ibrahim’s side. - -Then it was that the two followers of the prophet realized that they -were friends and brothers in religion. - -“Behold, the crescent shall be exalted, and shall rule even all the -countries of the world. I have said it. Just Allah!” - -“You ought to know my uncle,” said Ibrahim. “You would be brothers.” - -“Who is it that callest thee nephew?” - -“Sherif el Habib----” - -“Of Khorassan?” - -“The same. Dost thou know him?” - -“In youth, when the eyes of houris shone brightly into mine, Sherif el -Habib was as a brother.” - -“He is in the desert seeking the Mahdi.” - -“Dost thou mean it?” - -“Even so. Is it not so, Max?” - -Max was unable to answer, for Mohammed clapped his hands, and all his -followers prostrated themselves on the sand, bowing their heads toward -the direction of the sacred shrine at Mecca. - -“I, too, dust as I am, yet of the family of the faithful, will seek -the Mahdi, for he it is who will raise the crescent above the cross -and make the kingdom of the prophet co-equal with the kingdoms of the -world.” - -The man Mohammed was evidently in a state of great mental exaltation, -and like Sherif el Habib, believed that the promised savior or leader -of the Moslems had come, and was awaiting an opportunity to crush the -Christian nations and proclaim the rule of Mahomet. - -Max was enchanted. - -He liked enthusiasts. - -He worshiped heroes. - -But with his hero worship was mingled so much commercialism that men -never gave him credit for any idea beyond the making of dollars. - -“We will find this Mahdi,” he said, “and he shall lecture through the -States. There will be millions in it.” - -How disgusted Mohammed would have been had he understood what Max said! - -Ibrahim was annoyed. It sounded so much like an insult to his religion. - -But he deftly turned the conversation by saying: - -“Max, my friend, has a mission. He is searching for the last of the -Mamelukes.” - -“When Selim, the tyrant, destroyed the Mamelukes,” said Mohammed, -solemnly, “he gave to many provinces a bey of Mameluke blood. He did -it to save his life. I, who speak unto thee, had for my great ancestor -Mohammed, the fearless, who was one of the beys.” - -“Didst thou come from the line of great Emin?” - -“Alas, no! My ancestors did eschew the Mamelukes and joined the Turks.” - -“Dost thou think Emin’s descendants live?” - -“As sure as that the sun does shine by day and the moon by night.” - -“I would that I could find them.” - -“There is one who could guide thee.” - -“Where may I find that one?” Max asked, excitedly. - -“Alas! she is lost.” - -“She? Is it a woman?” - -Mohammed turned away his head to hide his emotion. - -Strong man as he was, his body shook as if with violent ague. - -The tears streamed from his eyes and dropped like great drops of rain -upon the sand. - -“Tell me,” cried Max, “is she anything to you? Have I offended you? Oh, -forgive me if I have.” - -“I will tell thee.” - -Mohammed drew Max and Ibrahim away from the caravan, and led them a -hundred yards across the sand. - -He sat down after the manner of his people, and bade them do likewise. - -When all three were seated he took a small box of salt from his girdle -and gave each a pinch. - -Although Max disliked the flavor of the saline mineral, he knew that -the partaking of it was a bond of brotherhood with the Arab. - -“The story is a long one,” commenced Mohammed, “but I will tell thee -only the outlines, and some day, when beneath the palms or under -the tent, thine ears shall listen to the whole story. I loved--all -young men do--but I loved the most beautiful woman whom the prophet -ever allowed to live this side of paradise. She bore me a daughter. -On her I lavished all the love of a father. Being a girl without -soul”--many of the Mohammedans teach that only man possesses an eternal -soul--“I desired she should learn all the mysteries of the ancient -Mamelukes. She was a diligent student, and when she reached the age of -twelve years she had learned all the symbols and signs of the great -brotherhood, and knew how to find any of the true Mamelukes who might -still live. But then----” - -Mohammed again broke down, and the tears fell like rain from his eyes. - -His agitation was painful to witness, and many times Max wished he had -curbed his curiosity and so have saved the aged Arab. - -Ibrahim was excited. - -He felt drawn toward the Arab by some unknown and mysterious power. - -And yet he was impatient. He wanted to hear the whole of the story, and -could hardly wait for the Arab’s emotion to cease. - -“Then my daughter, the pride of my life--by whom I hoped to appease the -wrath of my ancient ancestors for deserting the Mamelukes--was stolen.” - -“Stolen!” - -“Even so. By the beard of the prophet, methinks my wife must have gone -mad.” - -“And does your wife live?” - -“She is in yonder caravan.” - -“Has nothing been heard of her you loved?” - -“Nothing. She is dead, or taught to call some man lord, and I would -rather she be dead than never to see again her father.” - -The old man ceased. - -His head was bent down, and he asked to be alone. - -The young explorers left him and went back to the caravan. - -Max, ignorant of the laws which govern a traveling harem, had wandered -to the place where the women were seated on the ground. - -Their faces were uncovered, for they feared not any intrusion. - -When they saw Max they hastily threw the veils over their faces, but it -was too late. - -Max had caught sight of one, and was spellbound. - -His heart was in his mouth; he could not speak. - -Ibrahim touched his shoulder. - -“What is it, Madcap?” - -“She is there.” - -“Who?” - -“I saw her. How did she get there?” - -“Whom did you see?” - -“Girzilla.” - -“You are dreaming.” - -“I am not.” - -“How could Girzilla be in the harem of Mohammed?” - -“I know not.” - -“Come away, before----” - -“Look! she uncovers.” - -Ibrahim looked across at the women, and, regardless of all -consequences, threw himself at the feet of her who had so indiscreetly -uncovered her face. - -“Girzilla, my heart’s love! how came you here?” he exclaimed, -passionately; but his lover’s rhapsody was interrupted by Mohammed, who -indignantly marched up to him. - -“Seize him! He has desecrated the law of hospitality.” - -“Is not that Girzilla?” asked Ibrahim. - -“And what if it is? She has been my wife these eighteen years,” -answered Mohammed, proudly. - -“Girzilla! oh, my Girzilla!” moaned Ibrahim. - -A soft, sweet voice was borne across the sands. - -“Who speaketh of Girzilla--my lost child--my beauteous Girzilla?” - - - - -CHAPTER XX. “WHERE IS GIRZILLA?” - - -“I spoke of Girzilla,” exclaimed Ibrahim, proudly. - -“And who is Girzilla?” asked Mohammed, his nostril quivering like that -of a horse who scents the battle. - -“The best, the dearest, the most lovely girl on earth, and there she -stands.” - -“You are mad. That is my wife, and has been for eighteen years. Thrice -has she been with me to the prophet’s shrine at Mecca, but never hath -she set foot on the deserts of Egypt until now.” - -“I’ll not believe it, unless she herself declares it,” said Ibrahim, -scornfully. - -“Answer, fair wife; have I spoken that which is true?” - -“Indeed, my lord and master, it is true, and yet this pasha spoke of -Girzilla.” - -It was Mohammed’s turn to be surprised, when, a moment later, the wife -asked that none but Ibrahim and Mohammed should hear what she had to -say. - -Loving his wife with a passion foreign to Oriental nature, the Arab -chief granted her request, and with Ibrahim entered his tent, followed -by the wife unattended. - -“My lord and master, great servant of the prophet! Great is Allah!” she -commenced. “Wilt thou allow me to unveil, so that this pasha see that I -am not the Girzilla he seeketh?” - -“My wife, I can deny thee nothing.” - -When the veil was removed, Ibrahim stepped back, completely bewildered -at the entrancing beauty of the lady. - -He felt his heart beat with tumultuous frenzy, his throat was husky, -and he could not speak. - -It was not until the veil had been replaced that he found himself able -to articulate. - -“It is Girzilla, and yet--no, my Girzilla differs----” - -He was confused. - -“Tell me, where is thy Girzilla? What years hath she counted? Is she -thy wife?” - -“No, would to Allah she were!” - -“Who is she, then?” - -“Wilt thou allow my friend Max to come here? He it was who brought -Girzilla to me.” - -Mohammed was interested, but at the same time considerably piqued. - -“Would Max want to see his wife unveiled?” the Arab wondered, and was -about to refuse when his wife pleaded in her musical Arabian: - -“Do, please, let me see this American.” - -“Be it as thou wish.” - -Ibrahim went out, and shortly returned with the astonished American. - -After a short pause, Mohammed asked who was this Girzilla. - -“I know not what her name may be,” commenced Max, “but when I asked her -by what she should be known, she said, ‘To thee I will be Girzilla.’” - -“It is the same. Oh, tell me, did she speak of her mother--of her -father?” - -“She told me her father had Mameluke blood----” - -A scream from Mohammed’s wife stopped the conclusion of the sentence. - -“It must be our own child,” she said. - -“Know ye not that she was called Kalula?” asked Mohammed. - -“Even so; but when she could scarcely talk I took her to my room, and -bade her remember that whenever she found one she could trust as a -brother--one she could love with all the strength of her nature--she -should bid him call her Girzilla, which means, in the language of my -own land, ‘the true one.’” - -“That is it, then, sweet lady,” answered Max, “for she said, ‘Never -mind my name, to thee I will be Girzilla.’ I called her Gazelle, but -she stopped me and said, ‘No, no; Girzilla.’” - -Max told of his adventures, and dwelt lovingly on the way in which he -had been rescued by Girzilla. - -Every word seemed to bring proof to the lady’s mind that the guide who -had been looked upon as the ally of brigands, and one not really to be -trusted, was in reality her daughter, the heiress of the great wealth -of Mohammed. - -“Where is she?” asked the Arab. - -“She is with my uncle, Sherif el Habib,” answered Ibrahim. - -“Together we will search for her, and she shall guide us.” - -“Jewilikins! but this bangs Banagher!” exclaimed Max, when he left the -tent in company with Ibrahim. - -“I understand not thy idiom,” said Ibrahim, “but if thou meanest we are -lucky, then I agree.” - -“I meant that it was strange--very strange; some great mystery is here.” - -“Yes, Allah hath led us to the side of Girzilla’s mother.” - -“Always thinking of her.” - -“Always. By night I dream of her, by day she is my only hope and -desire.” - -“And wouldst thou marry her?” - -“Why not? If she is Girzilla, the bandit, she shall be mine; but if -she be really the daughter of the great chief, Mohammed, then if he -consents she shall be mine also.” - -“Infatuated youth!” - -Mohammed was impatient to continue the journey, and for an hour he -talked with Max and Ibrahim about the river and the volcano. - -He formed an idea that the oasis where Sherif el Habib had encamped was -to the southwest; whereas Max had been going almost due east. - -“Lead, worthy chief,” exclaimed Ibrahim, “and if thou dost but find my -Girzilla I care not which way thou goest.” - -At sunrise the next day the caravan started, and met with nothing more -terrible than the awful expanse of sand until they encamped. - -Then it was that a tribe of wandering savages--living like birds of -prey upon others--pounced down upon the cavalcade and sought to capture -the women and the camels. - -Mohammed had been a soldier, and his men were all disciplined. - -Hence the savages could do but little. - -One of the Arabs was slightly wounded, while three of the savages were -killed. - -A native had been captured and held as prisoner. - -“What shall you do with him?” asked Max. - -“Keep him an hour to frighten him and then let him go,” answered the -chief. - -Ibrahim was attracted to the only article of attire the man wore. - -It was a belt, and strangely like the one worn by Girzilla. - -The man wore it as a necklet, it being far too small to encircle his -waist. - -Ibrahim interrogated him, but the man could not, or would not, -understand. - -One of the Arabs, however, was able to act as interpreter. - -“Ask him where he got the belt,” said Ibrahim. - -The man was smart and cute, and replied by asking what he would get if -he told all he knew. - -He was promised his freedom, and then the man’s mouth was opened and -his tongue loosened. - -He said that his people had met some white men and a girl, and that all -had been killed. The belt belonged to the girl, and she was nice. - -Ibrahim, horrified at the story, asked what had become of the dead -bodies. - -The man pointed to his mouth, and then rubbed his abdomen, indicating -that the murdered Girzilla and her friends had been eaten. - -Ibrahim was so enraged that he forgot his promise. - -The man was to have his freedom. - -Ibrahim gave it to him in a way the wretch never expected. - -In a fit of anger at the revelation made, Ibrahim, with one blow, -severed the savage’s head from his body. - -The blood ran over the belt, and the Persian sickened at the sight. - -Wiping the belt clean, he kissed it many times, for had it not -encircled the waist of the one he loved? - -When Mohammed heard the story he looked sad, but with the fatalists’ -philosophy, he only said: - -“If Allah willed it, who am I to repine?” - -Later, however, he called Ibrahim and Max to one side and told them -that he did not believe the man’s story. He thought he should please -them by telling it, and how was he to know that there were people who -would be horrified at the idea of murder? - -Ibrahim, however, looked on the blackest side, and was fully convinced -that his uncle and Girzilla had been converted into juicy steaks or -luscious pot roasts, and had served to provide a feast to the tribe of -cannibals at whose hands they had fallen. - -He was inconsolable, and had it not been for the high spirits of Max, -who made Ibrahim smile in spite of his misery, the young Persian might -never have lived to inherit his uncle’s great property. - -Mohammed was determined to set the matter of Sherif’s fate at rest, and -so continued the journey. - -It was near the end of the third day that Max went forward to Mohammed -and told him that a smoke was rising in the distance, and that it -appeared like an encampment. - -Mohammed gave orders for two of his most trusty Arabs to ride forward -and reconnoiter. - -It was so late before any sign of their return was obtained, that -Mohammed gave them up for lost. - -When, however, a shout proclaimed that the messengers were safe, there -was joy in the camp of the Arab chief. - -The messengers conveyed two letters, one addressed to the most worthy -pasha and illustrious chief, Mohammed, and the other to the worthy -Ibrahim. - -Both were signed by Sherif el Habib, and each contained the welcome -news that Sherif and all the party were well. - -Ibrahim and Max were too impatient to await the morning, and after -making Mohammed promise to start at sunrise they journeyed forth to -meet their friends. - -Who can describe the meeting between uncle and nephew? and what pen can -convey the faintest idea of the rapture felt and expressed by Girzilla -and Ibrahim? - -When the excitement of the meeting had subsided, no one thought of -returning to rest. - -True, all had been roused at midnight, but all were eager to learn of -the adventures of the young explorers. - -Ibrahim, however, was anxious to find out how Girzilla’s belt had got -into the possession of the cannibal, and she admitted that some time -before she had lost it while out looking for the return of Ibrahim. - -“And didst thou look for my return?” he asked. - -“Daily I journeyed forth, and as the weeks passed Uncle Sherif believed -that the grave held thee.” - -“And if it had?” - -“I should have found it if I could and laid down beside thee.” - -“Do you then love me so much, Girzilla?” - -She made no answer in words, but there was an eloquence in the glance -from her dark eyes which told him all he wished to know. - -When, some hours later, Mohammed and his caravan arrived, there was a -great commotion. - -Not a word had been said about Girzilla’s parentage, and Mohammed was -shocked to see his daughter going about unveiled. - -He recognized her instantly. - -The likeness to his wife was so striking that doubt was an -impossibility. - -Who can picture the happy scene when the mother once more folded her -arms around the form of the daughter, only child of her heart and home? - -Explanations were made, and a happy family, long disunited, was once -more complete. - -“I can share in your joy,” said Sherif, “for I love her as a daughter, -and she will not leave me.” - -“Not leave? Hath the great and illustrious pasha taken her to wife?” - -“No, Mohammed, but I ask her for my nephew.” - -“She shall accept.” - -“If she desires.” - -“She must.” - -“No, no! let the young folks decide.” - -It so happened that those young folks were near enough to overhear the -conversation, and Ibrahim stepped forward, a joyous smile on his face. - -“We have decided, uncle. Girzilla is mine.” - -“Blessings on you both. May Allah shower his great bounties on you!” -exclaimed Mohammed, reverently. - -And Sherif el Habib prostrated himself on the sacred carpet, and in -that humble position, appealed to Allah and his prophet to bless the -couple. - -After a rest and a discussion as to the best route to take to reach the -promised Mahdi, the caravan started. - -Mohammed believed that in the neighborhood of Khartoum, or in the -district known as the Soudan, the Mahdi would be found. - -So pleased was Sherif el Habib with his newfound friend that he agreed -to follow him. - -Both were religious enthusiasts. - -Each believed that he should die happily only after seeing the promised -one. - -For several days no event of importance occurred. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. THE MAHDI. - - -In the wild district of Bakara, for ten years prior to the commencement -of our story, there had lived, in the strictest seclusion, a man whose -name was suddenly to burst upon the world like the unexpected flash of -a meteor across the sky, and to leave behind a trail of blood. - -This man devoted his whole life to the exercises of religion. - -He lived on the wild fruit and roots which grew about his place, -he drank nothing but water, and he spent twelve hours out of the -twenty-four in prayer. - -He slept only four hours each night, and the remaining eight were -devoted to study and the obtaining of the necessaries of life. - -The Arabs who lived near looked upon him as a sacred teacher who would -ere long receive a mission from the prophet. - -Mohammed Ahmed was born at Dongola in 1843. He removed to Bakara and -commenced his hermit life about 1870. - -Every morning he would go to the door of his hut and intone the _Adan_ -of the Mueddins, which translated would read: - -“Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god but Allah. Come to -prayer. I testify that Mahomet is the apostle of Allah. Come to prayer, -come to security! Prayer is better than sleep.” - -As regularly as the Mueddins of the mosque would he intone this _Adan_, -and at midnight, after sleeping two hours, he would rise from his bed, -open the door, and in a strong, musical voice would chant the _ula_. - -“There is no deity but Allah. He hath no companion--to him belongeth -the dominion--to him belongeth praise. He giveth life and causeth -death. He is living and shall never die. In his hand is blessing, he is -almighty. Great is Allah! His perfection I extol!” - -The Arab neighbors wondered who this mysterious hermit could be, but -years passed, and never could they get an opportunity to speak with him. - -At last he wandered forth, his face shining with an ethereal radiance, -his bright eyes piercing and beautiful. - -“Who are you?” asked an exiled Arab chief. - -The hermit spoke--the first time to a human being for many years. - -“Have you not heard that there should arise a twelfth Imaum?” - -“Thou art the Mahdi!” answered the chief. - -Within a few days the Arab chief was sent with a message to each -governor and chief of a tribe, the burden of which was: - -“Turn from your evil ways of living. Oppress not the people. I, the -Mahdi, have ordered it. I will punish the oppressors of the poor. -Prepare for my coming.” - -Rauf Pasha, the Egyptian governor general of the Soudan, received the -message. - -He sent for Abu Saud, the great Mohammedan theologian, and showed him -the message. - -“What thinkest thou?” asked Rauf Pasha. - -“The prophet foretold the coming of the Mahdi.” - -“But would he not come from Mecca?” - -“_Allah il Allah!_ His ways are not our ways,” answered Abu Saud. - -“Go thou to Bakara as my special commissioner, and find out whether -this is indeed the Mahdi.” - -No sooner had the theologian started out on his mission than Rauf Pasha -said to himself: - -“Abu Saud will represent the prophet, but my soldiers shall go and -bring this so-called Mahdi to Khartoum, and I will make him obey me.” - -Abu Saud held many theological discussions with Mohammed Ahmed, and -embarked on the state steamer fully convinced that the Mahdi had indeed -come. - -No sooner had Abu Saud started on his homeward journey than a company -of soldiers arrived and demanded that the Mahdi should go with them to -Khartoum. - -The prophet went to the door and intoned the _Adan_. - -A hundred Arabs obeyed the call to prayer, and with faces turned toward -Mecca, they joined in the prayer offered by the Mahdi. - -When the prayer was over Mohammed Ahmed said to the soldiers: - -“Go thou and tell thy master, Rauf Pasha, that it is he who must obey -me.” - -The captain of the Egyptian soldiers made reply: - -“We have orders to take you to Khartoum, and that we shall do.” - -The standard bearer unfurled his flag, and the sun shone on the -crescent emblazoned on the blood-red banner of Egypt. - -“Allah is with me,” said the Mahdi, devoutly. “Fight not against your -_Imaum_.” - -The soldiers laughed and called on Mohammed to surrender. - -“By the great Allah and the illustrious prophet, the Mahdi will never -surrender!” - -That was the signal for an order to fire on the followers of the Mahdi. - -In less than an hour every Egyptian soldier had been annihilated, -and all their arms and ammunition fell into the hands of the Arabs, -together with the steamer which had brought them down the Nile from -Khartoum. - -The first blood had been shed, and the alleged Mahdi had been -victorious. - -The followers of Mohammed went on board the steamer, and sailed down -the Nile in the direction of Kordofan. - -Long before Kordofan was reached, the people flocked to the standard of -the Mahdi, and Mohammed Ahmed was welcomed as the long-promised leader -who was to triumph over the Turks and drive them from the Soudan and -Egypt. - -The Mahdi would raise the crescent above the cross, and the whole world -should be subjugated to the faith of Mahomet. - -Such was the rise of that wonderful man, and still more remarkable -enthusiasm, which caused the plains of the Soudan to be dyed crimson -with the blood of Egyptian and Turkish and English soldiers. - -Rauf Pasha was alarmed at the enthusiasm of the people, and he sent to -the governor of Fashoda stringent orders to crush the Mahdi and his -followers. - -The orders were welcome, for the governor loved fighting, and his -people were fond of plunder. - -He therefore gave orders for his soldiers to be in readiness for the -march early on the following morning. - -The trumpet sounded, and nine hundred soldiers, about half of them -unarmed, however, set out for the Arab village of Senari. - -When the village was reached the governor himself raised the banner of -Egypt, and shouted: - -“Down with the Arabs! Death to the infidels!” - -Senari was fired on. - -The people were panic-stricken. - -Men rushed for their houses, and called on Allah to protect them. - -Women and children were shot down without mercy. - -The blood-red flag of Egypt, with its golden crescent, was not more -crimson than the streets of the Arab village. - -The soldiers pillaged every house. - -Men saw their children hewn into pieces with the heavy swords of the -soldiers; they saw their wives mutilated in the most horrible manner, -but were powerless to resist. - -They were unarmed. - -From Senari the victorious Fashodians marched to Bari, and again -commenced a carnival of slaughter and plunder. - -The Arabs of Bari showed considerable spirit, for they armed themselves -with knives, long sticks and various other weapons, and rushed upon the -bayonets and muskets of the invaders, fighting against terrible odds -and at great disadvantage. - -Again the same scenes of horrible brutality were witnessed. - -The butchery was at its height when a cloud of dust and sand was seen -in the distance, and in a few minutes a gallant band of well-armed -Arabs rode into the center of the village, and charged the Fashodians -with an impetuosity entirely foreign to the Arab nature. - -“Come on, boys!” shouted Sherif el Habib, in good Arabian. “I don’t -know what the quarrel is about, but the villagers are the weakest.” - -“That’s so!” shouted Max; “and in my country we always go to help the -under dog of the fight.” - -Our friends, Mohammed and Sherif, with their lieutenants, Max and -Ibrahim, arrived at the very nick of time. - -The governor of Fashoda believed that the Mahdi had come. - -The villagers declared that Allah had answered their prayers, and that -very thought caused them to fight with desperate courage, even though -they were practically unarmed. - -“The Mahdi!” shouted the people. - -“Great is the prophet!” - -“_Allah il Allah!_” - -The air was filled with the shouts of the Arabs, and it was not until a -lull took place that Sherif el Habib was able to explain that the Mahdi -had not come, that in fact they were seeking for him. - -Max fought desperately, and when the scimiter was knocked from his hand -he almost cried with vexation. - -But he created a consternation which led to a panic. - -It was unexpected and to the Fashodians inexplainable. - -Max had amused himself on his journey in making a number of giant -cartridges--consisting of a paper shell and nearly half a pound of -powder. - -He had intended them for any rock he wanted to dislodge or blast, and -when he felt for his revolver, he accidentally discovered one of these -heavy cartridges in his saddlebag. - -Madcap as he was even when fighting, he conceived a plan unique and -terrible. - -Quietly riding forward on his camel to the standard bearer of the -Fashodians, he managed to place the cartridge under the saddlebag and -lighted the fuse. - -The standard bearer turned quickly on his camel to repel, as he -thought, the attack made by Max, but was surprised to see the American -ride away. - -The fight was raging furiously when a loud report was heard, and the -standard bearer was flying through space. - -Alas! his beauty was defaced and his usefulness ended, for the madcap -had charged the cartridge so well that the poor bearer of the crescent -of Egypt was rent into a hundred pieces, and his remains had to be left -scattered on the ground. - -The Fashodians were superstitious, and believed that the prophet must -have indeed come. - -To add to their terror, a great army of Arabs was seen approaching, and -a great cry arose from the throng: - -“The Mahdi has come!” - -And into the thickest of the fight rode a stately looking man with -clear, bright eyes and intelligent, broad forehead. - -In a voice of authority he shouted: - -“To your homes! Repent ye. I am your _Imaum_, the Mahdi.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. TRICK OR MIRACLE. - - -Long years of asceticism had made the man who claimed to be the -long-promised Mahdi almost ethereal in appearance. - -There was a brightness about his eyes which fairly fascinated one. - -His skin was as smooth as that of a child, his teeth even and regular, -his forehead high and broad, while his jet-black mustache and beard -gave him a look of authority. - -It is very easy to believe that the appearance of such a man, added to -the sanctity of his life, impressed the untutored Arabs with a belief -in his pretensions. - -Had this Mahdi lived five hundred years ago, he would have subjugated -Europe easily. - -“I am the Mahdi!” - -Soldiers dropped their weapons and many prostrated themselves on the -ground. - -The victory was a very easy one, and the governor of Fashoda fell back -with his troops. - -The Mahdi did not pursue, but gathered his forces together and -commenced the march into the mountain fastness. - -When a halt was called Sherif el Habib fell on his face, and taking -the Mahdi’s garment in his hands, pressed it to his lips. - -“I know thou art the Mahdi!” he said, with reverent solemnity. - -The Mahdi bade him rise. - -Turning to Mohammed, the Mahdi said: - -“Thou, too, believest; I see it in thy mind. Verily the kingdoms of the -world shall know it as well as thou.” - -Looking at Ibrahim, this mysterious man exclaimed: - -“Young man, thou art delighted because thy uncle hath found me, because -the time of your pleasure is near at hand.” - -Ibrahim started as if a bomb had suddenly exploded beneath his feet. - -The Mahdi had read his thoughts exactly. - -“It is a wonder to thee,” he said, “but thy thoughts I can read.” - -“And mine?” asked Max. - -For a moment the Mahdi was silent and then replied: - -“Yes. Thy people are commercial. They would ally themselves with me -if they could gain by it. Curiosity would prompt them, but thy land I -shall never see.” - -“I am not English!” said Max, who thought that the Mahdi had referred -to the British nation. - -“Thou speakest truly. Hadst thou been of that accursed infidel nation, -the sword of the faithful would have pierced thee through.” - -“Tell me what thou knowest of me?” asked Max. - -“Thou hast been in the grave, and mid the bones of those who went -before, left thine own father, and through a girl didst thou escape.” - -“It is true. Thy mind reading is wonderful. If ever being a Mahdi -fails, come over to New York and you will just make millions, see if -you don’t.” - -Mohammed, Sherif el Habib and Ibrahim laughed heartily at the -characteristic speech delivered by Max. It so clearly corroborated the -mind reading of the Mahdi. - -“What are you laughing at?” Max inquired, half vexed at Ibrahim, -especially. - -“The Mahdi read your thoughts,” answered Ibrahim. - -“That is just why I said he would rake in the dollars in the States.” - -A number of the followers of Fashoda’s governor came to the camp and -began asking questions of the Mahdi. - -Some asked on matters of faith and doctrine, and the Mahdi answered -with convincing eloquence. - -Others asked for signs and miracles. - -The Mahdi’s face darkened. - -“Oh, ye of little faith!” he commenced, “is it necessary that I should -work signs and wonders before you believe me?” - -“Moses did,” suggested one. “So did Mahomet.” - -“And a greater than Mahomet is here, for he is the promised Mahdi,” -said Sherif el Habib. “I have journeyed over sea and land, have been -across the great desert, to meet this Imaum, and I can die happy.” - -“The governor says all will die that follow him,” exclaimed one of the -unbelievers. - -“Yes, the army of Rauf Pasha, and of Egypt and of England will crush -all who follow the Mahdi.” - -The Mahdi saw that the unbelievers in his mission were gaining ground, -and he must do something to convince them. - -His face wore a scowling expression as he resolved on his course. - -“Stand in a circle,” he ordered, and the crowd obeyed, quickly. - -“You, and you, and you,” he said, pointing to the unbelieving ones, -“stand in the center.” - -Tremblingly the doubters obeyed, and the Mahdi drew from the folds of -his dress a snake skin. - -He showed it to them all, and they admitted it was but the skin of a -deadly snake. - -“Are you satisfied?” - -“Yes.” - -He opened out the skin and drew it through his hand until it was -stretched to a length of six or seven feet, and was as stiff as a -walking cane. - -He threw it on the ground in front of the unbelievers, and it laid -there, stiff, inert, but yet terribly lifelike. - -The men recoiled. - -The Mahdi laughed. - -“And are you frightened of a poor snake skin?” he asked, sneeringly. -“Wait and see.” - -He took up the snake by the end of the tail and it remained stiff. - -The thing looked as if it was expanding. - -“Surely it is moving,” exclaimed Ibrahim. - -“Yes; look. Isn’t it splendid?” asked Max, admiringly. - -There was no mistake about it. The thing was endowed with life. - -Its forked tongue shot in and out its ugly mouth. Its body writhed and -wriggled, as if it resented being so tightly grasped by its tail. - -The Mahdi dropped it. The reptile coiled itself as if ready for a -spring. - -The men shrieked. - -The unbelievers slunk away. - -The believers were delighted and yet awe-stricken at the miracle. - -The Mahdi grasped the snake round its neck just as it was about to -spring. - -The body straightened out, and looked stiff and lifeless. - -It gradually shrunk until it became again the empty piece of skin, so -small that it could be held in the closed hand. - -Whether this was trick or miracle, sleight-of-hand performance or some -freak of nature, the reader must determine. The Buddhist fakirs of -India and the Mohammedan dervishes of Persia and Turkey perform the -same thing to-day, save that they place the snake skin on the sand -and cover it with a paper cone. When the cone is removed the skin has -disappeared, and a live snake has taken its place. - -The unbelievers fell on their faces, and with one voice declared: - -“Thou art the Mahdi!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. UNDER THE MAHDI. - - -To the simple minds of those Soudanese peasants and soldiers, the -experiment, or trick, of the Mahdi, was sufficient evidence of his -power and of the truth of his mission. - -Sherif el Habib, however, was grieved. - -He had seen the dervishes do a similar thing, and he wished that the -Mahdi had shown his power in some other way. - -Not that any doubt crossed his mind, but Sherif el Habib wanted to -believe that the Mahdi possessed a power unlimited, and which no one -could imitate. - -Reading his thoughts, the Mahdi turned to him. - -“Believer from the glorious mosque of Khorassan, the proof of my power -must be adapted to those who are witnesses of it. Had I said to this -mountain: ‘Get thee back ten leagues,’ and it had obeyed, it would not -have been more convincing than the snake transformation.” - -“To me it would,” said Max, “and if you will remove the mountain even -ten feet, I’ll give up my country and adopt yours.” - -The Mahdi made no answer. - -He treated the young American with contempt. - -Sherif el Habib apologized for his speech, while Mohammed bowed his -head, grieved that anyone in his caravan should speak so lightly or -demand such a great miracle. - -Max was in disgrace. - -He wandered away and strolled near where the women members of the -caravan were encamped. - -He walked about, his head bent down, for he was sorry that he had -offended his friends. - -“What grieveth my brother?” asked a low, sweet voice at his side. - -He turned, and a female form stood beside him, heavily veiled. - -Coquettishly the veil was removed a little, and he caught a glimpse of -Girzilla. - -Max was pleased. He felt his heart throb with delight. - -He almost envied Ibrahim, and yet he, a white man, could never marry a -dark-skinned Arabian. - -“Why art thou sad?” Girzilla asked again. - -Max told her of the offense he had given. - -“If he be the Mahdi,” said she, consolingly, “he will not be offended. -If he be not the Mahdi, he will not hurt my brother for fear of -offending Mohammed, my father, and the illustrious Sherif el Habib.” - -“It is fair reasoning, my true one, my Girzilla. How strange that, -through saving me, you should be restored to your friends.” - -“It is indeed. Oh, Max, my mother is lovely.” - -“I am glad you are so happy, and yet you will soon leave her and go -with thy husband.” - -“I suppose so;” and Girzilla sighed. - -“Tell me, Girzilla, do you not love Ibrahim?” - -“Yes--that--I--what shall I say?” - -“Speak to me as a brother, dear one.” - -“As a--brother. Ah, yes--but art thou going away?” - -“Going away?” - -“To seek the last of the Mamelukes?” - -“I must. I feel that I would like to do so, but I have no one to guide -me.” - -“I could instruct thee.” - -“Will you?” - -“Perhaps, but----” - -Fearing to say more, the girl ran away, leaving Max far happier than -when she had joined him. - -He returned to his friends, and with that generous nature which -characterized him, he sought out the Mahdi. - -“I was wrong to speak as I did,” he said, “but I am not of thy faith. -You adopt the crescent, my sign is the cross. Mahomet did a grand work -for your people, but my Savior is Jesus.” - -“He is one of our prophets.” - -“I know it. But let us not talk of faith or creed. You are beset with -danger. Your enemies may league against you----” - -“They may, but they cannot triumph.” - -“Perhaps not. But if I can be of use to you while I am in the camp, I -will fight under your standard, and if the English came----” - -“They will not.” - -“If they do, I will not leave you till the end. I am an American, and -I would like to be able to tell the English to stay at home and mind -their own business.” - -It was a long speech for Max to make, but the Mahdi could see it came -from the heart. - -For several days the camp was undisturbed. - -“I shall remain here until the end of the rainy season,” said the -Mahdi, “and then I shall march on Kordofan.” - -Mohammed and Sherif el Habib determined to stay with the new prophet, -and to participate in what they believed to be his forthcoming -triumphal march across the Soudan. - -Max began to love the Mahdi, for the man was essentially human, grandly -sublime in his ideas, and, although undoubtedly a religious fanatic, an -able man. - -That Mohammed Ahmed really believed he was the Mahdi, no one could -doubt. - -In his own estimation he was no impostor. - -His asceticism, his study, his extreme self-denial, all tended to make -him believe in his mission. - -But, although the Mahdi had faith in his divine authority, he was too -good a soldier to neglect military precautions. - -Every morning at sunrise the bugle sounded, and the soldiers and -followers of the new prophet were drilled for an hour. - -At ten o’clock they were again mustered and drilled in the manual of -arms. - -Sherif el Habib was given the command of a division, and he appointed -Ibrahim as his chief of staff, while Max occupied the same post of -responsibility under Mohammed. - -Each knew that at any moment they might have to fight, and our young -heroes were eager for the fray. - -Truth to tell, Max was a soldier born. He was never so happy as when -engaged in combat, either in a wordy war with his tongue or in the more -deadly conflict with the sword. - -When not engaged in some work of the kind his madcap proclivities were -sure to manifest themselves, and he would make some one the victim of -his practical jokes. - -His wish for a fight was soon to be gratified, and before he left the -Mahdi he saw blood flow like water, and men go down to the valley of -death by the thousand. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. COUNTING CHICKENS. - - -In all Africa there was not a more conceited man than the Governor of -Fashoda. - -Defeated and driven back by the Mahdists, and ordered by Rauf Pasha to -remain on the defensive, he nevertheless conceived the idea that he -could win renown and perhaps become governor-general of the Soudan with -the greatest ease. - -As his principal adviser he had a young Englishman, who had been -compelled to leave his own country surreptitiously, or spend a few -years in one of the English prisons. - -He managed to slip away to Egypt, and being of an adventurous -disposition, Hubert Ponsonby was sent on a special mission to Rauf -Pasha, who transferred him to the Governor of Fashoda. - -Hubert Ponsonby, whose father was a member of the English aristocracy, -was educated at Oxford University, had been in the army, but resigned -his commission just in time to escape being kicked out. - -But he was brilliant in every way, a good fellow, but a great rascal. - -Everybody liked him in spite of his faults. - -The Khedive of Egypt thought he was too brilliant. He feared that his -winning ways might lure some of the court to the gaming table, for -Ponsonby was a great gambler. - -Hence the khedive hit upon the happy plan of sending Ponsonby to the -Soudan. - -Rauf Pasha saw that the young Englishman would soon run the country to -suit himself, and he determined to get rid of him. - -He dared not kill him; he did try to get him into a low part of -Khartoum, hoping he might be robbed and murdered, but Ponsonby escaped. - -The only thing he could think of was to send him with good -recommendations to the Governor of Fashoda. - -“If ever the fellow gets away from there, I’ll resign in his favor,” -said Rauf Pasha, when Ponsonby started from Khartoum. - -This was the Englishman who advised the Fashoda governor, and, in fact, -really ruled the province. - -Two weeks after the defeat by the Mahdi, Ponsonby was closeted with the -governor. - -“You see, Rauf is jealous of you,” said the Englishman, insinuatingly. - -“Why should he be?” - -“If you defeated this Mohammed Ahmed, you would be the greatest man -in the Soudan, and I would go right off to the khedive and so work -upon his feelings that you would be appointed governor-general of the -Soudan. Once there you might aspire higher----” - -“How?” - -“The army wants a leader.” - -“Well?” - -“Your defeat of the Mahdi, the organization of a big Soudanese army -would point to you as the man. Arabi Pasha would help you.” - -“You think I might be commander of the Egyptian army?” - -“Greater than that.” - -“How so?” - -“The army could make you khedive.” - -“And you?” - -“You would make me minister of war, and I would get England’s -influence, and Egypt should become an independent nation, with you as -its first sultan.” - -The Governor of Fashoda was vain and egotistic, and believed he was the -only man fitted for the career sketched out by the brilliant Englishman. - -But what ambition had Ponsonby? - -In the recesses of his own heart he reasoned in this fashion: - -“The governor is ambitious--he is a tool in my hands--he has no -scruples; he would use the assassin’s dagger just as readily as the -soldier’s sword. The army wants a bold, dashing leader. Under my -guidance he shall win everything until the last step--then I will, as -minister of war, effect a _coup d’etat_, and Hubert Ponsonby shall -become Sultan Hubert the First of Egypt.” - -So we see, with an author’s privilege, just how the Governor of Fashoda -was to be used as a cat’s-paw to pull the chestnuts out of the fire for -Ponsonby’s benefit. - -The whole thing was feasible if the Mahdi could be defeated and crushed. - -Rauf Pasha was afraid of the growing power of the Mahdi. - -Egypt itself was being converted to the belief in the claims of the -Mahdi, and in the mosques of Constantinople the Mahdi was openly -referred to as having made his appearance. - -The conquerer of the Mahdi would therefore be all powerful. - -It would have been as well if Hubert Ponsonby had remembered the old -Irish story of the Skibbereen market women. - -As the two women were going home from market, one of them began to -prophesy how many good things she would be able to get by the next -gale--rent--day. - -She had two sitting of eggs to take home, and she reasoned: Twenty-six -eggs will bring me at least twenty chickens; each chicken will begin -laying in the spring. I shall get so many eggs every day; seven times -twenty will be one hundred and forty eggs every week. I can sell them, -and the money will buy---- - -But a stop was put to her calculation by her friend, who asked: - -“But what’ll you do if the chickens are all roosters?” - -The other was sure they wouldn’t be. - -The women wrangled and got to high words, and at last one declared -she could tell by the yolks whether the egg would produce a hen or a -rooster. - -Challenged to the proof, she broke all the eggs to prove her assertion; -and then suddenly remembered that no chickens at all could be hatched -from broken eggs. - -Ponsonby should have thought of that, and have defeated the Mahdi -before he counted his profits. - -The Mahdi was receiving recruits daily. - -Men who were fanatics; desperate fighters because they believed the -triumph of the prophet was the triumph of religion. - -Every day these recruits were drilled; the discipline was of the -strictest, but they would have suffered torture if they thought by so -doing they could assist the Mahdi. - -Ponsonby had won over the chief of the Shiluk tribe to his ideas, and -five thousand men were ready to take the field against the Mahdists. - -“Why wait?” asked Hubert Pasha, as he was called. - -“Will the Governor of the Soudan object?” asked the chief of the Shiluk. - -“The Governor of Fashoda will soon be Sultan of Egypt, and you will be -the governor general of the Soudan.” - -And the poor barbarian was fired with ambition, and ready to fight -against anybody, or any nation, as Ponsonby should direct. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. VICTORY. - - -“Max, if anything happens to me, will you be good to Girzilla?” asked -Ibrahim, one night. - -“Anything happen? What do you mean?” - -“I feel that we are about to have a battle, and I may fall.” - -“Of course, so may I.” - -“Yes; but I feel it here,” and Ibrahim placed his hand on his forehead. - -“Premonition, eh? Take a good stiff dose of quinine, and you will be -all right.” - -“No, I am not sick.” - -“Perhaps not, but talking of being sick. Wasn’t that a lark I had with -the Mahdi?” - -“What lark?” - -“I forgot you were not there. It was good fun. I could have split my -sides with laughter, but I had to be sober as a judge.” - -“What did you do, Madcap?” - -“Swear you won’t give me away.” - -“Give you away?” repeated Ibrahim, surprisedly. - -“Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell even Girzilla.” - -“No.” - -“Swear it.” - -“By the beard of the prophet, I swear!” - -“Well, you know the Mahdi has a great deal more ceremony shown him -now than at first. His hands and feet are washed before he stretches -himself on your uncle’s sacred carpet.” - -“Yes, I know that.” - -“You also know that he must pour the water into the basin himself.” - -“Yes.” - -“Well, the Mahdi stood ready for the water. A big Arab held the basin, -another came with a leather bottle, filled with the sacred water. The -Mahdi took the bottle and poured some into the basin; but he nearly -fell with fright.” - -“Why?” - -“The water foamed and sizzed until it overflowed the basin. The Arab -was so frightened that he dropped the bowl and fell on his knees. -‘Bring the other vessel,’ commanded the Mahdi. The other was brought, -and the same thing occurred. ‘A miracle! A miracle!’ shouted your -uncle, and Mohammed declared that it signified a great uprising of the -Mahdi’s enemies; but just as the boiling and frothing of the water -subsided, so would his enemies. Hadn’t I hard work to preserve a sober -face, because----” - -“What did you do?” - -“I got your uncle’s medicine chest and put three seidlitz powders in -each bowl. The white powder was not noticed because the Mahdi insists -on the sacred sand from Mecca being at the bottom of the basin.” - -“It was a shame, Max. How could you do it?” - -“You ought to thank me, for everyone believes it to have been a -miracle.” - -“Max, Max, I am afraid that you are indeed an infidel.” - -“Not at all, Ibrahim, old fellow, only----What was that?” - -“A bugle call ‘to arms.’” - -The conversation was over; Madcap Max became the soldier once again. - -He buckled on his scimiter and joined his men. - -“The cohorts of the infidels are coming,” shouted the Mahdi. “But not -one will go back. The grave shall receive each one who fights beneath -the crescent without the star.” - -Through a mountain pass five thousand men, headed by the Governor of -Fashoda and the Chief of Shiluk, were seen approaching. - -On a jet-black Arab horse Hubert Ponsonby rode, looking kinglike and -majestic. - -The whiteness of his skin contrasted strangely with the tawny color of -the soldiers. - -He was clad in white, and he looked almost ghostly as he bestrode the -back of the raven-colored horse. - -He did everything for effect. - -“Allah il Allah!” shouted the Mahdists, and the same cry was repeated -by the Fashodans. - -“For Mahomet and the Mahdi!” cried the Mahdists, and the Fashodans -replied with stentorian voices: - -“For Mahomet and the khedive.” - -The Fashodans commenced the battle. - -They were weary and wanted it over. - -They believed the victory would be an easy one. They had no water, and -the wells were guarded by the Mahdists. - -Hence it was that they precipitated the struggle. - -The Mahdi was practically unarmed. - -He carried a spear, but from it streamed pennons on which were written -passages from the Koran. - -There was something grand about this religious fanatic. - -Strong and brave as a lion, yet he was as simple and guileless as a -child. - -He hated war, and yet believed it to be a sacred mission. - -He knew it was only by the sword that he could win, and yet he would -not use the weapon himself. - -When the fight was hottest he was calm. - -The bullets flew about him like hail, but he sat unharmed and as cool -as if he knew the leaden hail could not hurt him. - -On came the legions from Fashoda. - -But it was evident that they were disheartened. - -“Who is that white man?” asked Max. - -“Hubert Ponsonby,” answered one of the Mahdists. - -“An Englishman?” - -“Yes.” - -“It is the same. He cheated my father’s firm. I wondered what had -become of him. Wonder if he knows me? It is three years since we met, -and I was only sixteen then.” - -Max thought all this quicker than the pen can write the words. - -He called his men to follow him, and swinging his scimiter above his -head dashed into the very midst of the attacking force. - -He pushed his way through until he found himself by the side of -Hubert’s coal-black horse. - -“Hubert Ponsonby!” exclaimed Max. - -“Who calls me by that name?” - -“I do.” - -“You; and who are you?” - -“Max Gordon, of the firm you robbed.” - -“You lie!” - -“Do I, Hubert Ponsonby? My scimiter shall whet itself in your flesh and -prove my words.” - -Hubert swung his scimiter round with terrific force, but it cut the -empty air. - -Max wheeled round quickly and parried a second blow. - -“So ho! You are a renegade, are you?” sneered Ponsonby. - -“You wear the Turk’s colors, I the Mahdi’s; that is the difference,” -answered Max. - -Steel clashed on steel, the sparks flew from the blades, but neither -combatant was wounded. - -“Surrender!” cried Max. - -“Never!” answered Hubert. - -Again the two men came together. - -The blood was now flowing from Hubert’s left shoulder, but Max was -unhurt. - -The Englishman was getting weak from loss of blood. - -With his left hand, weak though it was from the wound, he drew his -revolver. - -“No, that will never do,” Max exclaimed, as he made an upward cut and -sent the revolver careening through the air. - -The Soudanese very seldom fight fairly, and when they saw that Hubert -was getting the worst of it, a dozen of them surrounded Max, cutting -him off entirely from his followers. - -It was a critical moment. - -Max swung his scimiter round vigorously, dealing out terrible blows -with it; but what could one man do against twelve? - -He felt he would have to succumb. - -Ibrahim’s premonition came to his mind. - -He was to be the one to die, not the Persian. - -He was ready for his fate, but even as he admitted it he resolved that -Ponsonby should not live to gloat over his defeat. - -He threw himself forward on Ponsonby, bearing him from his horse. - -Like a lightning flash Max dismounted and grasped Hubert by the throat. - -A Soudanese raised his scimiter and was about to bring it down on the -young American’s head, when the blow was turned aside by the Mahdi’s -spear, and instead of cutting off the head of the young lieutenant of -the Mahdi, it did no other damage than the destruction of a verse of -the Koran. - -Amid the flashing of steel and the cracking of musketry the Mahdi rode; -he had saved the madcap’s life at the risk of his own. - -Ibrahim had fought with terrible fury, and scores of the Fashodans had -felt the keenness of his sword and the strength of his arm. - -His latest achievement was the capture of the Governor of Fashoda. - -When the day ended and the result of the fight was known, it was found -that of the five thousand brave followers of Hubert Ponsonby and the -Fashodan governor, not two hundred escaped. - -The carnage was fearful. - -The Mahdi lost about two hundred men, the enemy over four thousand. - -Ibrahim and Max were the heroes of the hour, and the Mahdi, in a loud -voice, proclaimed the “infidel” Max as an adopted son of the prophet. - -Amid heartfelt cries of: “Great is Allah! The Mahdi hath come!” the sun -went down, and Mohammed Ahmed was the greatest warrior the Soudan had -ever known. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. A PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. - - -The victory of the Mahdi over the Fashodans was telegraphed all over -the world. - -In London as well as Constantinople, in Paris alike with Cairo, the -people could talk of nothing but the wonderful advance of the Mahdi. - -Mohammed Ahmed was shrewd. - -He knew that his victory would rouse all the animosity of the Egyptians -and Turks against him. - -A delay would be dangerous. - -The Soudan must be his, and that at once. - -He called together his chosen friends and told them that the victory -must be followed up by still greater victories. - -Sherif el Habib, full of the religious devotion which made men rejoice -in being martyrs, advised the instant march on Khartoum. - -“The presence of the Mahdi is enough; all men must acknowledge your -mission,” he said, and really believed that the Mahdi could scatter his -enemies by a mere word. - -But the prophet shook his head. - -“No, my friend, Allah works by men’s hands, and it is only by the sword -that the prince of darkness can be crushed. To march now would be to -invite defeat.” - -Max opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent. - -“Speak, my son,” said the Mahdi. - -Max blushed a deep crimson as he was thus addressed. - -“I am the youngest here and I may offend,” he replied, modestly. - -“Thou canst not offend me. Speak just as you think. I will hear all and -condemn not.” - -The madcap was emboldened, and clearing his throat made, for him, a -long speech. - -“I left Cairo on a special mission of my own,” he began. “Fate, or, -as you would say, Allah, guided me to you. I have fought under your -banner.” - -“And right bravely, too,” the Mahdi interjected. - -“I don’t believe in your religion, but I know that you”--looking at -the Mahdi--“are by a long shot the best man in the Soudan to-day. As -Englishmen have joined your enemies, I don’t see why I should not join -you, and I’ll be hanged if it isn’t a good work you are engaged in. -Now, I’ve got an idea--just forget that you are the Mahdi and, to put -it plainly, a rebel----Oh, don’t wince; George Washington, the greatest -man who ever lived, was a rebel until he was successful, then he was a -patriot.” - -“I have already told you to speak as you think,” said Mohammed Ahmed. -“I shall not be offended.” - -“My plan is this: Let some one go secretly to Khartoum, to Kordofan, -and Senaar, and preach rebellion. Let whoever goes rouse the -people--talk to them of the way they have been robbed, and then spring -upon them the idea that you, their Mahdi, will deliver them. You see, -by this means you would have friends waiting for you in each place.” - -“That is good, my son, but the messengers may be killed.” - -“Very likely. When I took up the sword I just said to myself: ‘Max, old -fellow, make your will, reconcile yourself to your enemies, and go in a -buster.’” - -Although the slangy manner in which Max spoke seemed incoherent, his -hearers knew that he was in earnest, and that the plan was a good one. - -“Better leave out Khartoum,” said the prophet; “let the plan be worked -in other places first.” - -“The plan is a good one,” said Sherif el Habib, “but who could carry it -out?” - -“I would go to one place,” exclaimed Mohammed. - -Ibrahim whispered to Girzilla’s father: - -“What would become of your harem?” - -“I will go,” said Sherif el Habib, with enthusiasm. - -“No, no, no!” interrupted Max, excitedly, “it would never do. Both the -illustrious Sherif el Habib and Mohammed have too much to lose.” - -“Do you think we value our possessions more than principle?” - -“Not at all; but it would be mighty inconvenient to lose all, and -perhaps your lives as well. Let me go to Kordofan.” - -“You?” - -“Yes; I can talk--why, great Cæsar! I’d just glory in the adventure.” - -“But you are not of our faith.” - -“So much the better. I am an American, and every body will know that -the cause is a good one if an American takes it up.” - -“Go, my son, and may Allah bless you!” - -“May I not go to Senaar?” asked Ibrahim. - -“What do you know about revolutions?” asked his uncle, with almost a -sneer. - -“Not much, unky, and that’s a fact; but Max will tell me what to do.” - -“Go, then; and if you die, you will know it was for the truth.” - -“Just so, only we shall not die; at least, not just yet. When do we -start, Max?” - -“At once; earlier, if possible,” and the madcap laughed as he spoke. - -He walked away to think out his plan of action, and was joined by -Girzilla. - -“You were going without bidding me good-by.” - -“Yes.” - -“Cruel brother. Remember, Max, wherever you may be, I am not Kalula to -you, but Girzilla.” - -“I shall never forget it, my true one. May you be happy.” - -The girl was deeply agitated, for she realized from what Mohammed, her -father, had told her, that the mission in which both Max and Ibrahim -were to be engaged was one of deadly peril, and that the chances were -that neither would ever be seen again alive. - -But, like the grand old martyrs of olden times, the young men went -forth, their lives in their hands, in support of the cause they had -espoused. - -Max was not quite so much in love with his mission when he entered -Kordofan alone, and knew that he, in all probability, was in antagonism -to several regiments of soldiers and an excited populace. - -He needed rest. - -It was a treat to reach a town after all the horrors of caravan life on -the desert. Yet his mission was so urgent that he dare not delay more -than that one day. - -He had been provided with a letter of introduction to a merchant -with whom Sherif el Habib had done business. That letter opened the -merchant’s heart and home, for Max was at once invited to make Shula’s -house his home during his stay in Kordofan. - -Shula was a shrewd business man, a faithful religionist, and a man of -wealth, and therefore of great influence. - -It was not long before he asked Max the pointed question: - -“Do you believe the Mahdi has come?” - -Max parried the question in order to find out Shula’s belief. - -“I believe Mohammed Ahmed to be the Mahdi,” said the merchant. - -“Do the people of Kordofan believe it also?” asked the American. - -“Yes; but I hope the Mahdi may not come here.” - -“Why?” - -“The people would be disappointed.” - -“In what way?” - -“You will laugh.” - -“Indeed I will not. Tell me, for I am interested in this Mohammedan -Mahdi.” - -“They expect too much.” - -“How?” - -“They say the Mahdi is ten feet high. I told you that you would laugh.” - -“I apologize. I could not help it.” - -“They think, also, that he never walks.” - -“Never walks?” - -“No; they imagine that he floats whenever he desires to reach any -place.” - -“Anything else?” - -“Yes; they say that he has the blood of Mahomet in his veins, as well -as that of Emin Bey.” - -“Whom did you say?” - -“Mahomet.” - -“Yes, but the other name?” - -“Emin.” - -“What Emin?” asked Max, excitedly. - -Shula was now in his glory, for he, above everything, loved to tell a -story, and one story was always entrancing to him. - -He sipped his sherbet and caused a cloud of tobacco smoke to eddy and -curl up to the ceiling before he commenced his story. - -“It was in the year 1811, as you would call it, that Mohammed Ali -determined to destroy the Mamelukes----” - -“Yes,” interrupted Max, “I know, but what has that to do with the -Mahdi?” - -Shula looked at Max with astonishment. - -It was as much as to say: “How dare you interrupt me in the midst of a -story?” He puffed away at his chibouk, closed his eyes, paused for a -minute or so, and then continued: - -“The Mamelukes attended the banquet to which Mohammed Ali invited them, -the portcullis fell behind the last of their splendid army, and they -were trapped like rats.” - -“I know, but one escaped the slaughter.” - -“One, didst thou say? Yes. Emin spurred his stanch Arabian over a pile -of dead and dying. He sprang on the battlements, his horse was killed, -but with a shout of _Allah il Allah_, he leaped into the darkness and -escaped to the mosque.” - -Again Shula paused. - -Max was impatient, and could not wait. - -“I would give my right hand to find the descendants of Emin,” he said. - -“Would you?” - -“Indeed I would.” - -“Then listen. Emin was wounded. He had entered the mosque without -removing his shoes. He pleaded to his own conscience that his wound -would excuse his sacrilege. He fell asleep, and as he slept he -dreamed--that is, some say so; he declared that he was awake all the -time. But he fancied he saw a great ring of light, and in the center, -Mahomet, the great prophet. ‘Rise,’ said the prophet, ‘thy wound is -healed.’ Emin began to excuse the wearing of shoes in the mosque, but -the prophet stopped him. ‘Thy shoes were removed by me,’ he said, and -sure enough, Emin was shoeless. ‘Go to the ruins of Thebes and hide -thee until I bid thee go to the desert, and there thou shalt stay, thou -and thy sons, but thy son’s son shall be the _Imaum_ of his people.’ -‘But,’ said Emin, ‘the _Imaum_ shall be of thy race, illustrious -prophet;’ and then the prophet answered: ‘Thou art of my race, thou art -blessed, indeed.” - -Shula called for his servant and ordered him to bring some grapes. - -Holding a cup, the servant squeezed the grapes until the cup was full -of the ruby-colored juice. - -Another cup was filled for Max, and when the servant had withdrawn, -Shula continued: - -“The Mahdi, according to tradition, should be the grandson of Emin----” - -“And I never thought of it--I, who have been seeking the last of the -Mamelukes--I----” - -“What! do you know the story of the Mamelukes?” - -“I have given my life to finding Emin’s descendants, and I never told -the Mahdi.” - -“Do you know the Mahdi?” - -“I will reveal all, most noble Shula. The Mahdi sent me here. He is -coming in all the glory of victory, and I am to prepare a way for him.” - -Shula sprang to his feet and hugged and kissed the American until poor -Max began to think his breath would all be squeezed out. - -Had he wanted rest? - -If so he made a mistake in telling Shula his mission. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. SOWING THE SEED. - - -For no sooner had he done so than Shula sent out for three of his most -particular friends and bade them hasten to his house. - -Rashid, who looked more like a Jew than an Egyptian, was the first, and -he stared at Max with eyes which seemed to glitter with hate. - -He was quickly followed by Barbasson, whose skin had been changed from -olive to almost black through exposure to the sun. - -Barbasson was the owner of a number of Dahabeahs, and he imagined Max -to be some wealthy foreigner who was desirous of engaging a Dahabeah -for business or pleasure. - -He had scarcely made his salaam before Nasr el Adin, a Persian, entered -and embraced Shula most warmly. - -The door was closed, curtains of heavy chenille were drawn round the -room and everything done to prevent the slightest sound being heard on -the outside. - -“We ought to remove our shoes,” said Shula, “for this illustrious one -is a messenger from the Mahdi.” - -The three visitors rose to their feet, salaamed very low, and murmured -some words of prayer. - -“The Mahdi is coming,” said Max, “but are you ready?” - -“What are we to do?” - -“Raise his standard over Kordofan.” - -“But the soldiers?” Rashid interjected. - -“Are you afraid of them? I saw the Mahdi ride into the midst of an -army; he had no weapon, the guns were firing, the swords and spears -clashed around him and over his head, but he merely smiled and bade -them cease their strife. And you in his name ought to be strong. Will -you not raise his flag?” - -“We will.” - -“What does it matter if a few are killed, they will die in a great -cause. You have been robbed by Khartoum, pillaged by Egypt and taxed by -Turkey. England now wants a share, and what will you have left?” - -“Nothing.” - -“The Mahdi can save you. He will be ruler of Egypt, of Turkey and the -whole of the Mohammedan world. The crescent and star will float above -all other flags, for the Mahdi will be prince of princes and shah of -shahs.” - -“_Allah il Allah_ be praised.” - -“_Inshallah!_” - -“We will do it,” exclaimed Nasr el Adin, so emphatically that no -opposition was offered. A plan was adopted by which on the third day -all the followers of the four wealthy citizens should revolt and raise -the standard of the Mahdi. - -In the meantime Max was advised to remain quiet. It was not thought -wise for him to interfere, as some thought it might be said he was -a foreigner, and of alien faith, and therefore at work against the -interests of the religion, while wearing the garb of the prophet. - -Max had sown the seed, and he had no desire to gather the fruit. He was -quite willing that others should do that. - -So he fell in with the views of Rashid, Barbasson and Nasr el Adin, and -agreed to remain quiet in the city, while they kindled the torch of -revolt. - -Max slept well that night. It had been many months since he reposed in -a regular bed in a comfortable room, with both male and female servants -to minister to his needs. - -True, the females were not lovely. They were very old, exceedingly ugly -and bad tempered, but they did the work. - -It was noon the next day before Max ventured forth into the streets. - -He left the city and followed the course of the Nile. - -A huge crocodile was basking on the bank, and looked lazily at Max, who -returned the gaze, and wondered whether he ought to attack the peculiar -animal or not. - -While he was looking at the reptile a girl, unveiled, ran screaming -past him, followed by a fat, ugly-looking man. - -Max thought that it was a case of father chastising his daughter, but -even then his blood boiled with indignation, for the girl was too old -to receive corporal punishment. - -The man overtook the girl and struck her over the shoulders with his -cane. - -At the same instant Max found he could not restrain the muscles of his -arm, and his clinched fist managed to come in contact with the fat -man’s nose, causing that organ to bleed with refreshing copiousness, -and inducing its owner to lie on the ground on his back. - -It was a curious accident--for so Max called it--but the girl did not -hurry to assuage the grief of her fallen foe, but rather turned her -black eyes in the direction of Max. - -He then saw that she was really pretty. - -Her olive skin, her long, black eyelashes overhanging sparkling dark -eyes, made her quite a pretty feature in the landscape. - -The fat man lay on the ground with no inclination to resume the -perpendicular while Max was around. - -The girl started running away, but Max called to her to stop. - -He wanted to know her name, at least. - -He was an American, and did not realize how different were the customs -of Egypt. - -She ran swiftly, but Max could outrun her. - -She smiled when he got alongside her. - -As she did so she revealed two rows of shiny, pearly teeth that really -added to her beauty. - -“Thank you, but it was very wrong,” she said, with charming _naïveté_. - -“What was wrong, mademoiselle?” - -She smiled. - -“You know you shouldn’t.” - -“What?” - -“Have knocked him down.” - -“But he shouldn’t have struck you.” - -“I was wrong. I went out without a veil.” - -“As ladies always do in my country,” said Max. - -“Do they? Isn’t that nice?” - -Turning round they saw that the fat man had risen, and was following -them. - -“Go,” she said. - -“Not until you tell me where you live and your name.” - -“My name is Lalla. I live----But what good to tell you?--I shall never -see you again.” - -“Jewilikins! Hark at that! Not see me? Of course you will.” - -“No, no, no! you must not; good-by--I live--here.” - -She had stopped in front of a small gate in a very big wall. - -“You do? May I come and see you?” - -She laughed so boisterously that Max caught the contagion and laughed -as well. - -“No; what absurdity--I am going to be married----” - -The gate opened, and Lalla slipped in and closed it again so quickly -that Max could not get even the slightest glimpse of what was on the -other side. - -“Never mind, I will when his nibs goes in,” thought Max. - -But again he was mistaken, for the old party, looking quite -disreputable in his blood-stained clothes, dodged in just as -expeditiously as the girl had done. - -“I’ll be hanged if I’ll be treated this way!” said Max. “I’ll see over -that wall, or I’ll know the reason why.” - -He looked for a good climbing place, and found a better one than he -expected. - -“Here goes--Mahdi or no Mahdi,” he said, as he commenced climbing the -wall. - -When he reached the top he saw an elegant estate. - -The lawn was as beautiful as Central Park, and a number of fountains -were sending up continuous sprays of water, which the slight breeze -scattered over the turf, keeping the grass green and soft. - -A large house stood in the center, and near to its main entrance stood -Lalla. - -She was motioning to Max to go back, but he would not understand her -signals. - -He quietly dropped from the wall to the ground, and sheltered himself -behind a clump of euphorbia. - -He was afraid that his presence might be known, and that he would be -expelled from the grounds. - -He was determined to speak with Lalla, and did not see why it should be -considered wrong to do so. - -He knew how the Eastern women were guarded, and that if he were caught -his life might be the forfeit, but he was Madcap Max still. - -He saw the fat old party waddle along the driveway and enter the house. - -“I wonder if he will beat her?” thought Max. “Jewilikins! if he does, -I’ll break into his place and steal her away--that I will!” - -But it soon became evident that his position would be an unpleasant -one. - -Either Lalla or the fat old party had determined to drive him from the -grounds. - -A dozen male servants of the great man who owned the estate started -down the steps of the portico and made straight for the euphorbia. - -The gate was fastened. - -The wall was too high to climb on short notice. - -Max saw his peril. - -If caught---- - -“But I won’t be,” he said to himself, very emphatically. - -“Shall I break cover now, or wait until they are close upon me?” he -asked himself, and answered: - -“Wait until they are close upon you. They will be tired, you fresh; -then race them for all that it is worth.” - -The men ran as if the very old bogey of ancient romance was after them. - -When they reached the euphorbia hedge Max stood ready. - -They were only half a dozen yards away from him, but had separated -themselves so that they might surround him and thus effect an easy -capture. - -He saw their maneuver and made a spring forward--going toward the house -instead of away from it. - -As he passed at a bound the eunuch waiting for him, Max put out his -left foot and tripped the fellow up. - -As ill luck would have it--or perhaps it was Max’s good luck--the man -fell on his face in a bed of _euphorbia splendens_, a plant commonly -known as the “crown of thorns.” - -The sharp thorns tore the man’s face in a criss-cross fashion and made -him wish he had never been born. - -Max was now pursued by the others. - -He ran fast, and when he saw an opportunity, doubled on his pursuers. - -Two of them he tripped up, and thus gained another advantage. - -He thought if he kept by the wall he would be able to find some means -of exit. - -But again he was mistaken. - -He, however, found something he did not bargain for, and that was a -trap or cellar door. - -It was open. - -Max did not see it. - -It did not require a great exercise of his reasoning powers, or even -much knowledge of the rules of logic, to comprehend the result. - -He fell through the open door. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. AN UNEXPECTED BATH. - - -Throwing out his hands to save himself, Max clutched the door and -closed it, by accident, after him. - -It had a spring lock, and he was a prisoner. - -Fortunately, the fall did not hurt him. - -He was only shaken and slightly bruised. - -His pursuers reached the door and tried it. - -Max felt his heart go pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat--louder than he liked. - -But to his great astonishment he heard his pursuers declare that he -must have scaled the wall. - -“The cellar,” said one, by way of suggestion. - -“The door has not been opened for a week,” answered one of the eunuchs. - -“How blind they were!” mused Max, as he heard the declaration. - -His heart gave a big leap for joy when he heard the eunuch call off his -men and declare that the “infidel” had escaped. - -When the footsteps died away Max began to think about his prison house. - -If the door had not been opened for a week, was there any way of egress -or ingress? - -If not, then might he not starve to death? - -“Perhaps the Mahdi will capture the place, and I shall be saved.” - -Max was looking on the bright side of the subject, and his spirits rose -correspondingly. - -The cellar or basement was very dark, but Max fortunately had a small -pocket lantern with him, and after being there an hour he felt it was -safe to light the lamp. - -He saw that he was in a great, excavated cellar, without any flooring -save the mud. - -The roof was very high in some places, and in others so low that Max -could not stand upright. - -It seemed to be under a whole series of houses, its extent was so -great. - -A few rats shared the pleasures of the solitude with Max, but those -were the only living things he saw. - -Wandering about a dark cavern, even if it is under a house, is not the -most inspiring exercise, and Max was not very elated. - -Once he thought he heard a flow of water. - -Was he mistaken? - -No; he soon found that on one side of the cellar, only separated by a -very thin partition or wall of baked clay, ran the river Nile. - -Two narrow doors opened from the cellar to the river, but they were -both fastened. - -“I may break one of these,” he said, “but not yet. I’m in for a good -time, and I’ll have one.” - -Max discovered some broad steps leading to the upper story. - -They were made of the baked clay, and as hard as stone. - -He walked up them, and found a door at the top. - -Groping his way along by the wall, he came to some more steps which led -to a long corridor. - -There was a feeble glimmer of light at the end of the hallway, and he -followed that as his guide. - -Once he thought he heard voices, but made up his mind he was mistaken. -There were no signs of anyone dwelling there, everything was deserted -and desolate. - -He had no particular desire to meet anyone, his whole thoughts being -now bent on escape. - -He reached the end of the corridor, and found that the little ray of -light proceeded from a transom over another door. - -That door he pushed open, and saw before him another flight of stairs. - -“Up, up, up!” he ejaculated. “Well, never mind, if I only get out at -last.” - -He ascended the stairs, and at the top another door confronted him. - -He opened that, and nearly fell backward at the sight which met his -gaze. - -No scene in the “Arabian Nights” could compare with the beauty and -grandeur of what he saw. - -The room was a hundred feet long, by half as many feet wide. - -The walls were hung with silk and tapestry of the most exquisite -patterns and quality. - -The floor was covered an inch thick with padded carpets. - -Great chandeliers with oil lamps, each one having a different tinted -shade, shed a brilliant light over the scene. - -But that was not all. - -Round the great room were divans covered with the most costly silks. - -And on each divan reposed, in Oriental languor, a beauteous woman. - -Each woman had a little table by her side, on which cigarettes and -sherbet were placed. - -Many of them were smoking the most fragrant tobacco Max had ever -sniffed. - -He had not been seen, and so he stood watching without the beauteous -creatures having any idea that their privacy had been invaded. - -But his eyes recognized on one of the divans the girl Lalla. - -Why should he not go to her? - -He was an American, and knew no fear. - -He walked down the center of the room, and instantly there was a -shriek--a tiny little scream--and a flutter of a score of beauties. - -But no sooner had they screamed than they felt sorry for it, for never -before had any man save their lord entered the grand _salon_ of the -harem, and the novelty was refreshing. - -Each one pressed forward to touch the American, and some offered to -hide him. - -There was a noise outside, and Lalla took Max by the shoulders and -pushed him behind the drapery which covered the walls. - -She was only just in time. - -Three eunuchs entered. - -“You screamed,” said the chief. - -“A mouse,” simpered one of the beauties. - -“And you all saw it at the same time?” - -“Yes,” answered another. - -“And did the mouse wear this?” he asked, holding up a hat, which Max -had dropped on the floor. - -Poor Max! - -He had never missed his hat. - -He had carried it under his arm when he entered the _salon_. - -So excited was he at the sight of Lalla, that he dropped his _chapeau_ -and never missed it. - -The women could not explain how it came about that a mouse wore a soft -felt helmet. - -The eunuch took his scimiter and started on his mission of discovery. - -He slashed at every piece of drapery which he thought might cover a -man, and was approaching the place where Max was hidden, when Lalla -fell on her knees. - -“Oh, spare him!” - -“Who do you mean?” - -“He came here, I know not why; I hid him. I never saw him before, but -he is so handsome! Do not kill him.” - -“Get up,” ordered the eunuch, gruffly. - -Max emerged from his hiding place, and stood with arms folded before -the servants of the pasha. - -“I am to blame. I was pursued. I fell in your cellar and was trying to -get away. I found myself here by mistake. Do with me as you like.” - -“Don’t hurt him,” pleaded Lalla, and all the others took up the prayer. - -But the men were inexorable, they knew their duty. - -“He must die,” said they. - -“No, no, no!” shrieked the women, but in the midst of their cries Max -was seized, his hands tied by his sides, after which he was carried -down the steps into the great noisome cellar by which he had entered. - -Max did not try to bribe his captors. - -He never made a sound, but kept his teeth close together. - -“If I die,” he thought, “they shall see I can die game.” - -But he felt that he had not a hope nor a chance to escape, when they -produced a great sack and covered him with it. - -Tying the mouth of the sack above his head, they lifted him shoulder -high, and he soon felt the strange sensation of being whirled through -space. - -His senses were almost numbed when he realized that he was in water. - -He had been thrown into the Nile! - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. SAVED! - - -Barbasson and Shula were walking along the banks of the Nile discussing -the best way to assist the Mahdi. - -Shula was for openly proclaiming the advent of the prophet, and calling -on all good religionists to rally round his standard. - -But Barbasson was crafty. - -He was richer than Shula, and not so hot-headed. - -“If the Mahdi wins that would be a good plan, but if he fails----” - -“He won’t fail.” - -“I hope not; but suppose he did?” - -“Well?” - -“We should lose our property, and perhaps----” - -“Our lives. Just so. I am ready to risk that.” - -“I am not; I have a great horror of death.” - -“Yourself, perhaps, my worthy Barbasson; but you don’t mind killing -others,” Shula retorted, sharply. - -“What mean you?” - -“Why, Barbasson, don’t you know?” - -“By the beard of the prophet, no!” - -“Then let me remind you. Four moons ago I was watching a dahabeah on -the Nile; I saw something bulky thrown overboard----” - -“Well, what of that? Some refuse for which the Nile was the best place.” - -“Possibly. Only I was curious. I fished up the bundle and found----” - -“What?” - -“A most lovely girl.” - -“The prophet be praised! Was she dead?” - -“Not much. She told me her story. How one of your wives took a great -dislike to her----” - -“One of my wives?” - -“Yes; the girl was called Leila.” - -Barbasson was about to speak, but Shula stopped him. - -“I liked Leila. I found she was pretty and good, and I took her into my -harem.” - -“That is your business. What is it to me?” - -“You said you had a horror of death, but you threw Leila into the -water.” - -“Bah! that was only a girl--and they are not missed.” - -Barbasson suggested--when he had got over his annoyance--that secret -agents should be sent out and that riots should be organized. - -Then, when every part of the city of Kordofan was in disorder, Shula -should come forward and proclaim the advent of the Mahdi. - -This was agreed upon, and the conspirators, now joined by Rashid and -Nasr el Adin, started on their homeward journey. - -“What was that?” Shula suddenly exclaimed, as a splash was heard in the -water. - -“A crocodile, most likely.” - -“Pish! there are no crocodiles so near the city.” - -“I suppose it is some recalcitrant from yonder harem.” - -“What! Mahmoud Achmet?” - -“Yes; he drowns a dozen girls a month.” - -“The prophet will stop all that.” - -“I hope so.” - -“It depends. Mahmoud Achmet pays most of the expenses of the government -here, and he is never molested for beating or drowning his wives. Of -course, he never touches a man.” - -Such was the state of morality in the Soudan at the time that a woman’s -life was considered of no more value than that of a dog or any common -animal. - -A man got angry with his wife or daughter, and he could drown her, -providing he did it decently--that is, place her body in a sack, with -some heavy weights, so that the body should not rise to the surface. - -While the conspirators were discussing the morality of Mahmoud Achmet, -their eyes were strained in an endeavor to discover what had caused the -splashing sound. - -A dark object was seen, and Shula, who was more humane than the -majority of Kordofans, stepped into a boat anchored by the bank, and -pushed out in the stream. - -He made a prod with the boat hook, and managed to stick it in the -canvas sack. - -He towed it to land, and soon opened the sack. - -He expected to find some discarded wife of Mahmoud Achmet, and hoped -she would be young and pretty, because by the laws she would be his -slave. - -To his astonishment--and equally so to the surprise of the -other--instead of a woman the sack contained a man, and that man our -young friend--Madcap Max. - -Max was unconscious. - -When he had been thrown into the river so unceremoniously he struggled -all he knew how to free himself. - -What could he do? - -He struggled, but the sack was securely fastened. - -His body was doubled so that he could not use his hands to tear the bag -or strike out. - -In two minutes he had relinquished all hope. - -He began to wish that he had never heard of the Mahdi, or the Mameluke. - -But regrets were useless. - -He knew he had to die. - -Had it been on the battlefield, pitted against a foe, he would have -been proud to die--because he knew no disgrace would be attached to it. - -But to die in a sack, like a mangy dog or vicious cat, was so hurtful -to his self-respect and so humiliating that he cried with vexation. - -The water got to his lungs. His stomach was full of it. His brain grew -dizzy. - -The singing in his ears had become like the roaring of the waters of a -great cataract. - -Mercifully unconsciousness came, and had not the conspirators been -discussing their schemes of rioting and rebellion at night by the banks -of the Nile, Madcap Max would never have been the hero of this story. - -Shula rubbed Max briskly. - -He straightened out the madcap’s body and laid it face downward. - -The conspirators began kneading the poor fellow’s back--sitting on it, -treading it, kneeling on it, and using every means of which they knew -to restore life. - -“Get out of that and meet a fellow face to face.” - -The words startled the conspirators. - -They were uttered by Max, who, black and blue with the treatment he had -been subjected to, had revived with great suddenness. - -He did not realize where he was, but he knew he was being hurt, hence -his calling out. - -He jumped to his feet. - -“Shula!” he exclaimed. - -“Max!” - -“Yes. How did you find me? Was I drowned? Where am I?” - -“You are not drowned; you are by the Nile’s water, and the less you -say the longer you will be likely to live. Come--let us get home. Can -you walk?” - -“Of course I can.” - -Max started forward, but before his legs had moved a dozen times he -fell on his face. - -The conspirators lifted him up, and as no conveyances were to be found -in Kordofan at that hour of the night, they had to carry him to Shula’s -residence. - -Before morning’s dawn he had told his adventures and laughed at the -escapade. - -“If ever the Mahdi rules in Kordofan I am going to see Lalla,” he said. -“I want to know more about her.” - -“Not even the prophet could give you the right to enter any man’s -harem,” said Shula. - -“Then your Mahdi must be a queer sort of fellow.” - -Max was unable to talk longer, for he was naturally weak from his -struggles in the Nile. - -Twenty-four hours elapsed before he was able to feel that he was the -strong athlete again. - -When he awoke on the morning of the third day he heard cries which -roused him: - -“_Allah il Allah!_” - -“Long live the Mahdi!” - -“Down with the foreigner!” - -“The Mahdi has come!” - -Max looked at Shula, but the merchant did not speak. - -His face was white as that of a corpse. He knew that he had staked all -his property and his life on the riot which was then in progress. - -“Is it true? Has the Mahdi come?” - -“No, Max, but the people are expecting him.” - -A heavy fusillade was heard on the streets, the windows were shaken, -and some panes of glass broken. - -“What does it mean?” - -“They are fighting,” answered Shula. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. THE MAHDI’S JUSTICE. - - -“Fighting, and you here? Why are not you at the head of the Mahdi’s -friends?” - -“I--stayed--with you.” - -“Come! where is my sword?” - -“It is here; but don’t go out. You will be killed--the soldiers -wouldn’t join the Mahdi, and they are shooting the people down.” - -“Give me my Winchester and my sword.” - -“It is madness.” - -“Well, I am the madcap,” laughed Max; “but if I wasn’t I’d scorn to be -a coward.” - -“A coward?” - -“Yes, I said so, and I repeat--a coward.” - -“Why do you call me that? I have fought in the army of Egypt.” - -“Perhaps so. But did you not stir up this riot and are now afraid----” - -“I am not afraid; but is it policy to risk so much?” - -“Risk all--if by that means you save your honor.” - -“But the people have no chance against the soldiers.” - -“All the more reason why you should not desert them.” - -“See what it means to me--loss of property, perhaps life.” - -“Do as you like, most excellent Shula, but I am going to fight.” - -“It is madness!” - -“Give me my rifle and my sword.” - -Max seized the weapons and rushed into the street. - -He saw the rioting, and felt that Shula was right--the people had but -scant chance. - -That made Max all the more determined. - -He waved his sword above his head and rushed into the thickest of the -fight. - -“Long live the Mahdi!” - -At the sight of the paleface the soldiers fell back. - -“I am an American,” shouted Max, “but I am with you. The Mahdi is a -native of your country, he is no foreigner. Strike for him, and let -your cry be Egypt for the Egyptian, the Soudan for the Soudanese!” - -The people lost their fear. - -Like demons they sprang on the soldiers, but the soldiers did not -return the fire. - -Instead, they reversed their guns and retired. - -The Egyptian officer was enraged. - -“I’ll shoot the first man who deserts!” he shouted. - -A number of the soldiers again shouldered arms, but the majority kept -them reversed. - -Max saw the advantage he had gained. - -He caught the bridle of a horse whose rider had fallen in the mêlée. - -Vaulting into the saddle, he looked proud and defiant as he sat there, -like a veritable centaur. - -“Soldiers, you believe in Mahomet! Hark ye! I have fought with the -great Mahdi. I have seen the thousands of Fashoda beaten back when he -waved his wand. He has no need of sword or scimiter; he fights with his -eyes, and when he waves his hand, armies fall back.” - -The enthusiasm was great. - -Max had won over most of the soldiers, and the others were undecided. - -The officer was furious. - -“Ready!” he shouted, but very few of his men obeyed the call. - -“Load! Aim! Fire!” - -Half a dozen rifle shots were fired, but Max saw to his great joy that -the aim was too high to do any damage. - -“Men! soldiers of the crescent!” he called out, “our fight is not -against you. The Mahdi is of your faith. Nay, more, he will restore the -great Mameluke kingdom. Every soldier of his will be greater than a -pasha, for the Mahdi is the last of the Mamelukes.” - -The speech was listened to by soldiers and people, who wondered who -this young paleface could be. - -The result was electrical. - -Every rifle was reversed. - -The officer was left alone to return to the fort--a commander without -soldiers. - -At the time when Max so eloquently proclaimed the Mahdi, Mohammed -Achmet was close to the gates of the city. He heard the cheering and -the firing. - -His face paled visibly, for he disliked bloodshed. - -Half an hour later, riding between the Persian Sherif el Habib and the -Arab Mohammed, the Mahdi rode into the main street of Kordofan. - -“The Mahdi!” - -“The Mahdi has come!” - -The cheers rose on the air. - -Songs were sung--the soldiers fraternized with the people. - -Everywhere the enthusiasm was intense. - -Even the garrison joined in the cheering, and the officer handed his -sword to the Mahdi. - -“I cannot fight without men,” he said, “so take my sword and use it for -truth and our faith.” - -The Mahdi took the weapon, and immediately handed it back, saying: - -“General, you are a brave man. Take the sword, for you will use it as -only a brave man can.” - -The fires of joy were lighted. - -Houses were thrown open, and everywhere the Mahdi was welcomed. - -Mahmoud Achmet, when he saw that the Mahdi was triumphant, came to -offer the hospitality of his house to the conqueror. - -Max recognized him, and after the man had said all he intended, came -forward. - -“You threw a young man into the Nile. You enveloped him in a sack, and -drowned him.” - -“It is he! I know it! The Mahdi is the Mahdi. He has raised this man -from the dead. All my wealth is his,” exclaimed Mahmoud. - -Max saw the mistake the man had made. He, however, did not contradict -him, but allowed him to think that the power of the Mahdi had indeed -raised him from the dead. - -He spoke privately to the Mahdi. - -“Let him give me Lalla,” said Max. - -“You spoke of your wealth,” said the Mahdi; “give this man the girl -called Lalla.” - -Mahmoud fell to the ground. - -He tore his hair and pulled out his beard. - -“Woe is me, I cannot!” - -“She is dead?” queried the Mahdi. - -“Indeed it is true. _Inshallah!_” - -Mahmoud then admitted that he was jealous of Max, and after throwing -him into the river, Lalla had refused to be comforted, had called him a -murderer, and refused to allow him to approach her. Then it was that in -his anger he ordered her to be drowned. - -Max told of the brutal way in which Mahmoud acted. - -The Mahdi called the pashas and beys together, and in the presence of a -great concourse of citizens, said: - -“One of your number, Mahmoud Achmet, has at times made away with such -of his wives that displeased him. Now, therefore, to prove to you how -abhorrent such a thing is, it is my order that Mahmoud Achmet be taken -from here in the sack which he has provided for others, and that he be -thrown into the Nile.” - -“Mercy!” cried the wealthy man--“mercy! I will give you wealth.” - -“I do not want it.” - -“All I have shall be yours!” - -“It is mine already.” - -One of the eunuchs connected with Mahmoud’s harem testified how the -wives were constantly beaten with whips. - -“The same measure shall be meted out to Mahmoud,” said the Mahdi; “it -is fate.” - -The man pleaded for his life, but the Mahdi was inexorable. - -Mahmoud suffered the scourging from the hands of his own eunuch, and -was drowned in the Nile. - -“It is fate! It is justice!” exclaimed the people, who were more than -ever enthused with the prophet and his cause. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. VICTORY ALL ALONG THE LINE. - - -Early on the following morning a man, riding at hot haste, asked for -the Mahdi. - -He bore a letter to the prophet, and another to Sherif el Habib. - -When the dispatch was opened the Mahdi read: - - “To the illustrious Mahomet Ahmed, the Prophet, Imaum and Mahdi: - - “GREETING: Senaar resisted for several hours, but the flag of the - Mahdi floats over its fortress. The day is ours. - - “IBRAHIM.” - -Sherif el Habib handed his document to the Mahdi. - - “Dear uncle, we have fought and won,” ran the letter. “I was wounded - in the right foot and lost two toes, but that was better than my - life. The people were all with us, but the soldiers fought bravely. - It was a tough battle. The commander gave me his sword, which I will - send to the Mahdi when I hear from him. How is Girzilla? Give her my - love. Is Max the Madcap alive? Of course he is. Tell him not to play - any pranks in Kordofan. - - “Your loving nephew, - - “IBRAHIM.” - -When the Mahdi had read the letters aloud to his staff, he called Max -to him. - -“It was your plan which we adopted,” he said, “and we are victorious. -You are Max Pasha; and your nephew”--turning to Sherif--“is also pasha, -and is made governor of Senaar, while Max, here, shall be governor of -Kordofan.” - -The people cheered the young governor. - -Turning to the Mahdi, Max said: - -“I thank you for the honor, but I am about to decline it.” - -“You must not.” - -“I am about to decline it after to-morrow. I want to be governor and -pasha for one day, because I am going back to America, and if I ever go -on the lecture platform the people will sooner pay a dollar to hear a -real live pasha, than a quarter if the speaker is only Madcap Max.” - -The Mahdi laughed. - -“Still thinking of the dollars?” he said. - -“Yes,” answered Max; “and whenever you get tired of being the Mahdi -come over to New York and I will trot you round, and--oh, my! won’t the -dollars just flow into our pockets.” - -But before the Mahdi could reply another dispatch was placed in his -hands. - -It was from a trusty agent in the North. - -“Giegler Pasha has placed the army of Khartoum under the command of -Yussuf Pasha Hassan,” it read, “and is marching with five thousand men -against you. Hicks Pasha, an Englishman, with three thousand men, is -marching from the northeast. You are to be cut in two by these armies.” - -“No! by the prophet--no!” exclaimed the Mahdi. “We will attack both and -exterminate them.” - -The bugles called the army together and the march was ordered. - -With a speed accelerated by the most fanatical enthusiasm, the -followers of the Mahdi started to meet Yussuf Pasha Hassan. - -The soldiers of Khartoum were well disciplined veterans, but they -lacked enthusiasm. - -The Mahdi--still without weapon--rode at the head of his people and -gave the words of command. - -Like a cyclone tearing everything before it on a Western prairie, the -army of the Mahdi swept on the veterans commanded by Yussuf. - -The Egyptians made a stubborn resistance at first, but the Mahdists -were more like fiends. - -They seized the soldiers by their hair and deliberately cut their -throats. - -It was a horrible carnage. - -The Mahdi never struck a blow, never made any effort to defend himself, -but was ever in the thickest of the fight. - -His brow shone as though it were gold. - -His presence was remarkable. - -Max fought with desperate valor. - -At times he stood up in the stirrups to give himself more power in -striking a blow. - -“The Mahdi forever!” he shouted, with every savage blow. - -Yussuf saw the young fellow and knew that, next to the Mahdi, Max was -the most powerful leader. - -Yussuf would not touch the Mahdi. - -He was a trifle superstitious. - -If Mohammed was the Mahdi, steel weapons could not kill him, and Yussuf -would not risk an encounter; so he rode through the fighting demons -until he reached the side of Max. - -“The Mahdi forever!” shouted Max, as he suddenly wheeled round and -aimed a blow at Yussuf’s head. - -The veteran officer parried the blow and made a lunge at Max. - -But the American’s sword swung round with cyclonic speed, and Yussuf’s -sword merely struck the air. - -As the heavy scimiters clashed together sparks of fire flew out, and -seemed to keep fiery time to the music of the steel. - -Yussuf got angry. - -“Do you also bear a charmed life?” he sneeringly asked, during a pause -in the duel. - -“I am an American,” answered Max, “and fight for liberty.” - -Again the fight was resumed. - -Great heaps of dead were to be found in every direction. - -The horses ridden by Yussuf and Max often had to kick and trample down -the dead and dying. - -It was a fearful sight. - -Yussuf fought bravely. - -His left arm had been broken by Max, just below the shoulder, but he -would not give in. - -“Surrender!” - -“Never!” - -“Then die!” - -“I will, but you will go first.” - -Max was of a different opinion, and he kept swinging round his heavy -scimiter with the strength of a giant. - -Once, when Yussuf parried a blow, the weapon struck the horse’s neck, -almost severing the head from the body. - -Yussuf was now at a disadvantage. - -Max leaped from the saddle and stood by the Egyptian’s side. - -“We are equal,” he said. - -But it was scarcely the truth, for Yussuf had only one arm to fight -with. - -The Egyptian slipped in a pool of blood, and as he did so a sword still -grasped by a dead man pierced his side. - -The brave man could stand no more. - -“I surrender!” he gasped, but it was not a surrender to Max, but to the -Great Creator, for as the man uttered the words the breath left his -body. - -Out of four thousand seven hundred men--hale, hearty veterans--who had -marched under the crescent of Egypt that morning, only two hundred and -one survived at night. - -The Mahdists did not lose more than four hundred men all told. - -They did not stop to care for the wounded or bury the dead. - -Another blow had to be struck, and this time at Hicks Pasha. - -It was a two days march to Tokar. - -At that place Hicks, with three thousand seven hundred and forty-six -men, met the advance guard of the Mahdists, led by Sherif el Habib and -Max. - -The fighting was desperate, but seemed to be as favorable to the -Egyptians as the Mahdists, until the Mahdi himself arrived. - -There was a charm and magnetism about the man which made him -irresistible. - -His presence was equal to a thousand men. - -In less than an hour the unfortunate Hicks was dead, and two thousand -three hundred and seventy-three of his men lay stiffening under the -tropical sun. - -The defeat was a thorough one. - -The Mahdi was now master of all the Soudan except Khartoum and -Equatoria, over which Emin Bey presided. - -The people flocked to the Mahdi’s tent. - -Dervishes proclaimed him to be the promised Imaum. In the mosques his -name was mentioned with that of the prophet, and the people prostrated -themselves when reference was made to him. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII. “ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.” - - -A week of peace after the storm of war was delightful. - -The army of the Mahdists was large enough to crush any force which -could be sent against it. - -The officers took things easy. - -Mohammed had brought his harem to the Mahdi’s headquarters, and Ibrahim -had received a furlough or leave of absence for two months. - -This gave him plenty of time to be with Girzilla. - -One day Girzilla sought out Max and whispered: - -“I have found him.” - -“Whom do you refer to?” - -“The last of the Mamelukes.” - -“And he is----” - -“The Mahdi.” - -“Are you sure, Girzilla?” - -“Yes; by secret signs I discovered him, and he will restore the glories -of his race and bring the whole world to believe in Mahomet.” - -Max went to the Mahdi and told him of his mission. - -The tears came into the warrior prophet’s eyes as he heard Max tell his -story; how he had lost his father in the caves of the bandits, and had -been rescued by Girzilla. - -When Max narrated how he had become enthused over the story of the -great Mameluke who escaped from Mohammed Ali, the Mahdi embraced him. - -“For my ancestors’ sake, you are doubly dear to me. Stay with me, my -son, and share in my triumph.” - -“No--the work is done. I shall go back to my own land, and shall do -as other Americans have done before me--write a book, or tell on the -platform the story of the Mahdi, and the Mameluke.” - -Max wanted to start at once, but Ibrahim pleaded with him to stay until -after his wedding with Girzilla. - -This Max consented to do, and three weeks later a most impressive -wedding took place in the vestibule of a mosque at Kordofan. - -The couple were united and blessed by the Mahdi. - -The Imaum made some pertinent remarks, which were worthy of the great -prophet himself. - -To Ibrahim, after praising his courage, he said: - -“You have taken to yourself a wife. The Koran permits you to take -three others; but take my advice--cleave to the one. It is better, and -a new dispensation will so order. Treat Girzilla, not as others of -our race have been treated, but let her be your equal; for it is now -written that if you be faithful to her on earth the gates of Paradise -will open for you both, and she shall be your bride through all -eternity.” - -After spending the customary seven days in prayer and religious -observances, Ibrahim obtained permission to take his dusky bride on a -trip up the Nile in company with Max. - -The cataracts were passed, and Cairo reached. - -Girzilla pleaded so earnestly to continue the journey that her loving -husband accompanied her to Suez, where they bade farewell to Madcap Max -as the Peninsular and Oriental steamer steamed out of the port. - -Max had not noticed that it was the very vessel he had made the journey -on three years before. - -He made himself known to the captain, and the tedium of the journey was -broken by the story of adventure told by the madcap. - -When Max reached New York he found himself the head of the firm, and -the cares of business life caused him to relinquish the thought of -“coining dollars” on the lecture platform; but he made a solemn promise -to the author that some day he would tell him the story of his life. - - * * * * * - -Two years passed, and the author asked the well-known and highly -respected merchant to tell the story. - -“To-morrow come to us, be our guest for a week, and you shall know all.” - -“But----” - -“My wife will welcome you as an old friend.” - -Max had married a fairer woman than Girzilla, but many a time he -declared that no more true one ever lived than the Arab maiden. - -When the author reached the Gordon uptown mansion on the following day -he was surprised to find so many evidences of the Orient everywhere; -but when, an hour later, Max took the author by the hand and led him -into a large parlor, he was still more surprised, for there stood, -waiting to receive him, Ibrahim and Girzilla. - -Sherif el Habib was dead. His nephew had sold the shawl manufactory, -and found himself extremely wealthy. - -He at once determined to make the “grand tour” of the world, and so -infatuated was he with the remembrance of Max, that nothing would -satisfy him but to commence the journey proper from New York. - -That was how this story came to be written. - -Max narrated it, but Ibrahim and Girzilla insisted on a more lavish -praise of the madcap than he would acknowledge he deserved. - -Never was there a happier couple than the Persian and his lovely bride, -who does not look so dark and dusky in the modern American clothing as -she did on the deserts of Africa. - -Ibrahim accepted the advice of the Mahdi, and declares that Girzilla -occupies every bit of his heart, and he could not take three more -wives, even if his religion ordered it. - -Our story is told. All has ended happily for our madcap and his friend, -and although his heart turns sick sometimes as he thinks of the carnage -he witnessed, yet he says he shall always look back with pride to the -intimacy he had with Mohammed Ahmed, the Mahdi and the Mameluke, the -result of his trip “In the Volcano’s Mouth.” - -THE END. - - * * * * * - -TALES OF VICTORIES - -Gained in the Pre-Revolutionary wars by lads of pluck and intelligence. -Every true boy will be fascinated with these stories of the exciting -adventures of boys who gladly gave their lives to freedom’s cause. - -_BOYS OF LIBERTY LIBRARY_ - - 3.--The Young Ambassador. By John De Morgan - 7.--The Young Guardsman. By John De Morgan - 11.--Fighting Hal. By John De Morgan - 15.--By Order of the Colonel. By Lieut. Lounsberry - 19.--A Call to Duty. By Lieut. Lounsberry - 23.--The Young Patriot. By Lieut. Lounsberry - 26.--The Trader’s Captive. By Lieut. Lounsberry - -Only Ten Cents Per Copy At All Newsdealers - -_If ordered by mail, add four cents to cover postage._ - - STREET & SMITH, Publishers - NEW YORK - - * * * * * - -BOUND TO WIN LIBRARY - -A weekly publication devoted to high-class literature for boys. Sept -14, 1905. - -NO. 134 - -Charles Garvice’s New Stories - -If you are a novel reader, you certainly must be waiting for the -appearance of a new novel from the pen of Charles Garvice. We are glad -to inform you that you will find it in - -SMITH’S MAGAZINE - -In the future, all of Charles Garvice’s new stories will appear in this -magazine, as he is under contract to write for it exclusively. “DIANA’S -DESTINY” is the title of a bright, original story, of absorbing -interest. It began in the April number and is still being published. - -If you are one of the vast army who have depended upon cheap, -occasional issues of early non-copyrights, of which there are now no -more by this author, you will find this new tale distinctly refreshing. - -In addition to a long installment of the Garvice story, there are other -features which make SMITH’S MAGAZINE one of the best and most pleasing -of all ten-cent publications. - -PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED BY THE BEST ARTISTS - -PRICE, TEN CENTS Sold by all Newsdealers - -THE SMITH PUBLISHING HOUSE, - -156 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK - - * * * * * - -Transcriber’s Notes: - -Punctuation has been made consistent. - -Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in -the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors have -been corrected. - -The following change was made: - -p. 211: Korfodan changed to Kordofan (street of Kordofan.) - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE VOLCANO'S MOUTH *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away--you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where - you are located before using this eBook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that: - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation's website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without -widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/68164-0.zip b/old/68164-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9b8033a..0000000 --- a/old/68164-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68164-h.zip b/old/68164-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 3857c03..0000000 --- a/old/68164-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68164-h/68164-h.htm b/old/68164-h/68164-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 499bbd7..0000000 --- a/old/68164-h/68164-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10952 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> - <title> - In the Volcano’s Mouth, by Frank Sheridan—A Project Gutenberg eBook - </title> - <style type="text/css"> - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -.pminus1 {margin-top: -0.5em;} -.p1 {margin-top: 1em;} -.p2 {margin-top: 2em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -hr.tb {width: 45%; margin-left: 27.5%; margin-right: 27.5%;} -hr.chap {width: 65%; margin-left: 17.5%; margin-right: 17.5%;} -@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } - -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -.nobreak {page-break-before: avoid; - padding-top: 0;} - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} - -/*Table of Contents format*/ -table.toc { max-width: 30em;} - -.tblb {text-align: left;padding-left:0.5em;vertical-align:top;} -.tblc {text-align: left;vertical-align:top;} - -.tbra{text-align: right;padding-left:1em;vertical-align:top;} - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-variant: normal; -} /* page numbers */ - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -.boxit{ - max-width: 25em; - padding: 1em; - border: 0.15em solid black; - margin: 0 auto; } - -.boxit1{ - max-width: 35em; - padding: 1em; - border: 0em solid black; - margin: 0 auto; } - -.boxcontents{ - max-width: 20em; - padding: 1em; - border: 0em solid black; - margin: 0 auto; } - -.pcontents{ - text-align:left; - text-indent:-2em; - padding-left:2em; - margin-top: 0.1em; - margin-bottom: 0.1em; -} - -.displayinline{display:inline-block; line-height:1} - -/* Numbered list with hanging indent, for 1, 2, and 3 digit numbers */ -.numberitem1{ - text-align: left; - vertical-align: top; - margin-left:1em; - text-indent: -0.8em; - padding-left: 0.8em; } - -.numberitem2{ - text-align: left; - vertical-align: top; - margin-left:0.5em; - text-indent: -1.3em; - padding-left: 1.3em; } -/*End of numbered indent CSS*/ - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -/* Images */ - -img { - max-width: 100%; - height: auto; -} - -img.w100 {width: 100%;} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; - page-break-inside: avoid; - max-width: 100%; -} - -/* Poetry */ -.poetry-container {text-align: center;} - -.poetry{ - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -/* large inline blocks don't split well on paged devices */ - -@media print{ - .poetry{ - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; - } -} - -.x-ebookmaker .poetry{ - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; -} - -.poetry .stanza {margin: 1em auto;} - -.poetry .indent0 {text-indent: -3em; padding-left: 3em;} -.poetry .indentquote0 {text-indent: -3.5em; padding-left: 3em;} -/* End poetry*/ - -/* Transcriber's notes */ -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - -/*CSS to set font sizes*/ -/*font sizes for non-header font changes*/ -.xxlargefont{font-size: xx-large} -.xlargefont{font-size: x-large} -.largefont{font-size: large} -.mediumfont{font-size: medium} -.cheaderfont{font-size:medium} -.boldfont{font-weight:bold} -.sansseriffont{font-family:sans-serif} - -/* Illustration classes */ -.illowp25 {width: 25%;} -.illowp60 {width: 60%;} -.x-ebookmaker .illowp60 {width: 100%;} -.illowp80 {width: 80%;} -.x-ebookmaker .illowp80 {width: 100%;} - - </style> - </head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of In the volcano's mouth, by Frank Sheridan</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: In the volcano's mouth</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>or, A boy against an army</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Frank Sheridan</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: May 24, 2022 [eBook #68164]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Demian Katz, Craig Kirkwood, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (Images courtesy of the Digital Library@Villanova University.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE VOLCANO'S MOUTH ***</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp60" style="max-width: 107.4375em;"> - <img id="coverpage" class="w100" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="Cover" /> -</div> - -<div style="padding-top:4em"> -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 style="margin-top: 0em">Transcriber’s Notes:</h2> - -<p>The Table of Contents was created by the transcriber and placed in -the public domain.</p> - -<p><a href="#TN_end">Additional Transcriber’s Notes</a> are at the -end.</p> -</div></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="boxcontents"> -<p class="xlargefont center boldfont">CONTENTS</p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_I">Chapter I. Madcap Max.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_II">Chapter II. Emin Bey’s Escape.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_III">Chapter III. In a Desert Tomb.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_IV">Chapter IV. Under the Pyramid.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_V">Chapter V. Girzilla.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_VI">Chapter VI. Was It an Echo?</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_VII">Chapter VII. Splendid Heroism.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_VIII">Chapter VIII. Sherif El Habib.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_IX">Chapter IX. Ibrahim and Max.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_X">Chapter X. The Petrified Forest.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XI">Chapter XI. The Tribe of Klatch.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XII">Chapter XII. “What Says Girzilla?”</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIII">Chapter XIII. Dangerous Jests.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIV">Chapter XIV. The Subterranean River.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XV">Chapter XV. In the Volcano’s Mouth.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVI">Chapter XVI. Beyond Human Imagination.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVII">Chapter XVII. The Rainmaker.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XVIII">Chapter XVIII. Why Our Heroes Desert.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XIX">Chapter XIX. Mohammed.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XX">Chapter XX. “Where Is Girzilla?”</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXI">Chapter XXI. The Mahdi.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXII">Chapter XXII. Trick or Miracle.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIII">Chapter XXIII. Under the Mahdi.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIV">Chapter XXIV. Counting Chickens.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXV">Chapter XXV. Victory.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVI">Chapter XXVI. A Plan of Campaign.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVII">Chapter XXVII. Sowing the Seed.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXVIII">Chapter XXVIII. An Unexpected Bath.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXIX">Chapter XXIX. Saved!</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXX">Chapter XXX. The Mahdi’s Justice.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXI">Chapter XXXI. Victory All Along the Line.</a></p> -<p class="pcontents"><a href="#CHAPTER_XXXII">Chapter XXXII. “All’s Well That Ends Well.”</a></p> -</div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center largefont">No. 134</p> - -<p class="center xlargefont">BOUND-TO-WIN LIBRARY</p> - -<p class="center xxlargefont">IN THE VOLCANO’S MOUTH</p> - -<p class="center xlargefont"><span class="mediumfont">BY</span><br /> -FRANK SHERIDAN</p> - -<div class="figcenter illowp80" style="max-width: 40.625em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/cover_illo.jpg" alt="Cover illustration." /> -</div> - -<p class="center xlargefont">STREET & SMITH · PUBLISHERS · NEW YORK</p> -</div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont">THE BOUND TO WIN LIBRARY</p> - -<p>We called this new line of high-class copyrighted stories of -adventure for boys by this name because we felt assured that -it was “bound to win” its way into the heart of every true -American lad. The stories are exceptionally bright, clean and -interesting. The writers had the interest of our boys at heart -when they wrote the stories, and have not failed to show what -a pure-minded lad with courage and mettle can do. Remember, -that these stories are copyrighted and cannot be had in any -other series. We give herewith a list of those already published -and those scheduled for publication.</p> - -<p class="center xlargefont boldfont">PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK</p> - -<p class="center largefont boldfont">To be Published During September</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">136—Spider and Stump</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">135—The Creature of the Pines</td><td class="tbra">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">134—In the Volcano’s Mouth</td><td class="tbra">By Frank Sheridan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">133—Muscles of Steel</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<p class="center largefont boldfont p1">To be Published During August</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">132—Home Base</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">131—The Jewel of Florida</td><td class="tbra">By Cornelius Shea</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">130—The Boys’ Revolt</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">129—The Mystic Isle</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">128—With the Mad Mullah</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -</table></div> - -<p class="center largefont boldfont p1">To be Published During July</p> - -<div class="center"> -<table class="toc" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Book list"> -<tr><td class="tblc">127—A Humble Hero</td><td class="tbra" style="min-width:12em">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">126—For Big Money</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">125—Too Fast to Last</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">124—Caught in a Trap</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">123—The Tattooed Boy</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">122—The Young Horseman</td><td class="tbra">By Herbert Bellwood</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">121—Sam Sawbones</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">120—On His Mettle</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">119—Compound Interest</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">118—Runaway and Rover</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">117—Larry O’Keefe</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">116—The Boy Crusaders</td><td class="tbra">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">115—Double Quick Dan</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">114—Money to Spend</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">113—Billy Barlow</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">112—A Battle with Fate</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">111—Gypsy Joe</td><td class="tbra">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">110—Barred Out</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">109—Will Wilding</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">108—Frank Bolton’s Chase</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">107—Lucky-Stone Dick</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">106—Tom Scott, the American Robinson Crusoe</td><td class="tbra">By Frank Sheridan</td></tr> -<tr class="largefont boldfont"><td class="tblc">105—Fatherless Bob at Sea</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">104—Fatherless Bob</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">103—Hank the Hustler</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">102—Dick Stanhope Afloat</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">101—The Golden Harpoon</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblc">100—Mischievous Matt’s Pranks</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">99—Mischievous Matt</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">98—Bert Chipley</td><td class="tbra">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">97—Down-East Dave</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">96—The Young Diplomat</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">95—The Fool of the Family</td><td class="tbra">By Bracebridge Hemyng</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">94—Slam, Bang & Co</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">93—On the Road</td><td class="tbra">By Stanley Norris</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">92—The Blood-Red Hand</td><td class="tbra">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">91—The Diamond King</td><td class="tbra">By Cornelius Shea</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">90—The Double-Faced Mystery</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">89—The Young Theatrical Manager</td><td class="tbra">By Stanley Norris</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">88—The Young West-Pointer</td><td class="tbra">By Harrie Irving Hancock</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">87—Held for Ransom</td><td class="tbra">By Weldon J. Cobb</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">86—Boot-Black Bob</td><td class="tbra">By John De Morgan</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">85—Engineer Tom</td><td class="tbra">By Cornelius Shea</td></tr> -<tr><td class="tblb">84—The Mascot of Hoodooville</td><td class="tbra">By Fred Thorpe</td></tr> -</table></div> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1 class="nobreak">In the Volcano’s Mouth</h1> - - -<p class="center xlargefont pminus1" style="line-height:2; word-spacing:0.25em"><span class="mediumfont">OR</span><br /> -A BOY AGAINST AN ARMY</p> - -<p class="center p1" style="margin-bottom:2em"><em>By</em> FRANK SHERIDAN, <em>author of</em> “<cite>Bert Fairfax</cite>,”<br /> -“<cite>Through Flame to Fame</cite>,” “<cite>Life-Line Larry</cite>,”<br /> “<cite>Lion-Hearted -Jack</cite>,” <em>etc.</em></p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter illowp25" style="max-width: 8.75em;"> - <img class="w100" src="images/i004.jpg" alt="Publisher icon." /> -</div> - -<p class="center largefont p2" style="line-height:2; word-spacing:0.5em">STREET AND SMITH, PUBLISHERS<br /> -79-89 SEVENTH AVENUE, NEW YORK -</p> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center">Copyright, 1890<br /> -By Norman L. Munro</p> - -<p class="center p1">In the Volcano’s Mouth</p> -</div> - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p class="center xxlargefont nobreak" style="margin-bottom:1em" id="CHAPTER_I">IN THE VOLCANO’S MOUTH.</p> - - -<h2 class="nobreak">CHAPTER I. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">MADCAP MAX.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“All aboard!”</p> - -<p>“All but passengers ashore.”</p> - -<p>The loud, stentorian voices of the officers of the magnificent -palace steamer L’Orient, of the Peninsular and -Oriental Line, sounded all along the Southampton docks, -up the streets to the old gates, and even penetrated into -some of the business houses of the quaint old English -town.</p> - -<p>The shout, so commonplace to the citizens of Southampton, -was one of serious import to those gathered -on the deck of the steamer.</p> - -<p>Parting is never pleasant, and when the journey is a -long one, and it is known the absence is for years, the -last words are always tearful.</p> - -<p>On the deck stood two men, alone.</p> - -<p>Not one had come to bid them good-by or a godspeed -on their journey.</p> - -<p>And yet tears filled the eyes of both.</p> - -<p>The elder was a bronzed veteran, his face as dark as -that of any mulatto, his long, white mustache standing -out in startling contrast to the color of his skin.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[6]</span></p> - -<p>He was sixty years of age, but his strong body, his -hard muscles, and firm walk, would rather betoken a -man of forty.</p> - -<p>By his side stood his son, a youth almost effeminate in -appearance, but perhaps only because of the contrast -to his father; there was a brightness in his eyes which -betokens an active spirit, and although so effeminate-looking, -when he clinched his hand one could see the -strong muscle rising beneath the sleeve.</p> - -<p>The elder man is Maximilian Gordon, of the mercantile -firm of Gordon, Welter & Maxwell, of New York.</p> - -<p>The son is Maximilian Gordon, also, but always called -Max by those who are intimate with him, and “Madcap -Max” by his closest companions.</p> - -<p>Gordon, Welter & Maxwell were interested in Egyptian -produce, and for many years Maximilian Gordon -had been a resident of Alexandria.</p> - -<p>His wife, sickly and delicate at all times, had been -compelled to live in England, where young Max had -been educated.</p> - -<p>The elder man paid a yearly visit to his family, and -had just completed arrangements for them to return to -Egypt with him when cholera broke out, and he arrived -home only just in time to close his wife’s eyes in death -and see her body committed to its eternal resting place.</p> - -<p>Hence it was that, as father and son looked at the English -coast, which was by this time fast receding, their -eyes were filled with tears, for they were leaving a plot -of earth hallowed and sacred, because it was a wife’s -and mother’s grave.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[7]</span></p> - -<p>Youth is ever buoyant, and before the steamer had left -the English Channel, Max was the happy, light-hearted -lad once again, laughing, chatting and larking with -everyone he came in contact with.</p> - -<p>His father could not hide his grief so easily, but -showed by his manner how nearly broken was his heart -and ruined his life.</p> - -<p>When the troubled waters of the Bay of Biscay were -reached, Max had given plentiful evidence of his love of -practical joking, and showed that he fully deserved his -sobriquet of Madcap.</p> - -<p>One of the passengers had on board an African monkey.</p> - -<p>This little, frolicsome animal became very fond of -Max, and was easily induced to adapt itself to the ways -of the fun-loving youth.</p> - -<p>One night Max took Jocko and dressed him in a lady’s -nightcap, which he had obtained from a stewardess, and -told Jocko he must lie in a certain bed.</p> - -<p>The stateroom was occupied by a snarling old bachelor, -who declared that women and children were a nuisance.</p> - -<p>When the old fellow entered his room he saw, to his -utter astonishment, a head resting on his pillow.</p> - -<p>Without staying to investigate, he rushed out of his -room, shouting “Steward!” at the top of his voice.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Mr. Lawrence?” asked the first officer, -startled by the frantic shouting.</p> - -<p>“Some one has placed a nigger baby in my bed.”</p> - -<p>“Nonsense, Mr. Lawrence!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[8]</span></p> - -<p>“I say they have, and I’ll report every officer of the -vessel if the offender is not punished.”</p> - -<p>“I will see that the matter is investigated,” said Officer -Tunley.</p> - -<p>“Of course—but when? Why, in a week’s time, when -everyone will have easily forgotten—no, sir, come at -once.”</p> - -<p>“I will do so; but allow me to suggest, Mr. Lawrence, -that it may have been the extra bottle of Bass’ ale——”</p> - -<p>“Do you dare, officer, to insinuate——”</p> - -<p>“Nothing, save that Welsh rarebit, highly seasoned, -and three bottles of strong ale, are likely to disturb the -vision.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll report you, sir—mark me, I’ll report you. Come, -now, to my room, and if there is not a nigger baby there -I’ll eat my hat.”</p> - -<p>“Very well, sir, I will come with you.”</p> - -<p>By the time the stateroom was reached, Jocko had -fled the room, and Max had stripped the cap from its -head.</p> - -<p>The monkey sat on the table in the saloon, grinning, -as if it enjoyed the joke.</p> - -<p>The officer and Mr. Lawrence entered the stateroom.</p> - -<p>“By Jove!” exclaimed Lawrence, as he looked at his -bed.</p> - -<p>“I was afraid you were romancing, sir,” said the officer, -with proud indignation. “Take care, sir, that it -does not occur again.”</p> - -<p>The passenger was speechless.</p> - -<p>Another day, when the steamer <em>L’Orient</em> was being<span class="pagenum">[9]</span> -tossed about in the most fantastic manner, sometimes -taking a swift pitch forward, then curving and twisting -in a way which would bring joy to the heart of a baseball -pitcher, Madcap Max thought the time had come for -a pleasant diversion.</p> - -<p>A drove of pigs, with other animals, was on board, -to enable the company to provide fresh meat for the passengers.</p> - -<p>Max quietly released the pigs from their quarters, and -saw them, with one accord, make for the saloon.</p> - -<p>That was just what he wanted.</p> - -<p>A lady was tossed off her bed to the floor, but to her -horror she fell on the back of a pig, who set up such a -squeaking and squealing that, although the passengers -were feeling sick, they were compelled to laugh.</p> - -<p>After a voyage of fourteen days the city of Alexandria -was sighted.</p> - -<p>“Thank goodness!” exclaimed an old Indian nabob. -“I am glad I have to stay at Alexandria, for <em>L’Orient</em> is -the worst disciplined ship I was ever in.”</p> - -<p>The verdict was concurred in by nearly everyone on -board.</p> - -<p>And yet it was not the officers’ fault, for nine-tenths -of the trouble was caused by the pranks of Madcap Max.</p> - -<p>“Do we land here?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Max. We shall finish our journey overland.”</p> - -<p>“Our journey?” repeated Max, opening his bright eyes -still wider with astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Max. We go to Cairo before we settle down -at Alexandria.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[10]</span></p> - -<p>“I am so glad.”</p> - -<p>Several scores of boats surrounded <em>L’Orient</em>, manned -by swarthy and not too-much dressed Arabs; a dozen -or so seized upon Max and his father and literally -dragged them to a boat.</p> - -<p>On the way from the steamer to the landing dock, Mr. -Gordon whispered to Max:</p> - -<p>“No jokes with these fellows, or your life is not your -own.”</p> - -<p>“All right, dad; I’ll be as sober as a judge and as full -of fun as an undertaker.”</p> - -<p>“For your own sake be careful.”</p> - -<p>“I will, dad. That is, as careful as I can be.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">EMIN BEY’S ESCAPE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When the passengers landed, a rabble of donkey drivers -met them.</p> - -<p>No more clever, impudent little gossoons exist on the -face of the earth than these same Arab donkey boys.</p> - -<p>They hit upon the nationality of the stranger almost -intuitively.</p> - -<p>An American who had never been in Egypt before, was -looking at the surging, struggling lot of donkey drivers -with wonder, when one of them pushed forward and -addressed him as follows:</p> - -<p>“I’se looking for you, sah. Here he is; my donkey is<span class="pagenum">[11]</span> -the one Pasha Grant rode on; him called ‘Yankee Doodle.’”</p> - -<p>“Get away with yer. Can’t yer see the bey will only -ride on Hail Columbia?”</p> - -<p>Seated on a donkey, Max entered the city founded by -Alexander three hundred and thirty-three years before -the birth of Christ.</p> - -<p>Before a strange-looking, square, flat-topped house the -donkeys halted, and Mr. Gordon bade Max dismount.</p> - -<p>“This is home.”</p> - -<p>“Do you live here, dad?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Max. We will rest here to-night, and go on our -journey to-morrow.”</p> - -<p>Max was delighted, and late in the day wandered alone -to that wonderful monolith of granite called “Pompey’s -Pillar.”</p> - -<p>He sat down to think.</p> - -<p>He had always been fond of books on Egypt, and -now he was actually looking on one of the wonders of -that old country.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he heard a cry.</p> - -<p>It was like a girl’s voice.</p> - -<p>Max was up in an instant and trying to locate the -sound.</p> - -<p>He had no difficulty in so doing, for a girl—her face -half covered with a white veil—rushed past him, shrieking -and crying.</p> - -<p>“Allah! Allah!” she shouted.</p> - -<p>Two men were in pursuit.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[12]</span></p> - -<p>Max never stopped to think.</p> - -<p>He leaped forward, and without knowing why he did -so, or whether it would be wise to interfere, he struck -one of the Arabs to the earth, and threw himself against -the other, who was a strong, powerful fellow, with -muscles like iron.</p> - -<p>That did not worry Max, for he was lithe and strong, -but he was unaccustomed to foul play.</p> - -<p>When, therefore, he found that the man he had -knocked down had risen and drawn a long, sharp dagger, -with which he threatened his life, Max saw the unwisdom -of his defense of the Arab girl.</p> - -<p>A muscular Arab in front of him, and another at his -back brandishing a dagger, was enough to frighten an -older man than Max.</p> - -<p>The Arabs jabbered away in a gibberish which Max -did not understand.</p> - -<p>He struck at the man in front of him and made him -stagger back, then with a quick movement, he stooped -as he turned and caught the armed Arab round the -legs, throwing him over his shoulder.</p> - -<p>He had not disabled his opponents, so he thought -discretion better than valor. Using his legs as well as he -could he ran away, only to be stopped by the girl he had—as -he thought—rescued.</p> - -<p>She flung her arms round his neck, and talking rapidly—though -in an unknown tongue to Max—held him fast -until his pursuers were close upon him.</p> - -<p>With a wild shout they seized him, and would have<span class="pagenum">[13]</span> -speedily rendered him insensible had not a deliverer appeared.</p> - -<p>A man, bronzed and weather-beaten, though only in -the prime of life, slowly and with deliberation took hold -of one of the Arabs and flung him on one side.</p> - -<p>Presenting a revolver at the head of the other, he commanded -him and the girl to go, and that quickly.</p> - -<p>“You have saved my life, sir,” said Max.</p> - -<p>“Have I? Is it worth saving?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not, but all the same I do not want to lose -it.”</p> - -<p>“Take care of it, then, and don’t go wandering about -Alexandria without weapons.”</p> - -<p>“What did they want with me?”</p> - -<p>“They would have captured you, and held you until -ransomed.”</p> - -<p>“But——”</p> - -<p>“You are not rich, you would say. What does that -matter? A ten-dollar gold piece would seem a fortune to -them. The girl practices that scream on hundreds of -unsuspecting foreigners.”</p> - -<p>“You speak of American money; are you from the -States?”</p> - -<p>“From them? Yes; but I am a citizen of the world, -a cosmopolitan.”</p> - -<p>“Might I ask your name?” inquired Max.</p> - -<p>“You might; but it does not signify. If I have saved -your life, prove that your life is of some value.”</p> - -<p>The stranger left Max in one of the most frequented<span class="pagenum">[14]</span> -streets of that city where Cleopatra often rode, attracting -the admiration of all to the savage beauty of that</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“Queen, with swarthy cheeks and bold, black eyes; -</div><div class="indent0">Brow-bound with burning gold.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>Max wondered whether the stranger spoke truly, and -almost was inclined to doubt, for he was at that age when -the laughing black eyes of a girl fascinate and lure, -sometimes to ruin.</p> - -<p>Anyway, he was thankful for having been saved from -the Arabs.</p> - -<p>He saw that night how much his father was respected, -but he saw that which made his heart sad. His father -was bowed down with grief.</p> - -<p>And no wonder. He had loved his wife with a passion -as strong as his love of life.</p> - -<p>When they had left New York with Max, a boy of only -eight summers of life, all had seemed roseate.</p> - -<p>Leaving Max at a school in England, Mrs. Gordon -accompanied her husband to Egypt; but at the end of -three years the malarious climate had rendered it impossible -for her to live there, and she returned to England -to be near Max.</p> - -<p>For seven years the husband had only been able to -spend three months in the year with the wife he so -loved.</p> - -<p>Then came the time when once more the mother of -Max was ready to brave the treacherous climate of -Egypt.</p> - -<p>How the husband had looked forward to that time, and<span class="pagenum">[15]</span> -with what pleasure had he refurnished his house. Everything -to please her was obtained.</p> - -<p>Alas! her earthly eyes never saw them, and it was no -wonder that Mr. Gordon should feel most wretched when -he returned to his Oriental home, and knew that she -would never grace it with her presence.</p> - -<p>His only tie to life now was Max, but even with him -there was anxiety, for the stern business man—the successful -merchant had only seen the frivolous side of his -son’s life.</p> - -<p>To him he was the madcap.</p> - -<p>To him the boy was the practical joker, the mischievous -lad, whose thoughts were of fun and amusement.</p> - -<p>Early next morning they took train to Cairo.</p> - -<p>How strange it seems to the Biblical student, to think -of traveling by a railroad in that country, so famous in -Bible stories!</p> - -<p>The comic rhyme of one who indulged in the ludicrous -fancy of traveling by means of steam through Egypt and -Palestine:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“Stop her. Now, then, for Joppa! -</div><div class="indent0">Ease her. Anyone for Gizeh?” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>has come to be literally true, for Max heard the conductor -shout out: “Gizeh—all out for Gizeh,” on the -route between Alexandria and Cairo.</p> - -<p>At the citadel of the narrow-streeted city, Mr. Gordon -roused up, and told Max of the slaughter of the -Mamelukes—that wonderful body of men who, from -being slaves, became the rulers of Egypt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[16]</span></p> - -<p>“It was here,” said Mr. Gordon, “that when Mohammed -Ali, in 1811, was organizing his expedition against -the Wahhabees, he heard that the Mamelukes designed -to rebel in his absence. He therefore invited their chief -to be present at the investiture of his son with the command -of the army.</p> - -<p>“Above four hundred accepted the invitation. After -receiving a most flattering welcome they were invited to -parade in the courtyard of the citadel.”</p> - -<p>“What for?” asked Max. “Did Mohammed want to -impress them with his generosity?”</p> - -<p>“No,” answered Mr. Gordon. “The Mamelukes defiled -within its lofty walls; the portcullis fell behind the -last of their glittering array; too late they perceived that -their host had caught them in a trap, and they turned to -effect a retreat.</p> - -<p>“In vain.</p> - -<p>“Wherever they looked their eyes rested on the barred -windows and blank, pitiless walls.</p> - -<p>“But they saw more.</p> - -<p>“A thousand muskets were pointed at them, and from -those muskets incessant volleys were poured.</p> - -<p>“This sudden and terrible death was met with a courage -worthy of the past history of the Mamelukes.</p> - -<p>“Some folded their arms across their mailed bosoms, -and stood waiting for death.”</p> - -<p>“How brave!” ejaculated Max, in a low voice.</p> - -<p>“Others bent their turbaned heads in prayer. But -some, with angry brows, drew their swords and charged -upon the gunners.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[17]</span></p> - -<p>“It was of no avail. They were shot down, and the -withering fire did its deadly work.”</p> - -<p>“Did all perish?” asked Max, excitedly.</p> - -<p>“Only one escaped.”</p> - -<p>“How did he manage it?”</p> - -<p>“Emin Bey—for that was his name—spurred his Arabian -charger over a pile of his dead and dying comrades. -He sprang upon the battlements; the next moment -he was in the air; another and he released himself -from his crushed and bleeding horse amid a shower of -bullets.”</p> - -<p>“What became of him?”</p> - -<p>“He fled, took refuge in a sanctuary of a mosque, and -finally escaped into the desert.”</p> - -<p>“Is he dead?”</p> - -<p>“What a question, Max! Emin was a middle-aged -man at that time, and that is over seventy years ago.”</p> - -<p>“Had he any sons?”</p> - -<p>“I believe so. Why do you ask?”</p> - -<p>“Because I would like to see any of his descendants. -I would like to speak to them. It would be a proud -honor to say, ‘I shook hands, or ate salt, with the grandson -of Emin Bey.’”</p> - -<p>“Why, Madcap, I never saw you so serious before!”</p> - -<p>“Did you not, dad? Oh, I often get fits of that kind.”</p> - -<p>Max laughed as he spoke, and seemed once again the -merry, happy, careless boy.</p> - -<p>“Depend upon it, Max, they are nothing better than -slave hunters or pirates now.”</p> - -<p>“I hope you are wrong, dad.”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[18]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">IN A DESERT TOMB.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The conversation about the last of the Mamelukes -filled Max with a restless ambition.</p> - -<p>He wanted to leave civilization behind him and go -“far from the madding crowd,” into the midst of the wild -residents of the Dark Continent.</p> - -<p>Like those who believe the American Indians to be a -grand race, persecuted without reason by the dominant -power, so Max looked upon the residents of the Dark -Continent as being a superior people.</p> - -<p>He said nothing to his father, knowing well that his -boyish ideas would be laughed at, but he spent all his -waking moments dreaming dreams of the savages of the -jungles.</p> - -<p>The wonders of Cairo fascinated him, but there was -something too civilized about the houses.</p> - -<p>The lattices—which covered the windows instead of -glass—pleased him, and many a time would he catch a -glimpse of some white brow of a lady fair through the -interstices of the lattice, and would feel like</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“The lover, all as frantic -</div><div class="indent0">Who saw Helen’s beauty on a brow of Egypt.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>It was to be his father’s last day in Cairo. All the -wonders of the city—save the nearby pyramids and Heliopolis—had -been seen, and these had to be left to a future<span class="pagenum">[19]</span> -visit, for business called the merchant back to -Alexandria.</p> - -<p>Max pleaded for one more day—or at least that their -journey should be deferred until the morrow.</p> - -<p>He wanted to see that wonderful City of the Sun, -where existed the university at which Moses was educated, -and the daughter of one of whose professors -Joseph married.</p> - -<p>And so Mr. Gordon yielded.</p> - -<p>Joyously the two passed by the venerable sycamore -tree, hollow, gnarled and almost leafless, beneath the -branches of which tradition says that Joseph and Mary -rested with the infant Christ in their flight into Egypt.</p> - -<p>The obelisk of Osertasen I., which has stood five thousand -years, was gazed at by young Madcap with a certain -amount of awe.</p> - -<p>It was dark before Max was ready to return.</p> - -<p>Instead of taking the nearest route to the city, Mr. -Gordon, to please Max, dispensed with the guides who -had been good for nothing save the receipt of backsheesh, -and made a detour, leaving Heliopolis on their right.</p> - -<p>They had not gone far before they came upon a number -of wild-looking fellows, half Arab, half Nubian—a -species of creature which is interesting as a study at -long range, but whose acquaintance is not desirable.</p> - -<p>“What shall we do, dad?” asked Max, anxiously.</p> - -<p>“We must pass them.”</p> - -<p>“Is it safe?”</p> - -<p>“No, Max, far from it.”</p> - -<p>“Then why not retrace our steps?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[20]</span></p> - -<p>“We have been seen and should be overtaken.”</p> - -<p>“But could we not reach the men we feed so liberally?”</p> - -<p>“We might, but they would help these fellows rather -than us in order to share the backsheesh.”</p> - -<p>While the two had been talking the Arabs had formed -a circle round them, at a distance of fifty or sixty yards.</p> - -<p>Gradually the circle diminished until the robbers -closed in and stood shoulder to shoulder in firm and -solid phalanx.</p> - -<p>“What do you want?” asked Mr. Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Money,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>“You shall have all I have got with me.”</p> - -<p>“Hand it over.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Gordon was about to comply with the demand, -but no sooner had he put his hand into his pocket than -they suspected danger.</p> - -<p>“No, no, by the beard of the prophet put up your -hands!”</p> - -<p>It would be just as feasible to try and sweep back -ocean’s tidal waves with a broom as to oppose the demands -of those robbers of the desert.</p> - -<p>Mr. Gordon raised his hands.</p> - -<p>“Now yours, also,” said the spokesman, whose English -was intelligible.</p> - -<p>Max raised his hands as he was commanded.</p> - -<p>Every article of value was taken from them, and the -robbers seemed to be satisfied.</p> - -<p>“Sit down!” the chief commanded.</p> - -<p>“What for?” asked Max.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[21]</span></p> - -<p>But instead of receiving a reply he received a smart -blow on the cheek which caused him to reel.</p> - -<p>That was more than the boy could stand, and he answered -the blow with another.</p> - -<p>The chief interfered and stopped the fight.</p> - -<p>“Sit down!”</p> - -<p>Again Max pluckily asked:</p> - -<p>“What for?”</p> - -<p>“Because I order it, and I am the stronger.”</p> - -<p>“Are you?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; besides, I have men here who will do my bidding, -even to the death.”</p> - -<p>“Coward!” hissed Max, through his teeth, while his -eyes flashed with defiance.</p> - -<p>“Hush, Max!” whispered Mr. Gordon. “Do as we are -bidden; it will be better so.”</p> - -<p>But all the defiance of the boy’s nature was aroused, -and he turned to his father almost angrily.</p> - -<p>“You may, dad, you have lived here so long; but I am -an American, and I will not obey such a command without -knowing the reason.”</p> - -<p>“You are a fool!”</p> - -<p>It was the chief who spoke. Max could not stand -such a speech, and he rushed at the strong Arab chief, -aiming a blow which, had it struck the man on the -temple, might have knocked him low, for Max was an -expert boxer.</p> - -<p>The blow only struck the empty air, and Max was -caught round the legs and thrown to the ground.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[22]</span></p> - -<p>A cord was quickly fastened round his ankles, and -he was rendered powerless.</p> - -<p>“What have you gained?” asked the chief, with a -sneer.</p> - -<p>“A knowledge of your cowardice,” answered Max, -defiantly. “Frightened of a boy less than half your age. -Oh! you are a brave chief, are you not?”</p> - -<p>“Cease, you young fool, or I will gag you!”</p> - -<p>“For my sake, hush!” whispered Mr. Gordon.</p> - -<p>“Go on, tell us what you want,” Max said, bitterly.</p> - -<p>“Monsieur Gordon, your wealth is well known. Send -that young fool there”—pointing to Max—“with one of -my men for twenty thousand piasters, and when he returns -with it, both shall go free.”</p> - -<p>Twenty thousand piasters is equal to about one thousand -dollars.</p> - -<p>“And if I refuse?” asked Mr. Gordon, nervously.</p> - -<p>“He shall lose his tongue; it has already wagged too -much,” answered the chief, pointing with his dagger at -Max.</p> - -<p>“But he cannot get the money.”</p> - -<p>“Can’t he? Well, I can; and if you don’t send for it -you shall die.”</p> - -<p>Merchant Gordon knew not what to do.</p> - -<p>He knew well enough that Egypt was overrun with -bandits such as these, and that the authorities made but -a poor pretense of suppressing the lawless bands.</p> - -<p>He tried to temporize, but the chief was cautious. He -knew he had wandered nearer to Cairo than was safe.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[23]</span></p> - -<p>One of the men spoke in a low tone to the Arab, and -instantly all was in commotion.</p> - -<p>The two Americans were bound quickly and raised to -the back of donkeys.</p> - -<p>The whole gang of robbers mounted and hurried away -from the vicinity of the city at a speed that Max could -not believe a donkey was capable of maintaining.</p> - -<p>But the wild tribes of the Nile have long possessed -the secret of making the native donkey forget its natural -laziness and go with the speed of a well-trained mule.</p> - -<p>“Where are we going?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>He was answered by a slap across the face, which -nearly capsized him.</p> - -<p>“Another word and the body of the American shall -be but carrion.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t speak, Max,” entreated Mr. Gordon, who was -trembling with fear.</p> - -<p>The chief led the way across a sandy desert.</p> - -<p>The moon shone brightly, and its rays made the drifting -sand look like so much dazzling silver.</p> - -<p>It was a scene of weird grandeur.</p> - -<p>In the distance rose the pyramids, those monuments -of a past civilization, which are alike the envy and the -wonder of the world.</p> - -<p>The procession seemed to be winding round the city at -an increasing distance, and nearing the pyramids.</p> - -<p>Max forgot all fear and was oblivious to any danger.</p> - -<p>The scene was to him one of rare beauty, and he -enjoyed it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[24]</span></p> - -<p>If he could but have talked to the chief—if he could -have been free, his happiness would have been complete.</p> - -<p>But he was a prisoner, mistrusted and abused.</p> - -<p>He dare not speak, and could not act.</p> - -<p>Before he was aware of it the scene changed.</p> - -<p>He could not understand in what way at first.</p> - -<p>The sand was there, the moon was shining, although -not so brightly, but he could not see the pyramids.</p> - -<p>The shadows thrown across the desert convinced him -that they had entered a broad, inclined road, and were -descending below the level of the sandy desert.</p> - -<p>Of this he was speedily assured, for now the moon’s -rays were no longer seen, and in the darkness the sure-footed -donkeys walked forward.</p> - -<p>Instead of a level plain of drifting sand, the road was -over and between great rocks.</p> - -<p>Massive pieces of granite, several tons in weight, had -to be passed, and it was evident that the donkeys had frequently -traversed the uncertain road.</p> - -<p>“Where are we going?” whispered Mr. Gordon.</p> - -<p>His voice sounded like a shout, although he had -spoken under his breath.</p> - -<p>The stillness of the place was awful.</p> - -<p>Max felt his heart beat fast and then faster.</p> - -<p>He began to think that the road he traveled led to -death.</p> - -<p>But when his thoughts were the most gloomy, the atmosphere -seemed to change.</p> - -<p>He could breathe freely.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[25]</span></p> - -<p>There was still the same oppressive silence, but it did -not seem so much like that of the grave.</p> - -<p>“Halt!”</p> - -<p>The command was given in English, and all understood -it.</p> - -<p>Without a word of apology, and with an entire absence -of ceremony, Max and his father were dragged from -their donkeys and thrown with unnecessary violence on -the ground.</p> - -<p>Then again all was still.</p> - -<p>Were they alone?</p> - -<p>Max could not endure the silence any longer.</p> - -<p>“Dad!” he called out.</p> - -<p>A blow on the head reminded him that speech was -forbidden.</p> - -<p>What puzzled him was how these Arabs or Nubians—whatever -nationality they might be—could see in the -dark.</p> - -<p>He could not distinguish anything in the blackness of -the night.</p> - -<p>The minutes dragged along wearily, every sixty seconds -seeming like an hour, every hour as long as a day.</p> - -<p>With an almost supernatural quickness a score of -pitch torches were lighted, and Max saw that he was in a -great cave.</p> - -<p>Rocks, or rather pieces of granite, were lying in every -direction.</p> - -<p>One thing which flashed across his mind was, that the -blocks of granite had been fashioned by man, and<span class="pagenum">[26]</span> -brought to that cave at some period of Egypt’s greatness.</p> - -<p>He looked round for his father, and screamed with -horror when he saw the bronzed face of the only relative -he had all covered with blood.</p> - -<p>When Mr. Gordon had been thrown from the donkey, -his head struck a sharp piece of granite, and was -severely wounded.</p> - -<p>The chief saw that Mr. Gordon was dying, and ordered -him to be lifted tenderly into the center of the cave.</p> - -<p>Max tried to rise, but unknown to himself his feet -had been again tied together.</p> - -<p>“My father! Oh, dad, speak to me!”</p> - -<p>The dying man turned his eyes round and a smile was -on his lips.</p> - -<p>“Max—I—am—going—av——”</p> - -<p>Was he going to say “Avenge me?”</p> - -<p>Max never knew, for a cloth was stuffed into the -dying man’s mouth, and the bandits commenced a wild, -weird dance round the body.</p> - -<p>Mr. Gordon turned his eyes in the direction of Max -and tried to speak, but either the cloth still prevented -him or his voice was hushed by the great shadow of -death which was over him.</p> - -<p>A convulsive shudder, and the American merchant’s -soul had gone into the “Great Beyond” to join that of -his loved wife.</p> - -<p>Max knew he was now alone.</p> - -<p>He could not weep.</p> - -<p>His eyes were hot as burning coals.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[27]</span></p> - -<p>If only the tear-drops would start, he felt that they -would ease him; but no, his eyes were dry and his brain -seemed scorched.</p> - -<p>His tongue began to swell, and when he tried to speak -it appeared to fill up his mouth.</p> - -<p>The torches were extinguished, the place became quiet, -and instinct told him that he was alone—alone with the -dead.</p> - -<p>Not a sound disturbed the silence.</p> - -<p>A horrible thought passed through his burning brain.</p> - -<p>“What if he were left there to starve to death beside -his father’s body?”</p> - -<p>Madcap Max was not a coward.</p> - -<p>He had no real fear of death, but he would rather -meet the great destroyer on the open field, or in any -way but that slow struggle in the solitude of a big grave—a -death from starvation.</p> - -<p>The strongest soul would quake.</p> - -<p>The hours passed along.</p> - -<p>Time’s chariot wheels continue to revolve no matter -who may wish to stay them.</p> - -<p>Max began to think of other things besides death.</p> - -<p>He wondered how he could escape. And if he did, -how could he avenge his father’s death?</p> - -<p>Weary and exhausted, Max at last fell asleep.</p> - -<p>Youth had conquered.</p> - -<p>Had he remained awake an hour longer he would have -been a raving maniac.</p> - -<p>Youth asserted itself, and “nature’s sweet restorer, -balmy sleep,” came to his relief and saved his reason.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[28]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">UNDER THE PYRAMID.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Max slept soundly, and for hours did not dream.</p> - -<p>When the visions of the night visited his brain, they -shaped themselves in pleasing form.</p> - -<p>He saw again the massacre of the Mamelukes, but the -sight seemed stripped of its hideousness, and it appeared -to Max that the foul murder committed by Mohammed -Ali was necessary—that from that murder would spring -the regeneration of Egypt.</p> - -<p>Max saw the flight of Emin Bey, and fancied that -the brave Mameluke still lived, and was at the head -of an all-conquering army, overcoming French and -English and Turk, and proclaiming the freedom of Egypt -from foreign rule.</p> - -<p>And as all this passed before the mental vision of -the sleeping American boy, he thought that by the side -of the conqueror he rode—not as he was then, a beardless -youth, but with bronzed face and flowing beard—a -turban on his head, and the sacred carpet of Mohammed -carried by his side.</p> - -<p>Then his vision changed, and he saw his father, not -dead, but living, and successful as a merchant. By his -side was the wife whose love had been so lavishly given -to her husband and her son.</p> - -<p>The sight of his father and mother brought tears to -the dreamer’s eyes, and caused him to wake.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[29]</span></p> - -<p>It was some time before he could bring back to his -memory the events of the preceding day.</p> - -<p>When they recurred to him he felt most wretched.</p> - -<p>Had the bandits removed his father’s body, or was it -still in the cave?</p> - -<p>Could he not snap the cords which bound him, and -escape from that living tomb?</p> - -<p>“Hush!”</p> - -<p>Was that a human voice, or only the playful prank -of a gust of wind?</p> - -<p>Max, madcap as he was, had learned wisdom.</p> - -<p>He was not going to fall into any trap, and so he did -not speak.</p> - -<p>“Son of the morning, thou wilt die.”</p> - -<p>“Am I dreaming,” Max wondered, “or have I gone -mad?”</p> - -<p>He raised his head, but his eyes could not penetrate the -darkness.</p> - -<p>“Confound it!” he muttered, “this is Egyptian darkness -with a vengeance.”</p> - -<p>“Dost thou want to die?”</p> - -<p>The question came out of the darkness and sounded -afar off, yet Max could almost fancy that the breath of -the speaker fanned his cheek.</p> - -<p>“Who is that speaks?”</p> - -<p>“Question not my name.”</p> - -<p>“Where am I?”</p> - -<p>“In the depths of the storehouse of the great Gizeh.”</p> - -<p>The answer was given in a low voice, almost as soft -as a whisper.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[30]</span></p> - -<p>“Am I then under the pyramid?”</p> - -<p>“That is how thou wouldst express it.”</p> - -<p>“Will you aid me to escape?”</p> - -<p>“And thou wouldst destroy those who saved thee.”</p> - -<p>“Nay—thou art a woman.”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Wah Illahi sahe!</i>”</p> - -<p>(By Allah, it is true.)</p> - -<p>“I would not harm thee.”</p> - -<p>“I can save thee if thou wilt swear by the beard of the -prophet that thou wilt not seek revenge.”</p> - -<p>“The price is too great.”</p> - -<p>“And if thou refusest, death will be thy portion.”</p> - -<p>“Better death than dishonor,” said Max, in a grandiloquent -tone, which sounded almost ridiculous in the -dark, but which would have been the signal for a burst -of applause from the gallery of a theater had an actor so -uttered the words on a stage.</p> - -<p>All was still as the grave.</p> - -<p>He fancied his ankles and wrists were swelling as the -cord cut into the flesh.</p> - -<p>His brain began to reel, and he almost wished for -death.</p> - -<p>“Am I to die like this? Oh, it is horrible!” he moaned, -aloud, as the agony of the thought took possession of his -mind.</p> - -<p>“Help!”</p> - -<p>He shouted and the echo of the vault answered back -mockingly:</p> - -<p>“Help!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[31]</span></p> - -<p>He shouted again, but the only reply was the faint -echo of his words.</p> - -<p>“I shall die,” he groaned.</p> - -<p>“Die,” said the echo, with taunting emphasis.</p> - -<p>His brain became frenzied, and he began to laugh -with boisterous guffaws.</p> - -<p>It was the laughter of delirium and not of mirth.</p> - -<p>The echo answered back.</p> - -<p>The whole cave seemed peopled with laughing demons.</p> - -<p>“Fiends!” he shouted, and his head fell back with stunning -force on the rock.</p> - -<p>When he recovered consciousness, a calmly sweet -breath of air was blowing on his face.</p> - -<p>He was being fanned.</p> - -<p>He dare not speak for fear that the delicious breeze -might cease.</p> - -<p>The fanning continued until at last he could bear the -silence no longer.</p> - -<p>“Thou art an angel!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“I know not what thou meanest. If I am thy houri, -wilt thou follow me?”</p> - -<p>“I will.”</p> - -<p>By some means a pitch torch was lighted and in its -glare Max saw the horrible cave to which he had been -removed by some unknown hands.</p> - -<p>Skeletons and mummies, rude stone sarcophagi, and -blocks of red granite in endless confusion.</p> - -<p>But in the circle of light made by the torch he saw—</p> - -<p>A girl.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[32]</span></p> - -<p>She was not what the fashionable world would call -lovely.</p> - -<p>Her skin was dark, her hair was black as a raven’s -wing.</p> - -<p>Over her dark tresses a silver band encircled her -head, almost like a halo of glory.</p> - -<p>Her limbs were bare to the knees, but round each ankle -was a massive band of silver similar to those she wore -on each arm above the elbow.</p> - -<p>Her dress was of a gauzy tissue and Max could -scarcely believe but that it was a phantasm of the mind -which was before him, and not a living entity.</p> - -<p>She smiled and waved her torch as a fairy queen might -her wand, and in a voice of rare sweetness said:</p> - -<p>“If thou wouldst save thy life, follow me.”</p> - -<p>“I am bound,” answered Max.</p> - -<p>Two rows of shiny, white teeth were shown as she -pointed laughingly at the severed cords, and again she -said:</p> - -<p>“Come! Follow me!”</p> - -<p>“To the death,” answered Max, forgetful of all danger.</p> - -<p>“Come, and thou shalt be one of my people.”</p> - -<p>The houri took Max by the hand, causing a strange -thrill to pass through him.</p> - -<p>“Be not afraid,” she said, as she extinguished the -light.</p> - -<p>“With you, never!” answered Max, gallantly.</p> - -<p>And Madcap Max followed in the dark the strange<span class="pagenum">[33]</span> -creature who had found him alone and suffering in the -cave beneath the great pyramid.</p> - -<p>Followed! But where?</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">GIRZILLA.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>With the greatest confidence in the strange Arab girl, -Madcap Max followed her, without asking any question -until she suddenly extinguished the torch.</p> - -<p>“Why did you do that?” he inquired.</p> - -<p>The girl did not answer in words, but dextrously -placed her hand over his mouth and held it there so -tightly that Max could scarcely breathe.</p> - -<p>He struggled to release himself, but she was strong, -and to add to her power, she whispered:</p> - -<p>“Get free and I’ll kill thee!”</p> - -<p>However disagreeable it might be it was better to -have a pretty girl’s hand over his mouth than to be -killed, and therefore Max made no further resistance.</p> - -<p>A slight noise, like the dropping of water on rocks, -attracted his attention.</p> - -<p>“Do you hear that?” asked his guide.</p> - -<p>“Yes; what is it?”</p> - -<p>“Hush! Speak in whisper only. Thine enemies seek -thee.”</p> - -<p>“And if they find?”</p> - -<p>“Will kill. I will save, if——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[34]</span></p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“Thou hast courage. Come, then, hold to my dress -and follow. The least noise may seal thy fate and -mine.”</p> - -<p>“Who art thou, mysterious one? What is thy name?”</p> - -<p>“Name, as thou wouldst say, I have several; to thee I -am Girzilla. Let that be my name.”</p> - -<p>“I will call thee Gazelle.”</p> - -<p>“No, no, no. Girzilla, or nothing at all. Come.”</p> - -<p>Whoever the girl with the strange name might be, -she evidently knew her way, for never once did her foot -slip, although Max found his ankles turning every minute, -and had he not a firm hold on Girzilla’s dress, which, -though of gauzy linen, seemed as strong as a hempen -cord, he would have fallen frequently.</p> - -<p>“Sit down!”</p> - -<p>The words were uttered very abruptly, and were in -the nature of a command.</p> - -<p>Max did as ordered, and sat in silence—a silence so -great that he could hear the beating of his heart, and -fancied that he could also distinguish the pulsations of -his guide’s organ of life at the same time. The silence -was almost unbearable, and Max grew fidgety and restless.</p> - -<p>“I have got into some queer streets before this, but I -confess this is the strangest,” he mused.</p> - -<p>“To save thee, thou must go through the place of -the dead.”</p> - -<p>The voice was that of Girzilla, but it sounded so sepulchral -that Madcap Max felt a cold shiver pass over him.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[35]</span></p> - -<p>“Hast thou courage?” she asked.</p> - -<p>“I—h-have,” he stammered, his teeth chattering with -nervous fear of the unknown.</p> - -<p>“Come!”</p> - -<p>Once more the journey was resumed, and Girzilla -walked slower than before.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Max got such a rap on the head that it -made him groan with pain.</p> - -<p>“Stoop. Better still, crawl,” said the girl, almost contemptuously.</p> - -<p>Max felt humiliated, but he was in a quandary.</p> - -<p>He could not go back, for he did not know the way, -and he dare not go forward alone, for he was afraid.</p> - -<p>Girzilla seemed to read his thoughts, for she laughed -softly and murmured:</p> - -<p>“Poor boy! He will have to trust his Girzilla; she -will save him.”</p> - -<p>Stooping until his head was only a few inches higher -than his knees, he followed as well as he could.</p> - -<p>Very soon the way became easier to travel, and a -glimmer of light showed that the sun had risen again, -and found some crevice through which it sent its heavenly -rays.</p> - -<p>Gradually the light increased, and the road became -better.</p> - -<p>The sand was so hot, however, that Max felt the shoes -on his feet drying up, and even baking.</p> - -<p>He resolved to remove them, and the hot sand blistered -his tender feet.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[36]</span></p> - -<p>High up above him was an opening, through which -the light and heat came.</p> - -<p>“If one of thy enemies shouldst see thee, a little stone -from there”—and Girzilla pointed upward—“would -make thee fit for a mummy.”</p> - -<p>Again the spinal marrow in Max’s back seemed turned -to ice, and he was almost afraid to glance upward.</p> - -<p>“Where are we?”</p> - -<p>“Under the temple of great Isis.”</p> - -<p>“Under?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Isis had the temple high above where thou dost -stand.”</p> - -<p>“Lead on; I would know more of these mysterious -passages, but I am hungry and cold.”</p> - -<p>“Just now thou wert hot.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I am chilled and yet feverish.”</p> - -<p>“Come, my gentle boy, and Girzilla will take thee -where thou canst rest.”</p> - -<p>A few yards and a sudden turn, and the narrow passageway -gave place to a large plateau, on which huge -bowlders were scattered promiscuously.</p> - -<p>Scattered—apparently too large for human hands to -move, and yet they bore evidence of having been transported -thither.</p> - -<p>They were of red granite, while the native rocks were -of a different stone.</p> - -<p>Max, tired and weary, sat down on one of the granite -blocks, but he quickly left his seat.</p> - -<p>He leaped away as though he had been stung by a -viper.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[37]</span></p> - -<p>Girzilla laughed at him, which of course added to his -annoyance.</p> - -<p>The stone was as hot as an oven bottom, and poor -Max felt he would be baked or fried if he stayed there -a minute.</p> - -<p>Girzilla moved round one of the great bowlders and -began scratching away the sand.</p> - -<p>“Come and help,” she called out to Max, who was -sulking since she had laughed at him.</p> - -<p>“The way we must go is under this stone.”</p> - -<p>“Under that stone!” repeated Max.</p> - -<p>“Yes; there is only a small hole, but we must go -through it.”</p> - -<p>The girl was right.</p> - -<p>The hole was so small that she could only just squeeze -herself through, while the madcap declared he would not -descend.</p> - -<p>“Very well, then, you must save yourself.”</p> - -<p>The prospect was not pleasing, and Max managed to -follow the girl, though in doing so he tore his clothes -and scratched his face.</p> - -<p>But once down, he was amply repaid.</p> - -<p>The cave, or hole, led to a large room, the atmosphere -of which was charmingly cool.</p> - -<p>Girzilla had lighted her torch, and seated herself on -an open sarcophagus.</p> - -<p>She was a happy-go-lucky kind of creature, fearing -nothing, and having no superstitious dread of sitting -on the stone coffin, wherein was dust, which had once -been molded in human form.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[38]</span></p> - -<p>“I have food here.”</p> - -<p>“Food?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Here?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; art thou not hungry?”</p> - -<p>“I am. But the place is a tomb.”</p> - -<p>“Hush! Better men than thou lived here.”</p> - -<p>“Have been buried here, you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Years and years ago a brave man fled from those -who would kill him, and sought refuge here.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me of him.”</p> - -<p>“He fought—oh, my, didn’t he fight? He cut right -and left with his scimiter, and when he got tired he -spurred his horse and made a run for liberty.”</p> - -<p>“Did you know him?”</p> - -<p>“Stupid! do I look so old, then?” and Girzilla looked -coquettishly at Madcap.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know how long it is ago; how should I?”</p> - -<p>“Don’t get naughty again. The man was a soldier, -a Mameluke——”</p> - -<p>“What! Was it Emin Bey?”</p> - -<p>“That was how he was called.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me all about him. Where did he go? Had he -any sons? Tell me, I am all impatience.”</p> - -<p>“I see you are; but you must eat.”</p> - -<p>This houri of the caves—a strange child of the desert—pushed -aside the lid of another sarcophagus and took -therefrom a piece of confection known as Turkish delight.</p> - -<p>She offered it to Max, but he turned away.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[39]</span></p> - -<p>Girzilla bit off a large piece and sat chewing it with -all the ardor with which a Kentucky girl chews gum.</p> - -<p>“Good!” she said, as she helped herself to another -bite.</p> - -<p>Approaching close to Max she held the confection -close to his mouth, and he was tempted to take a small -piece.</p> - -<p>It was so appetizing that he asked for more.</p> - -<p>When the gum candy was all eaten Girzilla found some -bread—cakes baked in the sun, not in an oven—and some -fruit, but what kind it was Max did not know.</p> - -<p>He ate heartily and felt refreshed.</p> - -<p>But he was thirsty.</p> - -<p>Girzilla knew that, and produced a bottle of the most -delicious sherbet he had ever tasted.</p> - -<p>When the repast was finished Girzilla told Max that -he must stay there until she came for him.</p> - -<p>“Am I to be here alone?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly. I must go and provide a means of escape -for thee.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me first why you have done all this for me.”</p> - -<p>“I have my reasons.”</p> - -<p>“And will you not tell me?”</p> - -<p>“I heard thee speak to him who is not——”</p> - -<p>“You mean my father?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“When?”</p> - -<p>“When thou didst tell him that thou wouldst like to -eat salt with the sons of Emin Bey.”</p> - -<p>“And are you interested?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[40]</span></p> - -<p>“I have Mameluke blood in my veins. Find the descendant -of Emin and he will restore Egypt to its greatness—I -have said it, and the prophet hath spoken.”</p> - -<p>“And will you help me?”</p> - -<p>“If I can. I—had—another—reason——”</p> - -<p>Girzilla hesitated, paused between her words, looked -confused, and really blushed.</p> - -<p>“And that was——” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“Why should I not tell thee? I will save thee, even -though I lose thee. I will prevent thy enemies taking -thee, even if thou spurned me ever after. Oh! how -shall I say it? Thou art the handsomest man I ever -saw, and—I—love—thee.”</p> - -<p>Before Max could recover from his astonishment she -had fled.</p> - -<p>Her secret had been revealed, and, modest maiden as -she was, she felt she could not meet the eyes of the -youth to whom she had confessed her love.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VI">CHAPTER VI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">WAS IT AN ECHO?</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When Madcap Max felt that he was a prisoner, and -that self-interest, at least, for a time, rendered it inadvisable -to attempt to escape, he began to look about -his strange abode.</p> - -<p>Girzilla was more than ever a puzzle to him.</p> - -<p>She was refined and educated—of that there could be -no doubt.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[41]</span></p> - -<p>She had said she had several names, but only one had -she given him.</p> - -<p>What did the word mean?</p> - -<p>It had some special significance—of that he was sure.</p> - -<p>Was it Arabic or Nubian? Was it of the ancient -language of the Pharoahs, or the almost as ancient -Syrian?</p> - -<p>How did she overhear his conversation about the -Mamelukes?</p> - -<p>“I begin to think she is a fairy,” said Max, his head -growing dizzy with puzzling over the matter.</p> - -<p>“How long am I to remain here?”</p> - -<p>There was no one to answer the question, so it had -to remain still in the realm of doubt.</p> - -<p>“Where am I?”</p> - -<p>That query he could answer with a positiveness that -could not be controverted. He was in a tomb.</p> - -<p>At first the thought nearly drove him mad, but he got -accustomed to the idea. After eating and drinking there, -much of the superstitious fear had left him.</p> - -<p>“Where shall I sleep?” he asked himself, “for I am -tired and exhausted. The sand man has been about a -long time,” he laughed; “yes, sand in my eyes, up my -nostrils, down my throat, in my ears—the sand man -has done his work this time. What was that?”</p> - -<p>Max possessed a splendid amount of courage, but to -be alone in a tomb and suddenly to hear a terrible noise, -and to be nearly suffocated with dust, to have the torch -knocked over—fortunately not extinguished—would be -sufficient to set the strongest nerves quivering, and make<span class="pagenum">[42]</span> -the most valiant man tremble. He dare not raise his -head.</p> - -<p>He was afraid to open his eyes.</p> - -<p>Had he done so, he would have known that the commotion -was caused by a huge bat trying to escape from -the inhabited tomb.</p> - -<p>Nearly an hour passed before Max found courage -enough to lift up the torch, which had nearly burned -itself out.</p> - -<p>If his torch went out, what was he to do?</p> - -<p>He was far from being a madcap at that time.</p> - -<p>But youth asserted itself, and Max found his spirits -rising, perhaps aided considerably by his eyes suddenly -perceiving another torch.</p> - -<p>“I’ll have a gay old time. Why shouldn’t I? Eh, -old fellow?”</p> - -<p>Was Max addressing himself or one of the mummies -in the place?</p> - -<p>He lighted the torch, and began to look round his -prison house.</p> - -<p>On the walls—which had once been smoothed by -sculptor’s skill—were the remains of paintings and hieroglyphic -inscriptions.</p> - -<p>“These old fellows believed in having their tombs -beautiful!” exclaimed Max, aloud.</p> - -<p>And the words had scarcely left his lips when his -hair began to rise on his head, for he heard a voice -add, with sepulchral emphasis:</p> - -<p>“Beautiful!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[43]</span></p> - -<p>“Who’s there?” asked Max, half afraid of his own -voice.</p> - -<p>“There!”</p> - -<p>“It was only an echo,” said Max; but all the same it -was startling, especially when the voice of the tomb repeated -the last syllable:</p> - -<p>“Oh!”</p> - -<p>But the sturdy young American laughed; and the -whole tomb seemed alive with demoniac mirth, as the -walls beat back the loud guffaws of the youth.</p> - -<p>“I shall go mad!” exclaimed Max.</p> - -<p>“Mad!” repeated the echo.</p> - -<p>With wonderful courage Madcap Max remained silent -for a time, afraid of the echo, and yet not afraid to -continue his search.</p> - -<p>Close to the place where Girzilla had kept the eatables -was a sarcophagus, which seemed as if it had not -been opened.</p> - -<p>Here was something to do.</p> - -<p>He resolved to open the stone casket.</p> - -<p>The work was easier than he anticipated, for the lid -was not fastened down, and Max was able to push it on -one side.</p> - -<p>He brought over a torch so that he might the better -look into the huge cavern-like coffin.</p> - -<p>When he did so he saw a mummy; the face, outlined by -the cloths, was that of a woman.</p> - -<p>“Who can it have been?” he wondered.</p> - -<p>And then, with a pure love of fun, he resolved to -unwrap the body, which may have been hidden from<span class="pagenum">[44]</span> -the world two or three thousand years, and present the -mummy to his strange girl friend.</p> - -<p>Max was now in his glory.</p> - -<p>He had something to do, and at the same time his -spirit of mischief was aroused.</p> - -<p>He never imagined that Girzilla would be frightened -if she entered and saw a mummified Egyptian looking at -her.</p> - -<p>It would be fun to watch her countenance. And that -was all that Max did it for.</p> - -<p>He managed to get the first wrapper off very easily, -but when he came to the second, he found that the ancient -Egyptians knew how to make a strong bandage, -for every fold had to be cut with his knife.</p> - -<p>Under this he found spices, lotos leaves and ears of -corn.</p> - -<p>The latter interested him, for while the grains looked -like wheat, the general appearance was that of barley, -only there were seven ears on every stalk.</p> - -<p>“I’ll pocket some of this, and if ever I get back to -America I’ll plant it and see if embalmed wheat will -grow.”</p> - -<p>As this thought passed through the mind of the daring -young desecrator of the dead, he began to whistle -“Yankee Doodle.”</p> - -<p>The echo kept pace with him, and the louder he whistled -the more distinct was the echo.</p> - -<p>Suddenly stopping, his patriotic soul was stirred to its -depths as the thought crossed his mind that men who -had been buried there thousands of years before America<span class="pagenum">[45]</span> -was known to civilization were, through the echo, joining -in the chorus of “Yankee Doodle.”</p> - -<p>“Old Pharoah was a fine old fellow,” said Max, “but -I’d rather be an American citizen than——”</p> - -<p>“A mummy.”</p> - -<p>That was no echo.</p> - -<p>It was a human voice.</p> - -<p>Max could stand no more.</p> - -<p>His eyes seemed like coals of fire, his brain was burning, -his lips were parched.</p> - -<p>“Oh, God! I am dying!” he gasped, as he fell on the -floor, scattering the dust of centuries and causing the -tomb to be filled with a cloud, suffocating and unpleasant.</p> - -<p>When he recovered consciousness he was still lying -on the floor, but his head rested on Girzilla’s knee, and -she was fanning him with a palm leaf which she had -brought in with her.</p> - -<p>“You silly boy, did I frighten you?”</p> - -<p>“Was it you who said ‘a mummy?’”</p> - -<p>“Of course it was. Who else could it be?”</p> - -<p>“I thought——”</p> - -<p>“That these dead-and-gone people had suddenly recovered -the voice which perished before Isis’ great temple -was built. You silly—silly boy. But what were -you doing?”</p> - -<p>There was so much nineteenth century life about -Girzilla that Max thought but little of the bygone Pharoahs.</p> - -<p>He told her about unwrapping the mummy, and she -chided him for doing it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[46]</span></p> - -<p>“I have looked on that mummy ever since I was so -high,” she said, placing her hand about two feet above -the floor.</p> - -<p>“You have!”</p> - -<p>“Of course I have, and I was going to show her to -you.”</p> - -<p>“You were?”</p> - -<p>“Did I not say so?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Then why ask me? What did you do with the writing -you found?”</p> - -<p>“I did not see any.”</p> - -<p>“I placed some there.”</p> - -<p>“When?”</p> - -<p>“The Nile did rise and fall and rise again since I -placed it there.”</p> - -<p>“Where did you find it? What is it about?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know; I could not read it.”</p> - -<p>“Get it for me.”</p> - -<p>“You silly boy, how can I? Your head is heavy, -and holds me down.”</p> - -<p>“My head resteth on a nice pillow.”</p> - -<p>“Osiris must have fanned thy cheeks,” she said, using -an Egyptian metaphor which in more modern English -would mean: “You are a flatterer,” or “You have kissed -the blarney stone.”</p> - -<p>Max was not so gallant as an American youth ought -to be, so he sprang to his feet and reached over into -the casket, drawing therefrom a package of papers which -were decidedly modern.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[47]</span></p> - -<p>The language was a strange one to him, however, and -his only hope was that once away from the strange -tomb he might find some one who could translate the -document for him.</p> - -<p>He had become an ardent Egyptologist.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VII">CHAPTER VII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">SPLENDID HEROISM.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“We will leave here at once.”</p> - -<p>There was a sadness in Girzilla’s voice as she answered:</p> - -<p>“And art thou tired of the houri of the cave?”</p> - -<p>“Not tired of you, Girzilla, but I want freedom. I -must search for Emin’s race.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, yes. Fate wills it. Isis must be obeyed. Ra”—god -of the sun—“ordains it. And Girzilla’s heart -must be rent in twain.”</p> - -<p>“Why so? Art thou not my guide? Shall I not restore -thy family to the powerful throne?”</p> - -<p>“I am not deceived. You of the great storehouses -care not for my people.”</p> - -<p>“But——”</p> - -<p>“Nay, thou silly boy; the sun does not mate with darkness. -Girzilla will take thee from thine enemies and -will return to the tomb.”</p> - -<p>“You are sad.”</p> - -<p>“Did I not look upon thy face when it was sad?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[48]</span></p> - -<p>Max sat down on a broken sarcophagus, and hot, -scalding tears poured from his eyes.</p> - -<p>She had recalled to him the death of his father, nearly -a week ago.</p> - -<p>A veil of oblivion had been over his senses, and he had -not been able to weep.</p> - -<p>The tears eased his heart and soothed him more than -any other thing could have done.</p> - -<p>Girzilla, with womanly tact, withdrew and let him -weep, for she knew the value of tears to the sorrow-stricken.</p> - -<p>Truly, this girl was more than ever a mystery.</p> - -<p>With the simple innocence of her race she looked upon -herself as the consoler of the bereaved one, because she -had been present when his eyes first opened to the great -sorrow.</p> - -<p>When his grief had subsided, Girzilla was transformed.</p> - -<p>She was no longer the lively girl, but the stern guide.</p> - -<p>“Follow me,” she said, coldly.</p> - -<p>“Nay, stay a while.”</p> - -<p>“Why should I? Does not the Frank desire to be -free?”</p> - -<p>“Thou knowest I do; but I have not yet explored -this tomb.”</p> - -<p>Girzilla raised herself to her full height; her eyes -flashed with scorn, her little hands were clinched tightly, -causing the muscles upon her arms to distend until the -silver armlets must have cut into the flesh.</p> - -<p>Her face was crimson, her body trembled with excitement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[49]</span></p> - -<p>“Explore! Yes, you Franks come to my land and -carry away its images, destroy its old ruins, ransack the -temples, overthrow the gods, and, not satisfied with that, -dare even to desecrate the tombs!”</p> - -<p>“You brought me here,” pleaded Max.</p> - -<p>“I brought thee to save thy life. I brought thee, even -though I knew I might die in thy place.”</p> - -<p>“What mean you? Are you in danger?”</p> - -<p>Girzilla laughed bitterly.</p> - -<p>“Danger!—how silly you are!” And then, changing -her manner, she added: “Have you any sense? Do you -Franks ever think? I know these men who brought -thee here. I know that they would take all thy gold -and slit your nose—that they would slowly kill thee. -Like the bird of prey looking for its victim were they. -I saved thee—wilt not the vulture turn upon me? Thou -knowest I shall die if I am caught.”</p> - -<p>There was an eloquent, passionate fervor in her manner -which seemed to raise her from the apathetic lazy -Egyptian race and elevate her to the level of the American.</p> - -<p>Max was about to speak, but like a queen she motioned -him to be silent.</p> - -<p>“I have been here since I was so high”—again measuring -two feet from the ground. “Did I ever take the -sacred bandages from the bodies of the embalmed? -Never. And yet thou couldst not be alone an hour -without desecrating the dead. Isis will punish thee—Osiris -will return and claim his own.”</p> - -<p>Max listened.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[50]</span></p> - -<p>He was charmed.</p> - -<p>What a splendid actress this girl would make!</p> - -<p>What a magnificent woman she was!—and yet in years -she could be only a girl.</p> - -<p>“You speak of Isis and Osiris as though you believed -in them,” Max ventured to say.</p> - -<p>“My belief is my own. If thou wouldst escape—if -thou wouldst find the son’s son of Emin, get thee ready -and I will lead thee to the desert, the way that Emin -traveled.”</p> - -<p>“Lead me from here and I will ask no more.”</p> - -<p>“Thou art a Frank! Thou askest me to risk all, and -when thou art safe I may go.”</p> - -<p>She turned away her head to hide her tears.</p> - -<p>Going to a secluded part of the cave she took from -a sarcophagus a scimiter with edge as sharp as any razor, -a knife with double edge, keen as a dagger, and a small -stiletto.</p> - -<p>These she handed to Max.</p> - -<p>“They may be useful,” she said, coldly, and prepared -to leave the cave.</p> - -<p>“Come, and quickly.”</p> - -<p>“I have offended thee——” Max commenced, but Girzilla -had scrambled through the opening, and could not -hear what he was saying.</p> - -<p>She led him across the burning sands; at every step -his feet seemed to be blistering. There was no shade -save from the great bowlders, and they were so hot -that it was unpleasant to approach them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[51]</span></p> - -<p>On she went, keeping in advance of the American.</p> - -<p>Not one word would she utter; and when he attempted -to speak she motioned him to be silent.</p> - -<p>It was like a new country—a land without inhabitants.</p> - -<p>Where were they?</p> - -<p>So near, as it seemed, to the city, and yet not a living -thing to be seen.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour they walked, blinded by the drifting -sand, but never stopping.</p> - -<p>Max would not ask Girzilla to rest, and she was too -proud to suggest it.</p> - -<p>The sun was high in the heavens.</p> - -<p>The air seemed like the hot blast from a furnace.</p> - -<p>Max found his tongue swelling in his mouth.</p> - -<p>He walked along mechanically.</p> - -<p>All control over himself appeared to be lost.</p> - -<p>Like the fabled Wandering Jew, he continued moving, -without the power to stop.</p> - -<p>His eyes no longer saw the sand—they were hot and -glassy with the glare of the sun.</p> - -<p>Still he kept on, following that never-tiring figure in -front of him.</p> - -<p>Suddenly his foot slipped into a little hole, and he fell.</p> - -<p>That was more eloquent than words.</p> - -<p>Girzilla was by his side in a moment.</p> - -<p>A little leather bottle she carried was unslung, and -some water was poured down the youth’s throat.</p> - -<p>She had resolved not to offer her aid, but now, when -he was helpless and suffering, she could not resist.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[52]</span></p> - -<p>She bathed his face, and fanned it so that the skin -might not blister.</p> - -<p>He was unconscious.</p> - -<p>“He is dying,” she moaned. “And I cannot save him.”</p> - -<p>Her bare arms and ankles seemed impervious to the -heat—she was accustomed to it.</p> - -<p>“Oh, if Jockian were but here!” she moaned; but the -man she referred to was many miles away.</p> - -<p>“I will try.”</p> - -<p>The speech was in answer to her thoughts.</p> - -<p>Removing the armlets from her arms, she stooped -over the prostrate form of Madcap Max, and raised him -as if he were a child.</p> - -<p>Strong she undoubtedly was, but Max was heavy.</p> - -<p>She carried him a few steps.</p> - -<p>The perspiration ran in streams down her face.</p> - -<p>The muscles of her arms were strained to their utmost.</p> - -<p>She had to rest.</p> - -<p>Again she raised him, and carried him a dozen yards -or so.</p> - -<p>It was but slow progress, but she knew he would die -if she left him there.</p> - -<p>She tightened the girdle round her waist, and again -took him in her arms.</p> - -<p>But her strength gave out.</p> - -<p>She fell with her burden on the hot sand.</p> - -<p>Exhausted herself, yet she would not give up the -battle.</p> - -<p>She worked like a slave, making a hole in the sand.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[53]</span></p> - -<p>The blood spurted from her fingers, but she kept on -until she had scraped away the sand a foot deep.</p> - -<p>Into this hole she rolled Max.</p> - -<p>The sun was pouring its hot rays with deadly vehemence, -but Girzilla cared not, if Max were but safe.</p> - -<p>She looked for something to shelter him.</p> - -<p>Nothing could be seen.</p> - -<p>With splendid devotion, she took off the loose linen -blouse which was the only covering of the upper part -of her body, and sprinkling it well with water, laid it -over the youth’s face.</p> - -<p>Her own skin, almost as fair as that of the American, -was exposed to the torture of the heat.</p> - -<p>The thermometer must have registered a hundred and -fifty degrees, but Girzilla merely clinched her teeth and -waited.</p> - -<p>She had placed herself in a position between the sun -and Max.</p> - -<p>Hour after hour this child of the desert, this magnificent -heroine, shielded the American from the rays of -the Egyptian sun.</p> - -<p>Her own shoulders were bare. The sun blistered her -skin. A slight breeze, but as a furnace blast, swept across -her, but it carried myriads of sand flies and atoms of -sand with it.</p> - -<p>The flies settled on her bare shoulders; they attacked -the blistered flesh.</p> - -<p>The pain must have been intense, but she never moved.</p> - -<p>Once she shrieked with agony and resolved to rise,<span class="pagenum">[54]</span> -but a look of self-denying heroism crossed her face, -and she remained still.</p> - -<p>“If I move they will attack him,” she thought, and -that was enough.</p> - -<p>He must be saved at all costs.</p> - -<p>Her senses were leaving her, gradually her thoughts -became more indistinct.</p> - -<p>She fell forward across Max, and knew she must die.</p> - -<p>But if it would save him, she was satisfied.</p> - -<p>She stretched forth her hand and placed it on his -forehead.</p> - -<p>Her garment was still there, shielding his face from -the sun.</p> - -<p>“He will be saved,” she said. “Allah be praised,” she -moaned.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_VIII">CHAPTER VIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">SHERIF EL HABIB.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Allah! Allah! Great is Allah, and Mahomet is his -prophet.”</p> - -<p>The speaker had spread before him a square of carpet, -and had prostrated himself, bowing before the setting -sun.</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised!”</p> - -<p>The prayers were ended, but the man remained prostrate -on the carpet.</p> - -<p>In the distance a score of men stood, evidently waiting -for their chief to rise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[55]</span></p> - -<p>When his devotions were concluded he stood up, looked -in the direction of the setting sun, bowed his head once -more, and sat down on the sand to put on his sandals.</p> - -<p>The man was evidently an Arab of high rank.</p> - -<p>Dressed in white, his face partly covered, after the -manner of the chiefs of Arabia, he presented a most -picturesque appearance.</p> - -<p>Several of his escort, or guard, came forward and -folded up the carpet, placing it with great care on the -back of a camel, which had been brought forward.</p> - -<p>The chief—Sherif el Habib—walked away from his -servants, his companion being a youth, fair as a girl, -but strong as a lion.</p> - -<p>“Ibrahim, my heart is sad,” said Sherif el Habib to -the youth.</p> - -<p>“Sad! and why so, my uncle?”</p> - -<p>“For all these moons have we journeyed, but mine -eyes have not seen the glory of his coming.”</p> - -<p>“Uncle, you did not expect to see the Great One at -Cairo?”</p> - -<p>“And why not?”</p> - -<p>“Methinks the eyes of the houris as they peer through -the lattices would spoil even the prophet’s mission,” answered -Ibrahim, smiling, as he uttered the words.</p> - -<p>“Those eyes were nearly thy ruin. But hath not the -holy prophet spoken of the Prophet of prophets, who -should come and restore the ancient glory of Egypt, and -after visiting Mecca, plant the banner of the crescent -and Mahomet in every land?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[56]</span></p> - -<p>“But why do you think he has come now?” asked -Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“In a vision of the night I heard the voice of Mahomet -say out to me: ‘Arise, Sherif el Habib; cross thou -the sea and go as I direct thee, and thine eyes shall see -the glory of the last <em>imaum</em>’—leader—‘the rise of the -Mahdi of whom I spake.’”</p> - -<p>“So, uncle, we made a pilgrimage to Mecca, crossed -the Red Sea, wandered about these deserts for months, -deserted the towns and left the pretty girls—I beg pardon—all -because of a dream.”</p> - -<p>“You young men,” said Sherif el Habib, “are material. -Is there nothing better than making shawls?”</p> - -<p>“There may be; I like to travel. I would like to go to -Alexandria, to Constantinople, to Paris, London. Oh, -uncle, you are rich; give up these dreams, and let us enjoy -life.”</p> - -<p>“Ibrahim, how old are you?”</p> - -<p>“Eighteen, uncle.”</p> - -<p>“And I am sixty-eight. Wait but a few more years -and all my wealth will be thine; then thou canst journey -whither thou pleasest. But I have a mission. When I -go down to the grave of my fathers, my soul will have -seen the light of great Mahdi’s face.”</p> - -<p>It is believed by devout followers of Mahomet that -before the end of the world there shall arise a mahdi—literally, -a director who shall be of the family of Mahomet, -whose name should be Mahomet Achmet, and -who should fill the world with righteousness. For six<span class="pagenum">[57]</span> -hundred years the Mohammedans have been expecting -their messiah to appear.</p> - -<p>“As thou wilt, uncle, but——”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim’s speech was cut short abruptly by the hurried -salaam of Effendi, the Sherif el Habib’s confidential -eunuch and secretary.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Effendi?”</p> - -<p>“Your excellency! I know not, but a young and beautiful -girl hath fainted, and with her——”</p> - -<p>“Who is she?” asked Ibrahim. “Lead me to her!”</p> - -<p>“Nay, nephew, it is not fit that thou——”</p> - -<p>“Go along, uncle; when I am your age I shall do as -you do. Go along, I care not for all the girls of Egypt.”</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib had not heard all the boy’s speech, -for he had hurried away with Effendi.</p> - -<p>The eunuch led him across the sands to the place where -Madcap Max had fallen, and over him the girl, Girzilla.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib looked at the youthful couple, and -seemed strangely disturbed.</p> - -<p>He stooped and placed his hand over their hearts, and -found that both were alive.</p> - -<p>“It is well,” he said, in a half-audible voice. Then, -turning to Effendi, he motioned him to follow.</p> - -<p>Going to his camel, Sherif el Habib took from the pack -a small bottle.</p> - -<p>On the side of the vial were some hieroglyphics which, -if translated into good United States language, would -signify that the contents were known to be that strange -result of modern research, chloroform.</p> - -<p>Giving the bottle to Effendi, Sherif el Habib said:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[58]</span></p> - -<p>“It is my will that these people should go with us in a -sleep as of death; do thou with this as is usual.”</p> - -<p>Effendi took the vial, and pouring some of the contents -on two pieces of linen, he returned to the Arab girl -and Max and placed the linen over their mouths. When -the fumes of the chloroform had done their work effectually -he called some of the attendants, and ordered them -to place Max and Girzilla on the backs of camels.</p> - -<p>“It is done,” he said to Sherif el Habib, making a low -salaam.</p> - -<p>“It is well,” was the chief’s answer.</p> - -<p>Effendi moved away, leaving his master and Ibrahim -alone.</p> - -<p>“What new fancy has taken possession of you, uncle?”</p> - -<p>“The glory of the great Mahomet surrounds me,” was -the reply.</p> - -<p>“If I were not the most loving of nephews,” said the -youth, “I should declare that you were mad.”</p> - -<p>“My dear boy, for years I have hoped for a vision of -the celestial, and now mine eyes have been directed to the -approach of the great mahdi. In my dreams I heard a -voice saying: ‘Go thou, and thou shalt be directed. The -guides even are sleeping, but they shall awake and direct -thee.’ Now did not this mean this youth and maiden? -this brother and sister who were asleep and awaiting -me?”</p> - -<p>“As you like, uncle. I will go with thee, for I love -adventure; but I hope we shall return alive.”</p> - -<p>“Of that there is no doubt. Come, Effendi awaits us.”</p> - -<p>The caravan started.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[59]</span></p> - -<p>More than thirty camels were in procession; twelve of -them carried baggage, tents, and provisions, the other -eighteen bore upon their backs the bodyguard of Sherif -el Habib.</p> - -<p>Max and Girzilla, still unconscious, were on the same -camel, being fastened to basket paniers, one on either -side of the animal.</p> - -<p>As the caravan moved across the sandy plain we will -take the opportunity of more fully introducing the party -to our readers.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib was a Persian. In Khorassan he was -known as the most prosperous shawl manufacturer of all -Persia.</p> - -<p>He gave employment to over a hundred men, and -Sherif el Habib’s Persian shawls had been worn by the -empresses and queens of the world.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib became a widower in a peculiar way. -According to the custom of his land, he had several -wives.</p> - -<p>In the palace of the Sherif—for this shawl manufacturer -was ranked as a prince—every contrivance had been -resorted to to render the happiness of the ladies complete.</p> - -<p>Among other things was a large marble bath, fifty feet -long by thirty feet wide, and capable of holding fifteen -feet of water in depth.</p> - -<p>By clever mechanical contrivances the supply of water -was so nicely regulated that a stream to the depth of four -feet was always flowing through the bath.</p> - -<p>This water was highly perfumed with attar of roses,<span class="pagenum">[60]</span> -and was so delicious to the senses that it was an intoxicating -pleasure to bathe.</p> - -<p>One day the ladies of Sherif el Habib’s household were -disporting themselves in the bath, when by some accident -the working gear got out of order and the water -began to rise.</p> - -<p>The ladies were not alarmed, for all were good swimmers.</p> - -<p>Gradually the water increased in volume until it was -six feet deep.</p> - -<p>How merrily the ladies laughed!</p> - -<p>How delighted they were at this new experience!</p> - -<p>They could no longer touch the marble bottom of the -bath.</p> - -<p>Like children paddling in the surf, they laughed and -made fun of each other.</p> - -<p>They floated and swam about, dived and turned somersaults -as though they were amphibious animals.</p> - -<p>The entrance to the bathroom was locked. It was -water-tight, so that should Sherif el Habib at any time -desire the whole fifteen feet of depth to be flooded, no -water could escape into the other parts of the palace.</p> - -<p>When the ladies had grown weary they made a move -to leave. But they were tired.</p> - -<p>The water was ten feet deep, and still rising.</p> - -<p>One, the beauteous Lola, a sweet creature made to be -loved, was so exhausted that she begged one of the others -to save her.</p> - -<p>Buba, another Persian beauty, went to her assistance,<span class="pagenum">[61]</span> -but Lola clung so tightly to her that both became exhausted -and sank, never to rise again in life.</p> - -<p>The others shrieked for help.</p> - -<p>No one heard them.</p> - -<p>They could not stand on the sides. The steps were -slippery as glass, and could not be ascended.</p> - -<p>The water gradually rose until twelve feet of water -was in the bath.</p> - -<p>When Sherif, alarmed at the long absence of the -bathers, burst open the door, he was almost swept away -by the overflow of the water.</p> - -<p>His mind was unstrung, as well it might be, for floating -on the surface of the water were the dead bodies of -all his wives.</p> - -<p>Almost beside himself with grief, he refused to be consoled -until he thought of his sister’s orphan child, the -young Ibrahim, who was living in Teheran.</p> - -<p>From that day the love of this merchant prince’s heart -was centered on Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>European teachers were engaged, and by the time the -young Persian was seventeen years old he could speak -English, German and French fluently, besides having a -good knowledge of Persian, Arabic and other Oriental -languages and dialects.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[62]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_IX">CHAPTER IX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">IBRAHIM AND MAX.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When Ibrahim was seventeen his uncle told him that -he was about to make a pilgrimage.</p> - -<p>It was his intention to visit the shrine of the prophet -at Mecca, across the Red Sea, and after exploring the -wonders of Luxor, Carnac, and ancient Thebes, go up the -Nile, past Cairo, to Alexandria.</p> - -<p>It was just the kind of pilgrimage to suit Ibrahim, and -his heart beat so fast with expectancy that his uncle -feared he might bring on a nervous fever. When Mecca -was reached Sherif was so full of religious fervor that he -began to see visions and dream dreams, much to the annoyance -and yet amusement of Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>Among other things, Sherif el Habib became convinced -that he was to be the discoverer of the Mahdi, or Mohammedan -Messiah. When Cairo was reached he said to -Ibrahim that, instead of going to Alexandria, they would -cross the Libyan desert in search of the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>As the promised route was likely to be one of wild adventure, -with plenty of excitement, Ibrahim fell in with -his uncle’s ideas, and with but few murmurings agreed -to leave civilization behind and go into the interior of that -land of mystery—the great deserts of the Dark Continent.</p> - -<p>But we must return to our caravan.</p> - -<p>The cavalcade had moved in silence for several hours.</p> - -<p>The time was a most miserable one to Ibrahim, but -he had learned enough of his uncle’s ways to be assured<span class="pagenum">[63]</span> -that he would fall into disgrace if he dared to intrude -on the silent meditations of Sherif el Habib.</p> - -<p>The caravan stopped.</p> - -<p>The camels were unloaded, tents were pitched, and -after devotions the meal for the evening was spread.</p> - -<p>Max and Girzilla had not yet roused from their unconsciousness.</p> - -<p>They had been lifted with tender care from the camel, -and laid down under the best and largest tent.</p> - -<p>Girzilla was the first to awake.</p> - -<p>She opened her eyes and closed them suddenly; she -imagined she was dreaming.</p> - -<p>Again the temptation was so great that she gently -raised her eyelids, and saw that the tent was hung with -Oriental silk drapery, while a thick Persian carpet had -been spread upon the sand.</p> - -<p>There was so much reality about it that she felt elated.</p> - -<p>Where could she be?</p> - -<p>Where was Max?</p> - -<p>Raising her head she saw on the other side of the -tent another carpet, and on it reclined the form of Max.</p> - -<p>Should she awaken him?</p> - -<p>A deep affection for the madcap had taken possession -of her, and she was determined to do all she could to -remain near him.</p> - -<p>Cautiously she moved from the carpet and to the entrance -of the tent.</p> - -<p>She was utterly bewildered.</p> - -<p>A score of tents surrounded the one she had just left.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[64]</span></p> - -<p>Camels were lying down, chewing their cuds—others -were asleep.</p> - -<p>Over all was the sky like a bright, blue canopy, studded -with jets of brilliant light.</p> - -<p>The night air was calm and sweet, and Girzilla felt a -soothing influence pass over her.</p> - -<p>With all the passionate fervor of her race she burst -forth into poetic declamation.</p> - -<p>Clothing her ideas in Oriental language, developing the -most beautiful imagery, she apostrophized the sky and -the stars, speaking of the sky as the million-eyed goddess, -looking down through the millions of stars on the earth, -and directing the destinies of men.</p> - -<p>She thought she was unheard, but standing in the -shadow of a tent was Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>He was entranced.</p> - -<p>“More beauteous than the daughters of Iran! More -eloquent than the houris of Istaphan! Speak to me, -and tell me who thou art.”</p> - -<p>Girzilla heard the voice.</p> - -<p>It was not that of Madcap Max.</p> - -<p>Who, then, could be speaking?</p> - -<p>All was silent, the stillness only broken by the champ, -champ, champ of the camels.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim could see her, but the shadow of the tent enshrouded -him in darkness, and her eyes could not penetrate -into the blackness.</p> - -<p>“Who spake?” she whispered in her own language.</p> - -<p>“Thine eyes, which rival the stars in their brightness, -should be able to see, though the clouds were blacker<span class="pagenum">[65]</span> -than the tomb, and thy soul, which speaks through thy -lips, should divine that one who loves the music of thy -mouth is near to thee.”</p> - -<p>Girzilla made no answer.</p> - -<p>She could not understand her surroundings.</p> - -<p>All was so pleasant that she feared it was a dream.</p> - -<p>To avert the calamity of awakening and finding that -’twas but a vision of the night, she returned silently to the -carpets and fell asleep.</p> - -<p>The chloroform had not lost all its power.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim grew bolder when he found she did not answer -him.</p> - -<p>“Come, sweet voice of the night,” he said, as he approached -the tent.</p> - -<p>But Girzilla was asleep.</p> - -<p>“My own gazelle——”</p> - -<p>Max moved uneasily.</p> - -<p>“I will sing to thee the songs of Istaphan. I will make -thee a throne upon which thou shalt sit as queen of my -heart.”</p> - -<p>“Am I dreaming,” asked Max, “or where am I? Ah, -I remember! I died out on the sand. Girzilla was with -me. Where is she? Is this death? I am very comfortable. -Am I dead? I don’t feel like it.”</p> - -<p>Max pinched himself and smiled.</p> - -<p>“If I am dead, I can hurt myself I find. This isn’t -sand. By the great Jehosaphat! it is carpet, and I am -in a tent. I have it—I am not dead, but only kidnaped. -I’ll get up and have a look around.”</p> - -<p>“My beauteous one, speak to me again, and let the son<span class="pagenum">[66]</span> -of Iran hear the liquid notes that pour from the throat -of my gentle gazelle.”</p> - -<p>“Who is there?” asked Max, gruffly.</p> - -<p>He sprang to his feet, and moved slowly, and kept -close to the side of the tent until he reached the opening.</p> - -<p>“My sweet enchantress, I feel that I could——”</p> - -<p>“You could, eh? Well, how do you feel now?”</p> - -<p>Max had struck out from the shoulder, and Ibrahim -went heels over head into the sand.</p> - -<p>“How do you feel?” asked Max, in English.</p> - -<p>To his surprise, he was answered in the same language.</p> - -<p>“Feel! Very sore. Where did you get so much -strength?”</p> - -<p>“Who are you?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“I am Ibrahim of Khorassan; and who are you?”</p> - -<p>“Well, Mr. Abraham——”</p> - -<p>“Ibrahim,” corrected the youth.</p> - -<p>“Well, Ibrahim, I am Max; that is enough for you. -If it isn’t, I am also the madcap, and I can fight as well as -talk. How do you feel?”</p> - -<p>“So you are the young fellow we picked up in the -sand?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. I only know that I don’t know, I mean -I know——”</p> - -<p>“You know plenty,” said Ibrahim, laughing at the confusion -displayed by Max.</p> - -<p>“Where am I?”</p> - -<p>“In the tent belonging to Sherif el Habib of Khorassan: -and I am Ibrahim, his nephew and friend.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[67]</span></p> - -<p>“Where is Girzilla?”</p> - -<p>“Who is that? Your sister?”</p> - -<p>“My sister? No; my friend, my guide, my——”</p> - -<p>“You mean the charming creature whose eloquence is -the sweetest music mine ears have ever heard?”</p> - -<p>“When did you hear? What do you know?” asked -Max, abruptly.</p> - -<p>“Don’t get mad. I am Ibrahim of Khorassan.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care who you are.”</p> - -<p>“But my uncle is the great chief, Sherif el Habib——”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care for that, either; I don’t care whether he -is a sheriff, a policeman, or a soldier.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim laughed.</p> - -<p>He understood Max, and the idea of confusing the -Persian Sherif with the English sheriff amused him.</p> - -<p>“You don’t understand—that is my uncle’s name.”</p> - -<p>“Fetch him here and let me see him.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was astounded.</p> - -<p>The way Max spoke was something for which he was -not prepared.</p> - -<p>The sun was rising very rapidly, and as its rays, tinted -with the morning hues, fell upon the glittering sand and -white tents, Max was dazzled.</p> - -<p>“Where am I?”</p> - -<p>“You are with the caravan of the great Persian chief, -Sherif el Habib. My uncle found you dying, and he -brought you and your sister here.”</p> - -<p>“Thanks, awfully! Shake hands—that is what we do -in England and America——”</p> - -<p>The youths clasped their hands.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[68]</span></p> - -<p>“We shall be friends?” said Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“I hope so.”</p> - -<p>“Have you a father?” asked the Persian.</p> - -<p>“Alas! no. He was murdered at Cairo.”</p> - -<p>“We shall be comrades?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I hope it, indeed.”</p> - -<p>“Have you a mother?”</p> - -<p>“Alas! no,” answered Max.</p> - -<p>“Then we shall be brothers. I, too, am alone—I have -no one but my uncle.”</p> - -<p>“I have no one at all.”</p> - -<p>“He shall be your uncle, and I will be your brother. -But who is she?”</p> - -<p>“I told you—she is my guide.”</p> - -<p>“No, Max. She may be a princess, a queen; she is a -beauty, as lovely as she is eloquent, and as poetic as the -birds which fly above the gardens of Paradise.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_X">CHAPTER X. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE PETRIFIED FOREST.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Max asserted himself so strongly in favor of Girzilla -that Ibrahim refrained from approaching her, not because -he had conquered the passion he felt for her, but entirely -out of respect for the madcap.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib treated Max as a guest, and when he -told him that he was on a pilgrimage to find the promised -mahdi, Max so thoroughly threw himself into the<span class="pagenum">[69]</span> -work that the Persian devotee believed more than ever -in fate.</p> - -<p>Girzilla had never been away so far, and so long as -she could see Max she was satisfied.</p> - -<p>Nothing would make the chiefs of the caravan treat her -other than Max’s sister.</p> - -<p>In this way the journey was continued into the desert -of Lybia.</p> - -<p>All had been tranquil.</p> - -<p>No hordes of savages had disturbed the religious pilgrims, -and Max began to yearn for adventure.</p> - -<p>Nearly a month had passed, and Max was as strong as -a young elephant, and as for Girzilla, nothing seemed to -tire her.</p> - -<p>One day a forest was sighted.</p> - -<p>For many days not a leaf, not a tree—no, not so much -as a blade of grass, had been seen.</p> - -<p>The unmistakable forest was as acceptable to the travelers -as is a rain shower to the parched earth.</p> - -<p>It was impossible to reach the forest that day, but so -impetuous was the spirit of the two youths that they obtained -permission to go in advance of the party, and while -Sherif el Habib rested—for he was getting to look jaded -and tired—they would investigate and return to report.</p> - -<p>Max and Ibrahim, now the best of friends, went forward, -joyously.</p> - -<p>They were both well armed, and carried enough rations -to last them four days.</p> - -<p>It was noon on the following day before they were -near to the forest.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[70]</span></p> - -<p>Never before had they seen such gigantic trees.</p> - -<p>But there was something weird and strange about the -trees.</p> - -<p>Not one of them appeared to have any foliage.</p> - -<p>They stood erect, with their topmost branches piercing -the clouds, as it were, but not a sign or movement was -visible.</p> - -<p>A slight breeze whistled through the forest, but not -a bough swayed, not a tree bent its head before the wind.</p> - -<p>“Haughty old fellows,” exclaimed Max, as he looked -forward at the unbending trees.</p> - -<p>“They look more like stone than wood,” commented -Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“You are right. I wonder what timber they are.”</p> - -<p>There was another peculiarity noticeable.</p> - -<p>Not a bit of brush, nor tuft of grass was to be seen.</p> - -<p>So excited were the explorers that they bid defiance -to the blazing rays of the sun, and ran forward.</p> - -<p>Max was the first to reach a tree.</p> - -<p>The monarch who guarded the earth was many feet in -diameter, as straight as a flagstaff, and entirely without -leaves.</p> - -<p>Max touched the bark, and withdrew his hand, suddenly.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Madcap? A viper stung you?”</p> - -<p>“I don’t know. It seems as if the tree was red-hot,” -answered Max.</p> - -<p>“That is good. How could a tree be red-hot?”</p> - -<p>“Feel for yourself.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[71]</span></p> - -<p>“You are right. By the beard of the prophet the tree -must be burning.”</p> - -<p>Max struck the trunk with a knife, but the blade broke -in two, and no impression was made on the tree.</p> - -<p>Another, and still another tree was tried, with the same -result.</p> - -<p>A couple of hours wandering about, striking trees with -the hafts of their knives, or the butt of their guns, convinced -them that they had discovered a freak of nature—a -veritable petrified forest.</p> - -<p>It was true.</p> - -<p>Every tree, by some action of nature, had changed its -allegiance from the vegetable to the mineral kingdom.</p> - -<p>Each of the monarchs of the forest had been turned to -stone.</p> - -<p>There was something appalling in those great stone -statues.</p> - -<p>How many ages had they stood there?</p> - -<p>What action of nature had changed them from living, -sap-flowing trees into blocks of granite, having only the -appearance of their former reality?</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was scared.</p> - -<p>His face lost its color, and he prostrated himself on -the ground.</p> - -<p>“Come along, old fellow,” said Max. “You are not -afraid of these big stones, are you?”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim did not answer.</p> - -<p>He was awe-stricken.</p> - -<p>“Get up, Ib,” exclaimed Max, shortening his companion’s -name very materially.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[72]</span></p> - -<p>It is a matter of doubt how long Ibrahim would have -remained prostrate had not some counter irritant appeared.</p> - -<p>A couple of arrows were fired, and fortunately struck -the trees, glancing off close to our young explorers.</p> - -<p>“Stop that, old fellow, whoever you are, and let us -have a look at you,” shouted Max.</p> - -<p>He had scarcely uttered the words when the whole -forest seemed alive.</p> - -<p>It looked as if every tree had hidden a man, and yet -not a living creature had the explorers seen before.</p> - -<p>Where did all these savages come from?</p> - -<p>The savages were something superlative.</p> - -<p>They were almost as naked as when they came into the -world.</p> - -<p>Their bodies were rubbed all over with some filthy-looking -clay.</p> - -<p>The men wore heavy coils of beads round their necks; -two heavy bracelets of ivory, rudely carved, on their arms, -just above the elbow; and on each wrist was a bracelet -or ring, in which, by some cunning device, sharp pieces -of flint, and in some cases lions’ claws, had been inserted. -These fellows surrounded Max and Ibrahim, dancing in -a fantastic manner and flourishing their arrows in the -manner of spears, only that they had four arrows in each -hand—held between the fingers so that the heads of the -arrows were stretched out fan shape.</p> - -<p>The circle of savages closed in upon the explorers.</p> - -<p>The faces of the blacks increased in savagery of expression.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[73]</span></p> - -<p>They spoke a language which neither Max nor Ibrahim -understood.</p> - -<p>“We are in for it,” said Max.</p> - -<p>“We shall die,” asserted Ibrahim, solemnly. “Oh, why -did I ever come?”</p> - -<p>“To have some fun. Wait, and we will see what they -mean to do.”</p> - -<p>The savages got so close that our heroes were compelled -at times to dodge the fans of arrows, which threatened -to mar the beauty of their faces, they were so near.</p> - -<p>“It is time to stop this,” said Max, drawing his old-fashioned -revolver—a weapon which must have been one -of the first ever made, so primitive was its construction. -It had been given to Max by Sherif el Habib, who believed -it to be the most wonderful weapon ever invented.</p> - -<p>Max happened to catch sight of a monkey jumping -from tree to tree, so he put back his revolver and raised -his rifle, a more modern and more reliable weapon.</p> - -<p>The savages stood still.</p> - -<p>Surely this must be some magician or medicine man -who had come among them.</p> - -<p>That must have been the burden of their thoughts, for -they stood watching and waiting.</p> - -<p>But each man held his fan of arrows ready for use.</p> - -<p>Carefully taking aim, Max fired.</p> - -<p>The savages screamed as they heard the report, and -the monkey dropped dead.</p> - -<p>As if by the stroke of a magician’s wand the arrows -were gathered together and held under the left arm.</p> - -<p>“You conquered them,” said Ibrahim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[74]</span></p> - -<p>“It seems so; but I don’t know how we are going to -escape.”</p> - -<p>“No, nor I. What are they up to now?”</p> - -<p>The chief had said something to the tribe, and instantly -the naked, ugly representatives of the genus man, as -known in the petrified forests of Lybia, disappeared, -leaving only the chief and perhaps a dozen to guard the -white explorers.</p> - -<p>A few minutes elapsed, and again the forest was alive; -every man had brought a woman with him.</p> - -<p>The women were more repulsive looking than the men.</p> - -<p>Their backs were gashed and scarred in every direction, -while all over their bodies deep furrows had been -plowed out of the flesh.</p> - -<p>At a signal all began dancing. The men at every -movement struck the women with their spiked bracelets, -and soon the black bodies of the females were dripping -with blood.</p> - -<p>But the women made no effort to escape, but laughed -heartily when they managed to escape a more than -usually vicious blow from their loving husband’s spiked -bracelet.</p> - -<p>“Can’t we stop it?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid not.”</p> - -<p>“I would like to kill the savages.”</p> - -<p>“So would I; but we can’t, and so must endure it——”</p> - -<p>“Or run away.”</p> - -<p>“Let us try.”</p> - -<p>No sooner suggested than attempted.</p> - -<p>The dance was stopped, and the men and women alike<span class="pagenum">[75]</span> -rushed after the runaways, capturing them easily, and -holding them firmly until the dance was finished.</p> - -<p>When the dancing was concluded, the chief gave another -command.</p> - -<p>An aged woman, toothless and haggard-looking, with -only a few hairs on her head, was brought from some -mysterious place and placed against one of the stone -trees.</p> - -<p>Then the chief, by pantomimic action, showed that he -wanted Max to shoot her.</p> - -<p>To make the madcap understand, he took the dead -monkey and held it in front of the old woman, then -raised an arrow, as Max had done his gun, and pointed -it at the woman, letting the monkey fall as he did so.</p> - -<p>Max shook his head.</p> - -<p>The gesture was not understood.</p> - -<p>The chief stood by the side of Max, and raised the -rifle to the madcap’s shoulder, making a peculiar noise -with his lips as he did so.</p> - -<p>“Don’t shoot,” said Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“I am not going to do so,” answered Max, “unless I -shoot his nibs here.”</p> - -<p>“Who?” asked the Persian, not understanding the -slang expression.</p> - -<p>Max was about to explain, when a loud whoop was -given.</p> - -<p>The old woman had fallen forward—dead.</p> - -<p>Fright had killed her.</p> - -<p>But the savages believed that the white man’s magic -had ended the poor, old creature’s life.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[76]</span></p> - -<p>Max and Ibrahim were the heroes of the day.</p> - -<p>Songs of triumph—in gibberish which might mean anything—dances -of the most grotesque kind were indulged -in, and it was plain to be seen that these poor savages -were nearly mad with joy.</p> - -<p>When the excitement was at its height, Max whispered -to Ibrahim:</p> - -<p>“Let us run—but as we do so we had better point our -guns at the fellows; then they won’t follow.”</p> - -<p>Awaiting a favorable moment, the young fellows -started.</p> - -<p>The dancing stopped, and the savages went in pursuit.</p> - -<p>A shower of arrows fell round the explorers.</p> - -<p>Max turned and raised his rifle.</p> - -<p>What a change took place!</p> - -<p>Instead of a hundred warriors pursuing two young -men, a hundred backs could be seen, and every savage -was trying to break the world’s record in running, not -toward the explorers, but away from them.</p> - -<p>Max laughed so heartily, that had the savages turned, -the American would never have been able to point the -gun at them.</p> - -<p>“Come along, Max, or they may repent and follow.”</p> - -<p>Max needed no second invitation, and had a balloon -been above the forest, he would have seen a hundred -savages fleeing in one direction, as though pursued by a -regiment of well-trained soldiers, and the boys they were -afraid of, running just as fast in an opposite one.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[77]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XI">CHAPTER XI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE TRIBE OF KLATCH.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>When Ibrahim and Max returned to the camp, they -easily persuaded the Sherif el Habib to steer clear of the -petrified forest and its savage occupants.</p> - -<p>Turning to the southeast, the caravan entered upon an -oasis.</p> - -<p>After the sand which had nearly choked them, it was -pleasant to get among the tall marsh grass.</p> - -<p>It seemed strange that such a difference could exist -in so short a distance.</p> - -<p>Mile after mile of sand, without one drop of water to -be found, and then suddenly the sand would cease, and a -patch of swampy ground, perhaps covering twenty -square miles, would be entered upon.</p> - -<p>The oasis was the exact antithesis of the desert.</p> - -<p>There everything was dry, not a leaf of vegetation -visible; no water could be obtained, even by sinking deep -wells.</p> - -<p>Now, on the oasis, the land appeared to be covered -ankle deep with water.</p> - -<p>Palm and mimosa trees grew to an enormous height, -yams were found in abundance, and wild fruits and vegetables -in plenty.</p> - -<p>A river flowed through the oasis, and was the theme -of much talk and great bewilderment.</p> - -<p>“Where does it empty itself?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[78]</span></p> - -<p>“It seems to flow to the desert,” answered the Sherif -el Habib.</p> - -<p>Max looked at it intently.</p> - -<p>“I guess by the time it reaches the desert it gets so -thirsty it drinks itself all dry,” he said, speaking so -seriously that his friends thought he must have evolved -from his inner consciousness some new fact in nature.</p> - -<p>Girzilla danced in the water. She was like a child -paddling in the surf at the seashore.</p> - -<p>“Would that my father could see this,” she exclaimed, -and when asked to repeat, she replied:</p> - -<p>“Nothing, nothing! I was only thinking.”</p> - -<p>The mysterious girl could never be induced to say anything -about her parentage or kith.</p> - -<p>She had left her tribe or home, and was loyal to Max -and his friends.</p> - -<p>She never seemed to have a thought away from them.</p> - -<p>The camels were at first delighted at meeting with the -water, but after loading up with the refreshing liquid, -they treated the water with haughty disdain, treading -lazily along without a care.</p> - -<p>Following the banks of the stream they found the grass -getting greener, but shorter, and the water less deep.</p> - -<p>After an hour’s march through the marsh grass they -reached a little hillock well adapted for encampment, being -perfectly dry, and the grass green and soft.</p> - -<p>But just as the eunuch Effendi had given orders for -the tents to be pitched, Max came running back to his -friends, declaring that there were plenty of savages to -keep them company.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[79]</span></p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib, accompanied by Ibrahim and guided -by Max, went to look at the savages.</p> - -<p>Across the little stream they saw large herds of cattle, -tended by naked natives.</p> - -<p>The grass was so high that, as the cattle and natives -moved about, they appeared as if they were in water.</p> - -<p>Sherif motioned for the natives to approach, and timidly -they did so.</p> - -<p>He held up some strings of glass beads, and the untutored -Africans shouted for joy.</p> - -<p>Never had the party seen more miserable-looking creatures.</p> - -<p>Every bone showed through their skin, and they were -evidently half starved.</p> - -<p>They would not kill the cattle, and only ate one when -it happened to die of sickness.</p> - -<p>“What do you eat?” asked Sherif, and was delighted -to think that he could make himself understood.</p> - -<p>“Rats, snakes, lizards, and fish,” was the reply.</p> - -<p>The fish, they found, were caught by spearing, the -natives casting the harpoon at random among the reeds; -thus, out of several hundred casts, they might, by good -luck, catch one fish.</p> - -<p>The natives said the chief’s name was Klatch, and -Sherif sent for him.</p> - -<p>A few minutes and a tall, well-formed man appeared, -accompanied by two women.</p> - -<p>Klatch wore a leopard skin across his shoulders, and -a skull cap of white beads, with a crest of white ostrich<span class="pagenum">[80]</span> -feathers; but the mantle which was slung across his -shoulders was his only attempt at clothing.</p> - -<p>He spoke of one of the women as his wife, and the -other as his daughter.</p> - -<p>“What want you?” asked Klatch.</p> - -<p>“We seek the white man’s mahdi,” answered Sherif -el Habib, solemnly.</p> - -<p>“What you give for him?” asked Klatch, not comprehending -the question.</p> - -<p>It was in vain that Sherif tried to explain.</p> - -<p>The more he tried, the more obscure did his meaning -appear.</p> - -<p>At last Klatch thought he understood, and taking his -daughter by the shoulders, gave her a push toward -Sherif.</p> - -<p>“She is yours; give Klatch beads and feathers.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim laughed heartily at the mistake.</p> - -<p>“Uncle, you have bought the dusky maiden; what will -you do with her?”</p> - -<p>Sherif was amazed.</p> - -<p>His religious fervor was dampened.</p> - -<p>He explained to Klatch that he did not want his daughter, -but the chief could not, or would not, understand.</p> - -<p>A compromise was reached, Sherif purchasing the girl, -and then giving her back again to her father.</p> - -<p>When night came it was pleasant to sleep on the thick -green turf, and all the party—save only Effendi—slept -soundly.</p> - -<p>As for Effendi, he imagined everyone was going to<span class="pagenum">[81]</span> -kill his master, and, therefore, he kept awake, or at least -only allowed himself short intervals of sleep.</p> - -<p>When Sherif el Habib emerged from his tent in the -morning, he saw the chief’s daughter lying across the -entrance fast asleep.</p> - -<p>She had gone to her purchaser, and no doubt the poor -girl felt that she would be far happier with the white man -than with her own people.</p> - -<p>All day the natives came to the camp, carrying small -gourd shells to receive gifts of corn.</p> - -<p>Sherif treated them so generously that the poor, half-starved -blacks fell down before him and kissed his feet.</p> - -<p>Max thought of doing a stroke of business on his own -account, by offering to purchase a bull or a cow.</p> - -<p>But the natives would not sell.</p> - -<p>Exasperated, Max raised his gun and shot an animal, -unfortunately a sacred bull.</p> - -<p>He was instantly surrounded by the natives who -howled and yelled at him, threatening to tear him in -pieces and drink his blood.</p> - -<p>He learned that to every herd of cattle, Klatch’s tribe -had a sacred bull, who was supposed to exert an influence -over the prosperity of the flock.</p> - -<p>The horns of the sacred bull were ornamented with -tufts of feathers and strings of shells, which jingled as -he moved along.</p> - -<p>Every morning the natives addressed the bull in the -cattle kraal, bidding him keep the cows from straying, -and to see that they found the best grass, so that they -could give the most milk.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[82]</span></p> - -<p>It was one of the sacred bulls that Max had killed.</p> - -<p>Klatch, hearing the howling, went to see what had so -disturbed his people.</p> - -<p>When they saw the chief, they clamored for Max’s -death.</p> - -<p>“He killed the sacred bull,” said one.</p> - -<p>“Then he dies,” answered the chief.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib offered to pay for the animal, but no -amount of beads or rings, shells or jewelry, would purchase -a sacred bull.</p> - -<p>Max must die.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim asked how Max had killed the bull.</p> - -<p>The natives said he had speared him.</p> - -<p>“Where is my spear?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>They pointed to his gun.</p> - -<p>He raised it and showed that it was no spear at all.</p> - -<p>The bull was dead.</p> - -<p>That did not admit of any doubt.</p> - -<p>But how did it die?</p> - -<p>Klatch was so curious that he told Max he might kill -a cow, if he could do so without a spear.</p> - -<p>Max had a repeating gun, an old-fashioned one, but -still better than an old musket.</p> - -<p>He singled out a cow, raised his gun to his shoulder, -the natives watching him. There was a puff of smoke, -a flash, a loud report, and the cow dropped dead.</p> - -<p>It was a miracle.</p> - -<p>“Another!” cried Klatch, and Max, who anticipated -some good beefsteaks as his reward, picked off a bull -who was looking at him very steadily.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[83]</span></p> - -<p>As a reward for these miracles Max was given the -first bull, and the other dead animals were divided among -the natives.</p> - -<p>After two days rest the caravan resumed its journey, -Klatch and the entire tribe pleading hard to go with -Sherif.</p> - -<p>When the caravan rested after the next day’s journey, -Sherif found the chief’s daughter sleeping by his tent. -She had followed in the distance and under cover of -the night reached the pasha’s tent.</p> - -<p>Sherif ordered her back, but she refused to return, and -he threatened to use force to compel her.</p> - -<p>She explained that according to the custom of her -people she would be killed.</p> - -<p>If a girl was sold to a man, and he repented of his -bargain, the girl must die.</p> - -<p>“But I sold you back again,” said Sherif.</p> - -<p>The girl wept as bitterly as ever did white woman, but -Sherif was obdurate, and when she did return it was -easy to see that she expected she was going to her death.</p> - -<p>Whether she was killed or allowed to live, our party -of pilgrims never discovered.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XII">CHAPTER XII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">“WHAT SAYS GIRZILLA?”</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“I would like to know where that river empties itself,” -said Max.</p> - -<p>“We will follow its course, if you like,” answered -Sherif el Habib, good-naturedly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[84]</span></p> - -<p>“That will suit me,” assented Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“What says Girzilla?”</p> - -<p>Girzilla had become a most important factor to consider.</p> - -<p>She had conversed with the Persian shawl manufacturer, -and had told him she believed that Mameluke -blood ran in her veins.</p> - -<p>This set Sherif thinking.</p> - -<p>The Mamelukes were originally slaves, brought from -the Caucasus.</p> - -<p>When Selim the First overthrew the Mameluke kingdom -in 1517, he was compelled to allow twenty-four of -their number to remain governors of provinces.</p> - -<p>Ten of these beys were Arabians, and rumor declared -that at least three of them were descended from the -Prophet Mahomet.</p> - -<p>To find the last of the Mamelukes was an important -step, for he would have the record of his race, and might -direct the pilgrims to the mahdi, who was shortly expected.</p> - -<p>Girzilla could help them in this, if she really possessed -Mameluke blood, for she would know the signs and signals -which bound together that most powerful body -of men.</p> - -<p>The Mamelukes were a brotherhood, having secret -signs, and possessed of all the fraternal strength of the -Free Masons.</p> - -<p>That was the reason Sherif asked the question:</p> - -<p>“What says Girzilla?”</p> - -<p>The girl smiled, sadly.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[85]</span></p> - -<p>“I am away from my people; they mourn me as dead. -I am thy slave, do with me as thou wilt—I am thine.”</p> - -<p>“No, Girzilla, not mine,” said Sherif; “if thou dost belong -to anyone, ’tis to Max, the audacious young madcap.”</p> - -<p>A tinge of carmine suffused itself over the girl’s face, -and she bent down her head.</p> - -<p>“He careth not. I am not of his race; the sun doth not -care for the dark—I am dark——”</p> - -<p>“But comely,” quickly added Max, quoting from Solomon. -“I do care for thee, Girzilla. I——”</p> - -<p>“Nay, I understand thee. I will lead thee or go with -thee—but it is great Sherif el Habib who is the master. -As he pleases so I wilt do.”</p> - -<p>Had this child of the desert, around whose life there -was so much of mystery, learned the lessons of coquetry -and flattery?</p> - -<p>She pleased the old merchant, and so infatuated did he -become, that he took Max on one side, and in a mysterious -manner whispered:</p> - -<p>“I have solved it.”</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“Girzilla.”</p> - -<p>“Have you discovered who she is?”</p> - -<p>“No, but who she is going to be.”</p> - -<p>Max started. A crimson tide passed through the veins -of his face.</p> - -<p>In a whisper he asked:</p> - -<p>“Who is she to be?”</p> - -<p>“Ibrahim shall marry her.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[86]</span></p> - -<p>The union would be a good one. The marriage of a -Persian with an Arabian could not be considered a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">mesalliance</i>, -at least as regards race; but to Max there was a -certain pride of rank which would be outraged.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was worth, perhaps, a million dollars, Girzilla -nothing; the Persian took rank as a pasha in his own -land, while who knew anything about Girzilla?</p> - -<p>The silver bands she wore round her arms and ankles -betokened rank, but might not her father be a bandit, and -bedecked his child with them?</p> - -<p>Girzilla was well educated, but even that was an objection -to Max’s mind, for he could not help thinking -that, perhaps, she was educated to serve as a decoy for -the robber band.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib was surprised at the young American’s -silence.</p> - -<p>“If thou wouldst marry her yourself——”</p> - -<p>“I, an American, marry an Arab?”</p> - -<p>“My dear fellow,” said Sherif el Habib, earnestly, “you -of all men oughtn’t to think her race an objection.”</p> - -<p>“And why?”</p> - -<p>“Simply because your minister to Teheran told me that -the great strength of your nation laid in the fact that you -declared and recognized ‘that all are born free and -equal.’”</p> - -<p>Max knew not what to say. He had been confronted -with that very difficulty before.</p> - -<p>His father had told him that instead of being a reality, -the present generation treated the time-honored declaration -as a theory, very beautiful, but impractical.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[87]</span></p> - -<p>Alas! there is too much truth in that statement of -Merchant Gordon.</p> - -<p>Max knew not what to answer.</p> - -<p>He was in a peculiar humor. Like the dog who did not -want the bone, he was angry at any other dog getting it, -and so Max, while he would not marry Girzilla, was -furious and jealous at the thought of Ibrahim claiming -her as his wife.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib walked back to the camp, and orders -were given to follow the course of the stream.</p> - -<p>For four hours the march was continued through the -long grass.</p> - -<p>It was almost as wearisome as journeying across the -sand.</p> - -<p>After two hours journey on the next day, a quagmire -prevented them from following the stream, and they had -to make a detour to the right.</p> - -<p>The river was kept in sight, however, and for two -days it could be seen flowing briskly along toward the -realm of illimitable sand.</p> - -<p>“Where is the river?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>The mystery increased.</p> - -<p>The river seemed to end abruptly in a sand bank.</p> - -<p>It was true.</p> - -<p>All vegetation ceased; the oasis had been crossed.</p> - -<p>The green grass was to give way to dry sand.</p> - -<p>That did not surprise them.</p> - -<p>They expected it, but what puzzled them was that a -little stream, rising from springs at one end of the rectangular -oasis, had swollen into a river, whose rippling<span class="pagenum">[88]</span> -waves showed a strong current, and when some great -lake was expected, or another river, of which it might -be tributary, nothing was found but sand.</p> - -<p>“It was all a mirage,” suggested Max.</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Why, we only imagined the river.”</p> - -<p>“You are a fool!” angrily exclaimed Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“Thank you; we are brothers,” retorted Max.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim laughed, and acknowledged that Max had the -best of it.</p> - -<p>“Seriously, though, there was a river and the water -must empty itself somewhere.”</p> - -<p>“Of course.”</p> - -<p>“Well, where does it go to?”</p> - -<p>“To the place where it empties itself,” answered Max.</p> - -<p>“Confound you, Max! be serious. Who knows but -that we are on the verge of a great discovery?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; and that we may be heralded all over the world -as the mighty explorers who found the river Ibrahim, -which had its rise in an atom of sand, and flowed into -the lake of nothing.”</p> - -<p>Then, pausing, he suddenly slapped Ibrahim on the -shoulder.</p> - -<p>“Say, wouldn’t we make money as lecturers? You -should go as the great Persian pasha, warranted genuine; -while I would introduce you——”</p> - -<p>“Boys, there is a mystery here,” said Sherif el Habib, -coming up at the time; “and if I were your age——”</p> - -<p>“So you are, pasha,” said Max.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[89]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, my boy, and older. But if I were young I -would find a way to solve the mystery.”</p> - -<p>“May we try it?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; and may Allah and the Prophet guide you.”</p> - -<p>“But what says Girzilla?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“She is willing,” responded Sherif, solemnly.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIII">CHAPTER XIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">DANGEROUS JESTS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Sherif el Habib, having chosen a camping ground in -the oasis, and being supplied with provisions enough for -several months, agreed to wait for the return of the young -explorers.</p> - -<p>No sooner were Max and Ibrahim away from the camp -than they felt like boys.</p> - -<p>They were their own masters, and not only that, but -they had two Arabs with them as stewards and porters.</p> - -<p>Provisions for two weeks were packed into convenient -form, and the four started.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim insisted on Max taking the lead, the very -thing not to do, for Max was venturesome, and when -freed from restraint a perfect madcap. However, Ibrahim -believed in him most implicitly, and it was agreed -that Max should be captain.</p> - -<p>The madcap had seen, some hours journey back, a boat, -and to it they went.</p> - -<p>A native, who was fishing, objected to them having it,<span class="pagenum">[90]</span> -but a few beads and a china doll were considered a -princely recompense, and Max became the owner of the -boat.</p> - -<p>He asked the native where the river led to, and was -told that in the great quagmire was a fire that had been -burning for hundreds of moons, and it took all the water -to keep the fire down; if the water stopped the whole -world would be burned up, and, added the native, naïvely:</p> - -<p>“Even Klatch would be burned.”</p> - -<p>And the terrible climax made the naked savage look so -frightened that Max burst into an uncontrollable fit of -laughter.</p> - -<p>“Did you ever see the fire?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“No, no! but Baas must not ask.”</p> - -<p>“We are going to see it; will you come?”</p> - -<p>“No, no.”</p> - -<p>“Will give you beads.”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“China doll”—holding another up to view.</p> - -<p>“No, no, no!”</p> - -<p>The answer was very emphatic, and the man looked the -very personification of fear.</p> - -<p>The boat was a good, strong dugout.</p> - -<p>A log of the talha, a species of mimosa tree, had been -hollowed out with rude tools.</p> - -<p>This dugout formed one of the strongest kinds of -canoe or boat known in Africa.</p> - -<p>There was room for seven or eight in it, and Max, out -of a pure spirit of mischief, determined that the naked -native should be one of the party.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[91]</span></p> - -<p>The man objected, but the Arabs seized him by the -arms and legs and lifted him into the boat.</p> - -<p>The poor fellow trembled as though he had one of -those terrible agues so prevalent in some countries, and -which makes one:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“Shake! shake! shake! -</div><div class="indent0">Shudder, and cower, and quake, -</div><div class="indent0">Till every nerve has its separate quiver, -</div><div class="indent0">And every sinew its separate shiver, -</div><div class="indent0">And every bone its particular ache; -</div><div class="indent0">For either he or the chill must break! -</div></div><div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“Shake! shake! shake! -</div><div class="indent0">Till joints are loose and sinews slack, -</div><div class="indent0">Till every bone is a torturing thing, -</div><div class="indent0">And every nerve is a hornet’s sting, -</div><div class="indent0">While up and down the weary back -</div><div class="indent0">An army of icebergs, stern and solemn, -</div><div class="indent0">Marches along the spinal column.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>That was just how poor, wild Klatchman—as he called -himself—felt when he was lifted into the boat and held -there by fear that Max would kill him if he attempted -to move.</p> - -<p>The man gave himself up for lost, and bade farewell -by gestures to the cows and the sacred bulls, to his tribe -and his kindred.</p> - -<p>The Arabs bent themselves to the oars and the boat -seemed to fly along.</p> - -<p>The water was rough.</p> - -<p>At times waves buffeted the boat and rocked it as if it -were a paper shell.</p> - -<p>The oars were needed, not to propel the boat, but -rather to prevent it going too fast.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[92]</span></p> - -<p>“Hurrah for the rapids!” shouted Max, but Ibrahim -was getting scared.</p> - -<p>“Pull us to the land,” he commanded, but Max was in -for mischief.</p> - -<p>“Don’t do it. On we go,” and then he began to sing:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="stanza"> -<div class="indentquote0">“A life on the ocean wave, -</div><div class="indent0">A home on the rolling deep.” -</div></div></div></div> - -<p>Poor Klatchman overcame his fear of Max and jumped -out of the boat.</p> - -<p>A big, powerful fellow—swimming like a fish—he tried -to reach the land.</p> - -<p>The current was too strong.</p> - -<p>He struck out vigorously, but was carried along backward.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was so frightened that he threatened to -jump out.</p> - -<p>“Don’t do it,” implored Max.</p> - -<p>But Ibrahim was determined and Max was afraid that -not only would the native perish, but that his Persian -friend would be sacrificed also.</p> - -<p>“It is only a joke,” said Max, “we will pull back now.”</p> - -<p>“And Klatchman?”</p> - -<p>“He will catch up to us.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim sat down again, and Max ordered the Arabs to -pull back to the place from which they started.</p> - -<p>A few strokes and Ibrahim again interfered.</p> - -<p>“Save the poor wretch, Max, for my sake.”</p> - -<p>“If you like, but Klatcher can catch up to us; it is good -to give him a scare.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[93]</span></p> - -<p>“Please save him.”</p> - -<p>Max laughed long and heartily.</p> - -<p>“How serious you are. One would think we were in -the rapids of Niagara.”</p> - -<p>“My dear fellow—Klatchman is a human being——”</p> - -<p>“Is he?”</p> - -<p>“Of course he is.”</p> - -<p>“Thought perhaps he was Darwin’s missing link.”</p> - -<p>Max may appear to the reader to have been thoroughly -heartless, but he was not.</p> - -<p>For weeks he had curbed his spirit of fun and had -played no practical jokes.</p> - -<p>Now he had a chance to frighten the poor savage and -Ibrahim at the same time.</p> - -<p>That was his only idea. If he had thought poor Klatchman -was in any danger he would have been the first to -have even risked his life to rescue him; but in the first -place he did not believe in the danger, and then he looked -upon the savage much as he would upon a Newfoundland -dog—one quite as much at home in the water as out of it.</p> - -<p>“Never mind what he is,” said Ibrahim, “don’t be -heartless, Max. Save the poor wretch.”</p> - -<p>Max looked round and saw that the native had resigned -himself to his fate.</p> - -<p>He had ceased to make any effort to save himself.</p> - -<p>“Look, Ib. It’s a whirlpool, by all that’s holy!”</p> - -<p>Max was right; Klatchman’s body was being whirled -round at a furious rate.</p> - -<p>“If only he had a torch in his hand he would look like -a Fourth of July pin-wheel,” continued the madcap.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[94]</span></p> - -<p>Turning to the Arabs, he said:</p> - -<p>“Pull to the wretch and drag him into the boat.”</p> - -<p>“It is not safe, your excellency.”</p> - -<p>“Tush! do as you are told.”</p> - -<p>The men bent to the oars and pulled toward the whirlpool, -but no sooner had they changed the position of the -boat than it seemed to fly over the water, borne along -by some fierce current below the surface.</p> - -<p>“This is awful,” exclaimed Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“Awfully jolly, you mean,” replied the American.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid.”</p> - -<p>“Are you? Whyou!” whistled Max, “but we are in -for it now.”</p> - -<p>He was right; the boat whirled round like a teetotum.</p> - -<p>It was useless to try and manage it.</p> - -<p>“Great Scott! What a race.”</p> - -<p>Max could scarcely get enough breath to speak, but -even then he was more than delighted.</p> - -<p>There was the African whirling round in a smaller -circle, while the boat was going equally fast in a larger -one around him.</p> - -<p>“Jewilikins! what was that?”</p> - -<p>Even Max turned sick when he knew what it was.</p> - -<p>The boat had struck Klatchman such a blow on the -head that the poor creature’s brains were spattered all -over the boat.</p> - -<p>“Good-by, Max!” gasped Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“Good-by, old fellow! I have brought you to death, but -I didn’t mean to do so.”</p> - -<p>“I forgive you. Poor Girzilla!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[95]</span></p> - -<p>One of the Arabs had fainted with fright, and before -either of his comrades or Max could reach forward to -save him, he had fallen out of the boat and was dashed to -pieces in the whirlpool.</p> - -<p>“Gone only a few minutes before us,” Max groaned, -now thoroughly serious and alive to his fate.</p> - -<p>Was it imagination?</p> - -<p>Were their senses so numbed that they did not feel the -dizzying whirl of the boat, or had the boat suddenly become -stationary?</p> - -<p>Ibrahim looked with bloodshot eyes at Max.</p> - -<p>The madcap returned the look, equally puzzled as to -what had taken place.</p> - -<p>They had reached the very center of the whirlpool, and -the fury of the whirling waters had spent themselves.</p> - -<p>Like the famous Moskoestrom or Maelstrom, off the -Norwegian coast, the center was calm and still, while the -outer rings were lashed everything with the greatest -fury.</p> - -<p>Like that European whirlpool, the smaller African one -seemed to get tired and have a period of rest.</p> - -<p>“Pull back, boys,” said Max, when he saw that Ibrahim -had seized the oar the dead Arab had let fall.</p> - -<p>Both bent themselves with their whole strength to the -oars, and the boat moved as they willed it.</p> - -<p>“Change places with me—let me pull!” exclaimed Max.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was nothing loath to do so, and he took the -rudely-shaped paddle from Max, which he had used to -guide the boat in place of a rudder.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[96]</span></p> - -<p>The American was stronger than either the Persian or -the Arab, and the force of his oar soon made itself felt.</p> - -<p>The outer ring of the now quiescent whirlpool was -reached, and Max uttered devoutly the words:</p> - -<p>“Thank Heaven!”</p> - -<p>While Ibrahim, after the manner of his people, exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised! <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Sin Syu!</i>”</p> - -<p>Which latter was equivalent to saying:</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised! I have said it!”</p> - -<p>“We have not found the outlet of the river,” said Max.</p> - -<p>“No, nor don’t want to.”</p> - -<p>“I do, and I have already named the whirlpool ‘the -Ibrahim.’”</p> - -<p>“Thanks for the honor. But let us get back to uncle, -and—Girzilla.”</p> - -<p>“My dear fellow, you are in love with the pretty Egyptian. -How she will listen to your ‘hairbreadth ’scapes on -sea and land.’”</p> - -<p>“Hush! we are drifting.”</p> - -<p>“Drifting isn’t the word for it, we are going thirty -miles an hour. Pull, you lazy Arab, pull!”</p> - -<p>Max exerted all his strength.</p> - -<p>The Arab became purple in the face with the strain.</p> - -<p>On both the perspiration stood in great drops; their -sinews were like huge cords stretched under the skin.</p> - -<p>“Snap!”</p> - -<p>And as the sound broke upon his ears, both Max and -Ibrahim groaned aloud.</p> - -<p>An oar had broken.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[97]</span></p> - -<p>“The paddle, quick!”</p> - -<p>Max seized the badly-shaped paddle, and tried to use -it like an oar.</p> - -<p>In vain.</p> - -<p>The Arab’s oar was broken, and the boat and its occupants -were at the mercy of the cruel river.</p> - -<p>Where was it taking them?</p> - -<p>Not to the whirlpool.</p> - -<p>That was passed long ago.</p> - -<p>They could see it again as they looked back.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim reached out his hand to seize a branch of a -mimosa tree, but his effort was in vain.</p> - -<p>“See, what is that? Oh, Allah!” exclaimed the Persian -as he saw the face of the dead Arab close to the -boat, with its eyes open, and peering into the face of the -young chief.</p> - -<p>“It is horrible!” groaned Max.</p> - -<p>On sped the boat, faster and yet faster.</p> - -<p>The living Arab was the picture of stoicism.</p> - -<p>He sat erect, his arms folded, the turban on his head -scarcely wrinkled; but his teeth were clinched together, -and he awaited death.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim had passed through the terror of the valley of -the shadow of death, and had mentally wished his uncle -farewell.</p> - -<p>As for Max, he was occupied thinking of a way to -escape.</p> - -<p>And yet a few minutes of life only remained to them.</p> - -<p>The water had changed to dull, heavy red in color.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[98]</span></p> - -<p>All along the banks Max could see the quagmire the -caravan had avoided.</p> - -<p>But the boat sped on so rapidly that nothing definite -could be noted.</p> - -<p>It seemed the boat was going uphill, but of course that -was imagination.</p> - -<p>A few yards before them was tall marsh grass growing -in the water.</p> - -<p>“Our troubles are at an end,” gasped Max, catching -his breath, as he spoke.</p> - -<p>The boat tossed slightly.</p> - -<p>A sudden lurch, and the small dugout, with its three -occupants, was precipitated over a cataract, a seething -cauldron of hissing, sputtering, bubbling water!</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIV">CHAPTER XIV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE SUBTERRANEAN RIVER.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The sudden shooting of the cataract, the wild plunge -into the water beneath, had taken away their breath, and -neither Max nor Ibrahim was able to speak.</p> - -<p>Instinctively, the three men caught hold tightly of the -sides of the dugout, and it was well that they did so, and -maintained their grip like grim death.</p> - -<p>The boat rolled over and over, constantly righting -itself, and its occupants got more baths in a few minutes -than they cared for.</p> - -<p>They found the water quite warm, which was some<span class="pagenum">[99]</span> -consolation, for had it been icy cold they would have been -unable to retain their hold upon the boat.</p> - -<p>How the water came tumbling down! All sorts of -strange noises were made in its descent.</p> - -<p>To Max and Ibrahim it seemed that ten thousand peals -of thunder had impressed themselves on the tympanum -of their ears. The Arab might have been a statue of -marble.</p> - -<p>He clutched the boat with both hands, but his features -were as rigid as death. He had his eyes and mouth -closed tightly, and had it not been for the swelling of -his bosom he might have been thought dead.</p> - -<p>Every time the boat was submerged it was carried -further away from the cataract, and in a very few minutes—but -the few minutes seemed an eternity—the water -grew calmer and the boat more steady.</p> - -<p>Then it was that they opened their eyes.</p> - -<p>“Am I blind?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“Am I?” echoed Max.</p> - -<p>The Arab was asked if he could see anything, and he -answered in the negative.</p> - -<p>“Then we are blind!” Max solemnly asserted.</p> - -<p>“Why so?”</p> - -<p>“We cannot see.”</p> - -<p>“True.”</p> - -<p>“Is not that sufficient evidence?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because we may be underground.”</p> - -<p>“You mean——?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[100]</span></p> - -<p>“That we are on the breast of a subterranean river, -flowing under the desert.”</p> - -<p>“You mean it?”</p> - -<p>“Is it not as probable as that we are all blind?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so.”</p> - -<p>The water was as calm as a stagnant pool. Scarcely a -ripple passed over its surface.</p> - -<p>And yet the boat was borne along quietly and slowly.</p> - -<p>Max had recovered his good spirits, and with them his -appetite.</p> - -<p>“I am hungry.”</p> - -<p>“So am I.”</p> - -<p>“Let us refresh.”</p> - -<p>Fortunately the packages of food were all incased in -waterproof covering, a precaution which should always -be taken by explorers. One of the packages was unfastened -from the Arab’s back, and a thoroughly good -repast was partaken by all three.</p> - -<p>“I feel ever so much braver,” said Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“Yes, there is a great satisfaction in having a full -stomach.”</p> - -<p>“How do you feel, Selim?”</p> - -<p>The man groaned, wearily, and in a quaint manner -told his master that he felt bad.</p> - -<p>“I shall die,” he said, “and I don’t want to do so. Before -I ate salt with your excellency I wanted to die, but -now—I don’t like it at all.”</p> - -<p>The Arab had been so miserable that all terror had -been removed from the thought of death. His appetite<span class="pagenum">[101]</span> -satisfied, his love of life grew stronger, and the very -thought of his impending fate was horrible.</p> - -<p>“Hold my hand,” suddenly exclaimed Max.</p> - -<p>“What are you going to do?”</p> - -<p>“Never mind; I want to stand up, and this confounded -boat is so shaky I am afraid I’ll fall over into the water.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim grasped Max around the legs, while Selim -held one hand.</p> - -<p>Max raised the other above his head.</p> - -<p>He was trying if he could touch anything which would -satisfy him that they were really drifting through a -tunnel.</p> - -<p>But he could not reach anything. If he really were in -a subterranean cave or passage, the roof was too lofty -for him to reach.</p> - -<p>On went the boat, its speed gradually increasing.</p> - -<p>Its occupants were victims of fate.</p> - -<p>They were without paddle or oar, and had positively -no means of guiding or directing the boat.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim put his hand into the water, and exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“It is hot!”</p> - -<p>Max repeated the experiment, and found that the water -was many degrees warmer than it had been.</p> - -<p>“What do you make of it?” Max asked.</p> - -<p>“That the air being more confined causes the water to -be warmer.”</p> - -<p>“Absurd! It would be the exact opposite of that. The -water ought to be colder.”</p> - -<p>“What is your theory?”</p> - -<p>“We are approaching a boiling spring.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[102]</span></p> - -<p>“That is a pleasant reflection—see, can you discern -anything?”</p> - -<p>Max looked all around, but failed to see anything.</p> - -<p>“Am I imagining a rosy tint in the distance?”</p> - -<p>“Excellency, pasha, bey!” exclaimed Selim, utterly bewildered -as to his choice of titles.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Selim?”</p> - -<p>“Fire!”</p> - -<p>“Where?”</p> - -<p>“Right ahead!”</p> - -<p>All three looked in the direction the boat was drifting, -and saw unmistakable evidences of a big fire.</p> - -<p>“Klatchee was right, the water runs to the fire,” -said Max.</p> - -<p>“We are not blind, are we?”</p> - -<p>“No; see the falls. Jewilikins, what beauty!”</p> - -<p>The light from the fire was now so great that they -could see the walls and roof of the immense tunnel they -were in.</p> - -<p>The rocks glistened as if bestudded with millions of -gems; huge stalactites hung from the roof, each one -like a glittering diamond or dazzling emerald.</p> - -<p>The water was a river of precious stones, for every -gem, every stalactite, each piece of quartz, was reflected -in the clear, pellucid stream, giving it the appearance of a -sheet of glass besprinkled with gems of the greatest value.</p> - -<p>“The palace of Aladdin contained not so many gems!” -Ibrahim exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“I wish this was in America and belonged to me,” -said Max.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[103]</span></p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“I would make millions out of it.”</p> - -<p>“Inshallah! Isn’t it hot?”</p> - -<p>The perspiration poured from them in pints.</p> - -<p>They steamed as the heat dried their wet clothes, and, -as the vapor arose, it acted like a prism, and made innumerable -rainbows in the cave.</p> - -<p>“Better be drowned than burned,” said Ibrahim. “I -shall jump overboard.”</p> - -<p>“And be boiled,” laughed Max, who had just put his -hand into the water and felt that the skin had been -taken off.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim put down his hand, but gave a shriek, weird -and unearthly, as he found the water was many degrees -hotter than human flesh could stand.</p> - -<p>The heat was getting unbearable, but escape there was -none.</p> - -<p>“Ib, old fellow, I brought you to this.”</p> - -<p>“By Allah! it is not so.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, it is.”</p> - -<p>“No, old chap. Uncle Sherif suggested it.”</p> - -<p>“But he did not know——”</p> - -<p>“Did you?”</p> - -<p>“No, but——”</p> - -<p>“Well, then, how can you be responsible?”</p> - -<p>“What are we to do?”</p> - -<p>“Say our prayers and die.”</p> - -<p>“I should like—you won’t mind, will you, Ib?—it is a -custom—I should like to shake hands with you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[104]</span></p> - -<p>“You silly fellow, give me your hand. You feel better -now?”</p> - -<p>“Yes—and yours, Selim. We are all in the same -boat.”</p> - -<p>They were nearly suffocated.</p> - -<p>The air was filled with sulphur.</p> - -<p>“Throw your coat over your head, Max, and let us die -like men.”</p> - -<p>The three hastily muffled up their faces and awaited -death.</p> - -<p>Each mumbled something—perhaps their prayers.</p> - -<p>“I shall soon be with you, father,” Max said.</p> - -<p>“Poor Girzilla! how bright life seemed by your side,” -were the last words Max heard Ibrahim utter, as he -muffled up his face.</p> - -<p>Selim called on Allah, and with Oriental indifference -waited the solution of the great mystery of the hereafter.</p> - -<p>The boat began to rock violently. Something was -agitating the water.</p> - -<p>“Good-by, Ib,” Max called out, but there was no answer.</p> - -<p>The Persian was unconscious.</p> - -<p>A strange, nervous fear took possession of Max.</p> - -<p>How can it be accounted for?</p> - -<p>He was afraid the boat would capsize, and he would -be drowned.</p> - -<p>And as he clutched the side of the boat with tenacious -grip, he prayed that he might not fall overboard, and<span class="pagenum">[105]</span> -yet he felt certain his life would be ended by fire in a -few minutes.</p> - -<p>It is recorded by one of the great English generals who -was in India at the time of the mutiny—1859—that a -sepoy on his way to execution, was scared at the thought -of accidental death.</p> - -<p>The sentence had been, that he was to be tied to the -muzzle of a cannon, and blown to pieces.</p> - -<p>Horrible as the death was to be, the man saw, or -fancied he saw, an English soldier level his gun at him.</p> - -<p>He became hysterical.</p> - -<p>His shrieks rent the air.</p> - -<p>He was asked what had so suddenly unnerved him.</p> - -<p>He pointed to the soldier, who was only practicing the -manual of arms, and gasped out nervously that he was -afraid the gun might go off and he would be killed.</p> - -<p>And yet ten minutes later that very man assisted his -executioners to strap him to the cannon which was to -blow him into eternity.</p> - -<p>It was so with Max.</p> - -<p>He had nerved himself for death in the flames to which -the boat was speeding, but he was afraid he might fall -overboard and be drowned.</p> - -<p>Selim sat as rigid as stone.</p> - -<p>Save the movement of his chest no sign of life was perceptible.</p> - -<p>As if by magic the air became cooler, the boat rocked -less violently, there was but a slight rumbling to be heard,<span class="pagenum">[106]</span> -but in its place a sizzing, as if gas was being forced -through an open pipe.</p> - -<p>“What does it mean?” thought Max. “The end has -come. Good-by, world—good-by.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XV">CHAPTER XV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">IN THE VOLCANO’S MOUTH.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>But gradually a belief stole into the American’s mind -that the end was not yet.</p> - -<p>The water had become calm.</p> - -<p>Max, while keeping his right hand firm on the side of -the boat, gradually threw off the covering from his head.</p> - -<p>A sight met his gaze which caused him to shiver with -fear.</p> - -<p>Above his head he could see the clear, blue Oriental -sky and the bright, twinkling stars.</p> - -<p>A shaft, yet not regularly made, but one excavated by -volcanic action, rose above him.</p> - -<p>It seemed hundreds of feet to the top.</p> - -<p>The boat was resting placidly on the water, if the -strange-looking liquid could be called by such a name.</p> - -<p>Strange looking!</p> - -<p>But few ever saw a lake or river like unto it.</p> - -<p>That there was water was not a matter of doubt, but -in it floated strange-looking lizards and fishes.</p> - -<p>Pieces of stone, or glass, seemed as buoyant as the fish -themselves.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[107]</span></p> - -<p>Curiosity got the better of fear, and Max grabbed one -of the fish as it floated by.</p> - -<p>He dropped it in the boat, and it broke in two.</p> - -<p>It was petrified, or rather changed into lava.</p> - -<p>“Girzilla! Girzilla! my own—my love! Fit queen of -my household, where art thou?”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was talking in his delirium.</p> - -<p>“Get up, old fellow; stop your dreaming!” shouted -Max so loudly that he was startled by the sound of his -own voice.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim moved so uneasily that Max was afraid he -would capsize the boat.</p> - -<p>He held him firmly on his seat, and shouted in his ear:</p> - -<p>“Wake up!”</p> - -<p>“Where am I?”</p> - -<p>“Uncover your head and see.”</p> - -<p>When Ibrahim was sufficiently awake to do so, he was -as charmed as if he had awoke in an enchanted land.</p> - -<p>“Allah be praised!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“Yes, old fellow, but how are we going to get out?”</p> - -<p>“Allah will save us.”</p> - -<p>“I believe it, Ib; but we have a saying in my country -that ‘God helps only those who try to help themselves.’”</p> - -<p>“Where is the fire?” asked the Persian, not noticing -the American’s quotation.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know, but I have an idea.”</p> - -<p>“What is it?”</p> - -<p>“The fire we saw was an erratic eruption of some volcano. -We are in the crater——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[108]</span></p> - -<p>“Wha-at?”</p> - -<p>“We are in the crater, I repeat, at the present time. -The boat is stationary, and if——”</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“If the eruption starts again we shall go ge-whiz, ker-slush, -up there.”</p> - -<p>As Max spoke Ibrahim looked up the shaft and shuddered.</p> - -<p>The slang expressions used by Max had raised him -much in the estimation of the Persian, for he imagined -the American was speaking in some language of which -Ibrahim was ignorant.</p> - -<p>“How can we get out?”</p> - -<p>“Could you climb that shaft?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“No, not if my life depended on it.”</p> - -<p>“Could you, Selim?”</p> - -<p>The Arab was staring upward at the clear sky, and -had to be asked several times before he would answer.</p> - -<p>He shook his head, and Max shrugged his shoulders.</p> - -<p>“I could.”</p> - -<p>“You could climb those walls?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; it is easy.”</p> - -<p>“Easy!”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim could only repeat the word in an inane manner.</p> - -<p>“Yes; the surface is so irregular that there are plenty -of footholds.”</p> - -<p>“Shall you do so?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[109]</span></p> - -<p>Max stopped. He was hesitating whether to tell the -whole truth or not.</p> - -<p>“Because what?”</p> - -<p>“It seems our only chance of safety.”</p> - -<p>“Then why not seek it?”</p> - -<p>“You cannot climb.”</p> - -<p>“What of that?”</p> - -<p>“We will be saved together or die in each other’s company.”</p> - -<p>“And you could save yourself?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not.”</p> - -<p>But Max was confident he could do it.</p> - -<p>“Since you think that is impracticable, we must find -some other way out.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim pleaded with Max, and implored him to save -himself, but the American was firm.</p> - -<p>When once he had resolved on a thing, nothing could -cause him to change.</p> - -<p>“If we had only some oars——”</p> - -<p>“But we have not.”</p> - -<p>“No, and yet we must get away from here.”</p> - -<p>“How?”</p> - -<p>“In the way our ancestors did before they invented -oars.”</p> - -<p>“How was that?”</p> - -<p>“With our hands.”</p> - -<p>And the three set to work, leaning over the sides of -the boat with their hands agitating the water and acting -as oars.</p> - -<p>It was slow—very slow work—but the boat moved.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[110]</span></p> - -<p>“Get it to the side.”</p> - -<p>To do so was a work of considerable time; but when -they succeeded progression was much more rapid.</p> - -<p>The only chance of escape seemed to be in following -the current; that is, if they were able to find it.</p> - -<p>It seemed certain that the water did not empty itself -into the crater of the volcano alone, as the natives believed.</p> - -<p>There must be some other outlet.</p> - -<p>When the other side of the crater had been reached, -they were surprised at its immensity.</p> - -<p>When in the center they had imagined the diameter -of the almost circular crater to be some fifty or sixty -feet, but as they pushed their boat round, they discovered -that it must be more than three times that distance.</p> - -<p>Another thing puzzled them.</p> - -<p>Were fish and lizards constantly petrified as they -floated or swam into the vortex, or was it only during -an eruption?</p> - -<p>“Shall we go on or wait here?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“We will go on after we have had something to eat.”</p> - -<p>“Happy thought that, Max, for I am hungry.”</p> - -<p>A package of food was opened out, and Max commenced -eating; but he made such a grimace that Ibrahim -laughed heartily.</p> - -<p>“Stop that. The echo will drive me mad!” exclaimed -Max, who recalled that terrible time in the tomb near -Cairo.</p> - -<p>“Stop making faces then.”</p> - -<p>“You will make a worse one when you taste——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[111]</span></p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“Your lunch.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“It is strong with sulphur.”</p> - -<p>Alas! all their food had become impregnated with -sulphur fumes and almost turned them sick, but they -could get no other and hunger is a tyrannic master.</p> - -<p>They ate heartily, notwithstanding the sulphur, Max -telling them how civilized people will travel many miles -and spend large sums of money in order to drink water -impregnated with sulphur.</p> - -<p>“Had we better commence to limit our rations?” asked -Ibrahim, when he had eaten all he possibly could.</p> - -<p>They had not thought of that.</p> - -<p>It was becoming serious. They might be a long -time before they could obtain a fresh supply of food.</p> - -<p>“We will start to-morrow,” Max decided.</p> - -<p>The water began to be agitated again and it was -deemed advisable to get away from the crater.</p> - -<p>After a short journey through another tunnel they -reached daylight.</p> - -<p>The river ran sluggishly along between two high -cliffs.</p> - -<p>“I am sure we are the first to navigate this river.”</p> - -<p>“I think so, too, Max.”</p> - -<p>“I am sure of it. It is not on any map, for I have -always been interested in African deserts.”</p> - -<p>“You have?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I think a wonderful people are to be found<span class="pagenum">[112]</span> -in Sahara—white people whose knowledge is greater -than ours.”</p> - -<p>“Fact?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Ib. I have often thought that the ancient Egyptians -knew many engineering secrets which are lost to us; -they certainly had power of divination and many other -things which puzzle the brains of our best men to-day. -Why should not these old fellows have left Egypt and -founded a new country where they would be free from -the incursions of other nations?”</p> - -<p>“But they died thousands of years ago.”</p> - -<p>“Of course they did, but we didn’t. And their descendants -may be living.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t say a word to Uncle Sherif, or he will make -us start off in search at once.”</p> - -<p>“Seriously, do you ever expect to see your uncle or -Girzilla again?”</p> - -<p>It was a cruel question to ask, but Max was in the -same boat, and he had but little hope of escape.</p> - -<p>“I hope so. Why not?”</p> - -<p>“Because—— Hello! we are in the dark again.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVI">CHAPTER XVI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">BEYOND HUMAN IMAGINATION.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>As the crater was left behind, the water became more -turbid, and flowed faster, carrying along with it the -boat and its three adventurous occupants.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[113]</span></p> - -<p>“Max!”</p> - -<p>The voice sounded almost sepulchral in the darkness.</p> - -<p>“Yes, Ibrahim.”</p> - -<p>“Isn’t this horrible?”</p> - -<p>“It is, but we are gaining knowledge.”</p> - -<p>“I know enough of the fearful——”</p> - -<p>“And yet—perhaps what we don’t know is far more -horrible.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t talk like that, or I shall go mad.”</p> - -<p>“Ha! ha! ha!”</p> - -<p>The laugh was from Selim.</p> - -<p>“I’ve got it. It is here. Great prophet, isn’t it beautiful?”</p> - -<p>“What are you talking about, Selim?”</p> - -<p>“This—look at it.”</p> - -<p>“Look at what? Isn’t it so dark that you could cut -the very atmosphere?”</p> - -<p>“He has gone mad,” whispered Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“I am afraid it is so.”</p> - -<p>No wonder! The strain was something frightful.</p> - -<p>It would require nerves of steel to withstand such -a terrible tension.</p> - -<p>“Jewilikins! what’s that?”</p> - -<p>Some strange, slimy water monster had crawled into -the boat and onto Max’s back.</p> - -<p>It was impossible to see what it was, and all that Ibrahim -could do was to knock it off; but he almost fainted -as he touched it.</p> - -<p>On went the boat, drifting just where the current liked -to take it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[114]</span></p> - -<p>There was no means of guiding or steering it.</p> - -<p>They were victims of their curiosity, without a chance -of saving themselves.</p> - -<p>Again there was a glimmer of light, and the explorers -rejoiced.</p> - -<p>But their pleasure was but for a moment.</p> - -<p>The darkness was preferable.</p> - -<p>It hid from them the horrors of the river they had -to traverse.</p> - -<p>Monster lizards crawled up and down the slimy walls -which confined the river to its bed.</p> - -<p>Fish, with wings, would fly from the water and strike -the occupants of the boat as they passed by.</p> - -<p>Great crabs, the like of which have never been seen -before, struggled on every little ledge of rock or piece -of sandy ground.</p> - -<p>One big fellow had got into the boat, and was slowly -devouring pieces of Selim’s leg.</p> - -<p>The poor Arab was unconscious, and it could only be -a question of minutes before his soul would leave the -mortal tenement.</p> - -<p>As Max and Ibrahim realized it they were almost frantic -with fear.</p> - -<p>“Five when we started,” said Max, “but only three -now, and a few moments more there will be but two.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim’s face was as white as death.</p> - -<p>His pulses were beating so slowly that it was almost -a miracle he lived.</p> - -<p>Suddenly his mood changed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[115]</span></p> - -<p>His heart began throbbing and pumping out blood -at terrific speed.</p> - -<p>The color of his face was almost purple, and as he -tried to stand up in the little boat his head fell back, and -Max only saved him by a hair’s breadth.</p> - -<p>Max was now alone.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim lived, but was not only helpless, but in his -delirium, dangerous to himself and his companion.</p> - -<p>Selim was dead.</p> - -<p>It grieved Max to have to throw the body overboard, -but that was the only course which could be adopted.</p> - -<p>Unstrapping the packages of food from the man’s -back, he exerted all his strength and pushed the man -overboard.</p> - -<p>It was horrible.</p> - -<p>Max was sickened at the sight, and yet he felt that -he dare not take his eyes away.</p> - -<p>Horrible water monsters sought the body, and almost -instantly crabs and lizards, fish with ugly fins, and water -newts, were covering the remains of the poor Arab and -rapidly devouring all that was left of him.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was raving.</p> - -<p>He imagined he saw all sorts of frightful shapes, -wanting to tear him to pieces.</p> - -<p>“I shall go mad,” exclaimed Max, and he felt that it -was only a question of a few minutes.</p> - -<p>The boat drifted along slowly, and Max wondered -whether they would ever again stand on land.</p> - -<p>Once he thought he heard human voices, but it must -have been imagination.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[116]</span></p> - -<p>At the very moment when the delicate cords of his -brain seemed ready to snap asunder, a thought saved him.</p> - -<p>He wondered how the water had made the tunnels.</p> - -<p>That set him thinking, and he fancied that the underground -channels had been made by the sheer force of -the water, and its petrifying action—that perhaps at some -time the sand had drifted to the water and become by -its action solid rock.</p> - -<p>If so, the tunnels were under the desert, and maybe -the open cuttings were through oases.</p> - -<p>How long had they been on the river?</p> - -<p>They had no means of keeping record of the time, -but their food was nearly gone.</p> - -<p>Had he slept?</p> - -<p>He could not recall whether he had done so, and yet -nature could not have endured the strain so long without -sleep.</p> - -<p>These thoughts saved him from the delirium which -afflicted his friend.</p> - -<p>He felt easier and more contented.</p> - -<p>A strange drowsiness came over him, and he settled -himself as comfortably as he could in the bottom of the -boat and fell asleep.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>On the banks of a tributary of the Nile a tribe—darker -in color than the Egyptians and yet less black -than the Africans of the Soudan or Congo State—dwelt -in comparative peace.</p> - -<p>This tribe is peculiar.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[117]</span></p> - -<p>Its members eat no animal food, neither do they -hanker after fire water or tobacco.</p> - -<p>They do not believe in fighting, and yet at times they -are compelled to resist by force of brute strength the -onslaughts and invasions of their neighbors.</p> - -<p>Their dwellings are the perfection of cleanliness; the -domicile of each family is surrounded with a hedge of -the almost impenetrable euphorbia, and the interior of the -inclosure is a yard neatly plastered with a cement of -ashes, cow dung and sand.</p> - -<p>On this cleanly swept surface are one or more huts -surrounded by granaries of neat wickerwork, thatched -and resting upon raised platforms.</p> - -<p>The huts have projecting roofs in order to afford a -shade, and the entrance is usually about two feet high.</p> - -<p>The men are well grown and rather refined.</p> - -<p>Their dress is very limited, usually only an apron of -leather—either a piece of cowhide or goatskin.</p> - -<p>Tattoo marks or lines across their forehead denote their -rank.</p> - -<p>The chief has his forehead lined closely together, his -assistants or deputies have less in number, while the -ordinary members of the tribe have only two lines.</p> - -<p>The women are not handsome. Their heads are -shaved, and around their bald pates they wear a band -of beads or shells.</p> - -<p>Living peaceably and not even fishing, they devote all -their time to the cultivation of maize and other kinds of -vegetable food.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[118]</span></p> - -<p>They make excellent butter and drink great quantities -of milk.</p> - -<p>At the time we make their acquaintance they are -greatly disturbed.</p> - -<p>The chief has called together all the tribe, and a -strange-looking gathering it is.</p> - -<p>The men stood round the chief in a circle, the women -taking positions outside.</p> - -<p>The chief called for silence, and instantly every man -shouted: “<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Mkrasi! mkrasi!</i>” which being interpreted -means: “We obey, we obey.”</p> - -<p>The chief, looking very wrinkled with his innumerable -tattoo marks, adopted the catechetical method of addressing -his people.</p> - -<p>“Where does the river come from?” he asked, and a -deputy chief answered:</p> - -<p>“From the innermost parts of the earth.”</p> - -<p>“Good! And hath man ever been to the place where -the gods make the springs of water to flow?”</p> - -<p>“No; man could not live.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“The water comes from the fire god, who burns all -who approach.”</p> - -<p>“Then what shall be done with those who have come -from the fire?”</p> - -<p>“They shall be exalted.”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Mkrasi! mkrasi</i>!” shouted all the members of the -tribe.</p> - -<p>The conversation, or rather public discussion, which we -have recorded occupied considerable time, for the language<span class="pagenum">[119]</span> -of this tribe of Gondos was very diffuse, abounding -in metaphor, and making the repeating of whole -sentences necessary where emphasis was required.</p> - -<p>The chief stepped down from the platform in front of -his house, and calling on ten of his deputies headed the -procession across the great square, round which the -houses were placed.</p> - -<p>While the chief was away, the utmost decorum was -observed.</p> - -<p>Not one spoke a word.</p> - -<p>Even the women were silent.</p> - -<p>Soon a great noise was heard.</p> - -<p>Drums were beating and rude cymbals were being -played. The drums were original in their make.</p> - -<p>A piece of wood had been hollowed out, and over the -top a sheepskin had been tightly stretched.</p> - -<p>Into the square the procession moved.</p> - -<p>First came ten young girls, playing very rudely constructed -cymbals.</p> - -<p>Following them were five older girls, keeping time -by striking shells together. Then came the drummers, -boys whose strength seemed almost too frail for the -big, heavy drums they carried.</p> - -<p>After them was a drummer who made a most ear-splitting -noise by beating an old tin pan—which had -been found in a deserted camp, and which the Gondos -verily believed must have been the white man’s musical -instrument.</p> - -<p>What meant all this pageantry and display?</p> - -<p>The chief emerged from his yard, and, with head<span class="pagenum">[120]</span> -bowed down, led the way to where the people were -standing. Immediately behind him were the ten deputies, -carrying a strange-looking log of wood shoulder -high.</p> - -<p>With measured tread these natives walked under their -heavy burden.</p> - -<p>When the center of the tribe’s gathering had been -reached, the chief ordered the men to set down their -load.</p> - -<p>Instantly there was a cry of rapture from every man -there assembled.</p> - -<p>The women pressed forward, and really screamed with -delight.</p> - -<p>“From the gods!” exclaimed the chief, and these -poor, benighted savages really believed it.</p> - -<p>The log was in reality a dugout, and in the dugout -two young men were sleeping the sleep of exhaustion.</p> - -<p>They were our friends, Ibrahim and Max, rescued by -the Gondos, and now the objects of their adoration.</p> - -<p>The shouting of the men, the screeching of the women, -caused Max to awake.</p> - -<p>He sprang to his feet and looked round.</p> - -<p>“Well, jewilikins! this caps the climax!” he exclaimed, -while the people fell on their faces and wriggled about -on the ground.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[121]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVII">CHAPTER XVII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE RAINMAKER.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>It was some time before Madcap Max could realize -just where he was, and the significance of the demonstration -of which he was the recipient.</p> - -<p>But when once his mind got a clew, he quickly followed -it up, and with the natural smartness of his Yankee -ancestry, saw the advantages of his position.</p> - -<p>He very carefully abstained from uttering a word.</p> - -<p>The silence impressed the Gondos with awe.</p> - -<p>They were more than ever convinced that he was a -messenger from the mysterious powers which they, in -their ignorance, worshiped.</p> - -<p>The Gondos had a religious belief almost akin to that -of the ancient Scandinavians.</p> - -<p>They believed that the thunder was the angry voice -of the storm god, that a deity presided over everything -in nature, and that the entrance to the home of the most -powerful of these deities was through the mysterious -volcanoes which at times emitted vast columns of molten -lava and made the waters of the rivers so hot that -no one could bathe in them and live.</p> - -<p>Having this belief, it was no wonder that they thought -Max and Ibrahim were sent by the presiding deity.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim continued to sleep.</p> - -<p>That was a good sign, and if only the delirium left -him when he awoke, Max made sure all would be well.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[122]</span></p> - -<p>He managed to convey to the chief a desire to be -alone, and the boat was again raised on the shoulders of -the deputy chiefs and carried to a large house which -the chief had set apart for his honored guests.</p> - -<p>Max was hungry, and when food was brought he ate -heartily.</p> - -<p>He had no idea of what the dish was composed, neither -did he, at that time, care.</p> - -<p>He was too hungry to be fastidious.</p> - -<p>He reserved some of the savory food for Ibrahim, -and motioned the natives to leave the place.</p> - -<p>All that day Max stayed by Ibrahim’s side, and awaited -his awakening.</p> - -<p>His devoted patience was rewarded, and toward night -Ibrahim awoke and raised his head.</p> - -<p>“Are we alive?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“I am,” was the madcap’s answer.</p> - -<p>“Then I think I must be; but, by the beard of the -prophet, I have been beyond the grave.”</p> - -<p>“Good! Stick to that, Ib, and your fortune is made.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was indignant at the light way in which his -companion spoke, but Max persisted.</p> - -<p>“I tell you, Ib, if only you will stick to that, and do as -I tell you, we will coin the dollars.”</p> - -<p>“That is like you Americans—always thinking of dollars.”</p> - -<p>“And why not? Can you get along without dollars?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not; but why be always thinking about -them? I hate the very name of money,” exclaimed Ibrahim, -fretfully.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[123]</span></p> - -<p>“Do you? Well, I don’t,” answered Max, and continued -talking, for he realized that there was no better -way to rouse Ibrahim’s dormant faculties than by a good -discussion.</p> - -<p>“I don’t,” he said—“neither do you. You will go on -making shawls in Persia, no matter how many dollars -you get. You want to travel—you must have the money -or you cannot do it. Say, old chap! did you never imagine -that every dollar is coined through some fellow’s -think tank being agitated?”</p> - -<p>“Think tank! What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“Brain, if you like. Think tank, I call it—thought -factory, if you like it better. But, say! you were dead, -and you have come to life again. I have brought you -from the grave.”</p> - -<p>“You are mad.”</p> - -<p>“Madcap, please; don’t abbreviate my sobriquet.”</p> - -<p>“You are insane.”</p> - -<p>“Am I?”</p> - -<p>“Yes. But tell me, Max, where are we?”</p> - -<p>“You are in a boat, I am on the floor; we are in a -house belonging to the Gondos——”</p> - -<p>“Who?”</p> - -<p>“The Gondos.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, why?”</p> - -<p>“Have you spoken to them?”</p> - -<p>“Not much.”</p> - -<p>“Can you understand what they say?”</p> - -<p>“Only a little.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[124]</span></p> - -<p>“If they are Gondos, I am safe.”</p> - -<p>“Are you? And why so, Mister Ibrahim Pasha?” -asked Max, with a broad brogue.</p> - -<p>“The Gondos were originally Persians——”</p> - -<p>“Your relatives?”</p> - -<p>“And were fire worshipers.”</p> - -<p>“Is that so?”</p> - -<p>“And I have learned their language.”</p> - -<p>“Have you, really?”</p> - -<p>“I thought they were extinct.”</p> - -<p>“Not by any means; they are as thick as blackberries -on a bramble bush, and as lively as June bugs.”</p> - -<p>By talking in this fashion, Max succeeded in making -Ibrahim vexed, and that was the very best thing for his -mind.</p> - -<p>When his temper had cooled a little, Ibrahim became -calm, and then Max told him how they had been rescued.</p> - -<p>“They think we are from the storm gods, and so we -must be, or they must think so, and we shall be safe. -Once let them get any other idea into their ugly heads, -and we shall be made into soup.”</p> - -<p>“The Gondos never eat meat,” said Ibrahim, taking -Max to mean what he said in a literal sense.</p> - -<p>“Anyway, we must keep up the delusion.”</p> - -<p>“Can we?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“How?”</p> - -<p>“You must do just what I tell you. I have it all arranged.”</p> - -<p>“If we fail?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[125]</span></p> - -<p>“We shall die; but if we succeed, we shall soon see -Sherif el Habib——”</p> - -<p>“And Girzilla,” added Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“We shall. Now to begin. I am going to make it -rain. You know the language, you said?”</p> - -<p>“I believe so.”</p> - -<p>“Then you must tell them what I am going to do.”</p> - -<p>“What can you do?”</p> - -<p>“Never mind. I know they want rain, and would -do anything to get it. I want you to hurry, or my power -will be lost.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was of too serious a nature to care for practical -joking, and that was just what he imagined the -madcap was after.</p> - -<p>But Max was in earnest, and he led Ibrahim from -the strange-looking house to the one occupied by the -chief.</p> - -<p>The tattooed chieftain bowed himself to the ground -when he saw Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>But when the Persian spoke a few words in the Gondo -language, the old fellow was so delighted that he danced -about and shouted like a good fellow.</p> - -<p>“The Gondos want rain. Their fields are dry, the -crops are spoiling. Tell them I will cause the rain -to come.”</p> - -<p>Max spoke in English and Ibrahim translated into the -Gondo language.</p> - -<p>The chief ordered the girls to play the cymbals and -the drums to be beaten.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[126]</span></p> - -<p>All the people gathered together, and Max raised his -hands above his head as if in the act of supplicating.</p> - -<p>Almost immediately a few drops of rain fell, and the -people were delighted.</p> - -<p>The drops became larger and more numerous, until a -good, healthy shower descended, and the Gondos were -frantic with joy.</p> - -<p>Even Ibrahim was excited.</p> - -<p>“How did you do it?” he asked, earnestly, when Max -had pleaded for permission to return to their house.</p> - -<p>“You silly fellow, I did nothing. It was all hocus-pocus -on my part.”</p> - -<p>“But the rain——”</p> - -<p>“Came; of course it did. I saw that we were in for a -shower, and I meant to get the credit of it; that is all -there is to it.”</p> - -<p>Max was a weather prophet.</p> - -<p>He had a better knowledge of meteorology than many a -so-called expert, and he saw clear indications that a rain-cloud -was gathering.</p> - -<p>The one happy chance of his life had come.</p> - -<p>It was a miracle, at least so thought the Gondos, and -nothing was too good for Ibrahim and Max.</p> - -<p>But even among those primitive people there were -skeptics, and a long discussion took place as to the -powers possessed by Max.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim heard the discussion, and returned to the -madcap, his face white as death.</p> - -<p>“You are to be taken to some high rock and ordered to -jump down. If you fail your character is gone.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[127]</span></p> - -<p>“And life, too. Never mind. Get me some giant palm -leaves, and I’ll not be afraid.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim obeyed without question, and when on the -following morning Max and the Persian were conducted -by the tribe to a steep cliff, Max laughed heartily.</p> - -<p>But when he looked over, he saw that he had a thousand -chances against him, and naturally felt nervous.</p> - -<p>“Tell them,” he said, in English, to Ibrahim, “that to -jump off there would be no test. Anyone could do it.”</p> - -<p>“Of course they could, but they would be killed.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t say that, but say that I will go to the top of -yonder palm and leap from it.”</p> - -<p>The palm was a tall one, the trunk slender and easily -climbed, but the height was such that to jump from -the top meant death.</p> - -<p>The offer made by Max was accepted, and the young -madcap began his perilous ascent.</p> - -<p>When near the top he stood on the stem of one of the -monster leaves, and rested a moment.</p> - -<p>From under his coat he took two palm leaves which -he had succeeded in joining together.</p> - -<p>Opening them above his head, he held his breath and -jumped.</p> - -<p>As he expected, the wind filled out the palm leaves -like a parachute and Max came to the ground so gently -that the most pronounced skeptic was enthused, and -ready to do anything for the young hero.</p> - -<p>“We have a mission!” Ibrahim said to the chief, “and -thy people must help. In the desert there is an oasis, -and on the oasis is a great man, one Sherif el Habib,<span class="pagenum">[128]</span> -who is seeking the Mahdi of his people. We wish to find -him.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim explained the locations of the oasis as well as -he could, and the chief recognized it as being a place -some adventurous member of his tribe had told him -about.</p> - -<p>After some days absolute rest a caravan was formed, -and with girls playing cymbals and others beating drums, -Max and Ibrahim started on their journey across the -desert to find their friends.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XVIII">CHAPTER XVIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">WHY OUR HEROES DESERT.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>For some hours the caravan passed through a country -which was parklike, but parched by the dry weather.</p> - -<p>The ground was sandy, but firm, and interspersed -with villages, all of which were surrounded with a strong -fence of euphorbia.</p> - -<p>The girls kept up an incessant discord on the cymbals -and drums, and the men, sent by the chief of the Gondos, -were so impressed with the importance of their mission -that every hundred yards or so they would stop, congratulate -each other, and make some wonderful salaams -before they continued the journey.</p> - -<p>At the end of the second day’s march, a tribe hostile -to the Gondos was encountered.</p> - -<p>Five or six hundred naked savages appeared, well -armed with lances, having flint heads, bows and arrows,<span class="pagenum">[129]</span> -and a peculiar weapon shaped almost like a sledge hammer—one -side of the flint head being sharpened to a -fine point, while the other was a hammer.</p> - -<p>One of their number stepped forward, and addressing -Ibrahim asked:</p> - -<p>“Who are you?”</p> - -<p>“A traveler, wishing to cross the desert.”</p> - -<p>“Do you want ivory?”</p> - -<p>“We would hunt the elephant, and divide the spoil.”</p> - -<p>“Where do you come from?”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim answered proudly:</p> - -<p>“From Persia.”</p> - -<p>“It’s a lie!” was the emphatic reply made by the chief.</p> - -<p>“Very well,” answered Ibrahim; “what am I?”</p> - -<p>“A Turk.”</p> - -<p>“Allah forbid!” muttered the Persian.</p> - -<p>The chief pointed to Max.</p> - -<p>“Who is he?”</p> - -<p>“An American.”</p> - -<p>The native had never heard of such people, and he -began to think Ibrahim was making a fool of him.</p> - -<p>The natives laughed and raised their weapons.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim, in a loud voice, told them that they were -going to be killed if they dared to touch Max; that he -could cause the storm to come and the wind to blow, and -advised them to ask the Gondos.</p> - -<p>Among the few things saved from the boat in which -they had made their perilous journey was a bottle of -araki—a native spirit almost equal in power to proof -alcohol.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[130]</span></p> - -<p>Max suggested that the hostile chief should be regaled -with a little of the araki, and that his friendship should -be purchased that way.</p> - -<p>The bottle was produced, but neither Ibrahim nor Max -had any chance of opening it, for the hostile chief took -the bottle from them, broke off the neck, and drank -the contents as easily as he could have swallowed water.</p> - -<p>“Good, good! more!” he exclaimed; but at that moment -a violent storm of thunder and rain burst upon -them with terrific fury.</p> - -<p>The rain fell like a veritable cloudburst, and the natives, -remembering what Ibrahim had said, ascribed the -storm to Max, and fled as though ten thousand soldiers -were pursuing them.</p> - -<p>The American’s reputation was now well assured, and -the musicians beat the cymbals louder than ever, while -the men shouted themselves hoarse.</p> - -<p>Max was getting tired of the assumed position, but -he saw no way out of it.</p> - -<p>One thing troubled both explorers—they were either -going in the wrong direction, or the distance was greater -than they had imagined.</p> - -<p>They, however, had to submit.</p> - -<p>They were treated as superior mortals, and oftentimes -were in dilemmas from which it was difficult to extricate -themselves.</p> - -<p>One morning the deputy chief who was in command -of the Gondos threw himself on his stomach in front -of Max and wriggled like a snake to attract attention.</p> - -<p>“What is it, M’Kamba?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[131]</span></p> - -<p>“The great chief hath said it,” answered the native.</p> - -<p>“What hath he said?”</p> - -<p>“That the wonderful medicine man whose life could -not be destroyed”—meaning Max—“must take all the -cymbal girls as his wives, and his great friend, whose -tongue speaketh wonders, shall take all the drummer -girls as his wives.”</p> - -<p>“Allah forbid!” ejaculated Ibrahim, under his breath.</p> - -<p>Making an excuse that he must consult with Max, he -got rid of the Gondo.</p> - -<p>“Here is a fix we’ve got into,” said Ibrahim, when -alone with his friend.</p> - -<p>“What is it?”</p> - -<p>“Do you know how many cymbal players we have?”</p> - -<p>“About thirty.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I suppose so. Well, they are all yours.”</p> - -<p>“Mine?”</p> - -<p>“You have to marry them.”</p> - -<p>“The——”</p> - -<p>Max stopped. His thoughts evidently formed the -name by which the prince of the power of the air is -familiarly known, but he bit his lips and did not utter -his thoughts.</p> - -<p>“Yes; and I am to marry all the drummers.”</p> - -<p>“What a lark!”</p> - -<p>“Eh?”</p> - -<p>“I said it would be fun,” answered Max.</p> - -<p>“Do you think so?”</p> - -<p>“Fancy, if you offended your wives, or if you wished -to give them a lecture, they would seize their drums and<span class="pagenum">[132]</span> -beat such a tattoo that you would acknowledge yourself -vanquished.”</p> - -<p>Max laughed so heartily at the idea that Ibrahim almost -feared for his reason.</p> - -<p>Taking up the challenge, however, he retaliated.</p> - -<p>“And wouldn’t your ears be split with the chorus of -tinkling cymbals?”</p> - -<p>“It is horrible. Of course you refused the honor.”</p> - -<p>“I did not.”</p> - -<p>“Wha-at?”</p> - -<p>“I did not, because I dare not.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“Have you never heard of the custom of the Gondos?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“It is this: The chief calls a favorite to him and desires -to honor him. He does so by giving him one or -more wives—the more wives the greater honor.”</p> - -<p>“Indeed!”</p> - -<p>“If the favored one declines the honor, he insults the -chief.”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“And that can never be forgiven.”</p> - -<p>“What do I care about that?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps nothing; only——”</p> - -<p>“Don’t hesitate. You drive a fellow mad with your -long pauses,” exclaimed Max, almost angrily.</p> - -<p>“Don’t get mad, there’s a good chap. They only -roast the one who insults the chief.”</p> - -<p>“Really?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, really. It is true; ask any of them. Now I<span class="pagenum">[133]</span> -don’t want to be either roasted, baked, or boiled, so I -will have to accept the drummers, only——”</p> - -<p>Again Ibrahim paused, and Max stood staring at him, -but remained silent.</p> - -<p>“Only I shall delay as long as I can.”</p> - -<p>“We will get out of it.”</p> - -<p>“How?”</p> - -<p>“Leave that to me. I will find a way.”</p> - -<p>Before Ibrahim could ask again what plan had formulated -itself in the madcap’s brain, M’Kamba, the deputy -chief, came forward, and this time standing erect, said:</p> - -<p>“We will all drink araki now.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim knew enough of the marriage customs of the -African tribes to realize that the espousal of the girls -was to take place at once, and that the drinking of the -powerful araki was the outward symbol of the marriage.</p> - -<p>“It is all over with us,” sighed Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“I don’t think so. Who has any araki?”</p> - -<p>“M’Kamba must have, or he would not have suggested -it.”</p> - -<p>“Then let him bring the bottles here, and the girls shall -drink first.”</p> - -<p>“You are a mystery, Max. What do you intend doing?”</p> - -<p>“Wait and see. Curb your impatience a little bit, -there’s a good chap. Do just as I tell you, and all will -be well.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim approached M’Kamba and told him that Max -was ready to open the araki bottles, and all should drink.</p> - -<p>“The great chief did send the araki for the wives,”<span class="pagenum">[134]</span> -answered M’Kamba, proving clearly that all had been -arranged beforehand.</p> - -<p>The bottles—made of the bladders of cows, dried—were -produced, and Max very quietly, in the presence -of all, poured some white liquid in each of the bottles.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim looked on in astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Give a good drink to each of your wives, Ibrahim, -but don’t touch a drop yourself.”</p> - -<p>“Is it poison, Max?”</p> - -<p>“On my honor, no.”</p> - -<p>The girls drank heartily. It was the gala day of their -lives.</p> - -<p>They were about to become brides, and they felt their -importance.</p> - -<p>While they were single they were slaves; when they -were married they would become free.</p> - -<p>It was a proud time for them, and they took deep -draughts of the powerful spirit.</p> - -<p>Then the Gondos took the bottles, and each man upheld -the credit of his stomach by drinking pretty heavily.</p> - -<p>But the spirit was too strong.</p> - -<p>One by one the girls began to feel drowsy, and fell -asleep.</p> - -<p>Then the men followed.</p> - -<p>In less than half an hour only Max and Ibrahim -were awake.</p> - -<p>“Now is our time; we must run for it. They won’t -wake for an hour.”</p> - -<p>“What did you give them?”</p> - -<p>“Sleeping potion—pretty stiff dose, too.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[135]</span></p> - -<p>“What is that?”</p> - -<p>“What your uncle uses when he wishes anyone to -sleep long.”</p> - -<p>“And you have some?”</p> - -<p>“I had. They have it now”—pointing to the sleeping -Gondos. “I took it from the great Sherif el Habib’s -medicine case.”</p> - -<p>“Oh!”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim evidently was alarmed at the consequences -of the madcap’s theft, or as he would put it, enforced -borrowing.</p> - -<p>Max laughed heartily, and suggested that they should -“git up and get.”</p> - -<p>This Yankeeism was too much for the Persian.</p> - -<p>He began to believe that Max was really mad.</p> - -<p>The suggestion, however, was a good one, and gathering -together food, and some other stores, enough to -last several days, the two young men left their escorts -fast asleep and proceeded alone on their journey.</p> - -<p>Instead of following the route M’Kamba had sketched -out for them, they turned to the right, determined to -follow as far as possible the course of the river until -the oasis was crossed, and then to trust to their luck in -finding the encampment of Sherif el Habib.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[136]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XIX">CHAPTER XIX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">MOHAMMED.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The oasis was nearly crossed when they left the Gondo -escorts, and the young explorers soon found themselves -on the terrible African desert.</p> - -<p>They were not pursued—at least, as far as they knew—and -they were delighted at regaining their freedom.</p> - -<p>After a day of misery on the sand, when their eyes -were blistered, their nostrils swollen, and their ears -deafened with the never-ending atoms, which drifted -everywhere, Ibrahim directed the attention of his companion -to a cloud of sand in the distance.</p> - -<p>“What of it?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“Camels.”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“It is a caravan, and if we can reach it we shall be -safe.”</p> - -<p>“But——”</p> - -<p>“Never mind any buts; come along, Max.”</p> - -<p>“I shan’t stir one inch,” asserted Max, resolutely.</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“Because the caravan is coming this way.”</p> - -<p>“Bravo! So it is. <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Inshallah!</i>”</p> - -<p>Resting in the hot burning sand, the young men waited -until they could distinguish the outlines of the approaching -caravan.</p> - -<p>Then they rose up and went to meet them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[137]</span></p> - -<p>In the front rode a man, with olive skin, not darker -than a Spaniard. He was dressed in Egyptian costume, -and sat perfectly contented on his camel.</p> - -<p>A spear rested across the animal’s back, and a modern -rifle was slung over the rider’s shoulders.</p> - -<p>But what was most remarkable was a sacred carpet, -which acted as a kind of saddle cloth, and on which had -been worked the symbolic sign of the crescent suspended -over the cross.</p> - -<p>The combination was so strange that Max was inclined -to believe the rider was some monomaniac, or, in -modern parlance, a crank.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim, stepping up to the rider, and in good Arabic, -asked who he was, and whither he was going.</p> - -<p>The rider looked at the young Persian some minutes -before answering, giving Max an opportunity to look -at the people who composed the caravan.</p> - -<p>Some thirty men, dressed like the leader, save that -they had not the sacred carpet with the double symbols, -rode as many camels.</p> - -<p>With them were at least twenty women, their faces -covered so that the eye of man could not invade the -sanctity of the countenance, which Oriental law and custom -declared to be sacred to the husband alone.</p> - -<p>“I am Mohammed!” said the leader, when his examination -of Ibrahim’s features was completed.</p> - -<p>“Mohammed!” repeated Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“I am Mohammed, and am of the family of the faithful.”</p> - -<p>“And whither wilt thou go?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[138]</span></p> - -<p>“The sun will cast my shadow to the north as I journey -to the south.”</p> - -<p>It was useless asking to what part of Africa the pilgrims -were going, until the <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">entente cordiale</i> was fully -established.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim prostrated himself after the manner of the -Musselmen and beat his brow on the sand.</p> - -<p>The Mohammedan left the saddle, and spreading the -sacred carpet on the sand, prostrated himself by Ibrahim’s -side.</p> - -<p>Then it was that the two followers of the prophet -realized that they were friends and brothers in religion.</p> - -<p>“Behold, the crescent shall be exalted, and shall rule -even all the countries of the world. I have said it. Just -Allah!”</p> - -<p>“You ought to know my uncle,” said Ibrahim. “You -would be brothers.”</p> - -<p>“Who is it that callest thee nephew?”</p> - -<p>“Sherif el Habib——”</p> - -<p>“Of Khorassan?”</p> - -<p>“The same. Dost thou know him?”</p> - -<p>“In youth, when the eyes of houris shone brightly -into mine, Sherif el Habib was as a brother.”</p> - -<p>“He is in the desert seeking the Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>“Dost thou mean it?”</p> - -<p>“Even so. Is it not so, Max?”</p> - -<p>Max was unable to answer, for Mohammed clapped his -hands, and all his followers prostrated themselves on -the sand, bowing their heads toward the direction of the -sacred shrine at Mecca.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[139]</span></p> - -<p>“I, too, dust as I am, yet of the family of the faithful, -will seek the Mahdi, for he it is who will raise -the crescent above the cross and make the kingdom of -the prophet co-equal with the kingdoms of the world.”</p> - -<p>The man Mohammed was evidently in a state of great -mental exaltation, and like Sherif el Habib, believed that -the promised savior or leader of the Moslems had come, -and was awaiting an opportunity to crush the Christian -nations and proclaim the rule of Mahomet.</p> - -<p>Max was enchanted.</p> - -<p>He liked enthusiasts.</p> - -<p>He worshiped heroes.</p> - -<p>But with his hero worship was mingled so much commercialism -that men never gave him credit for any idea -beyond the making of dollars.</p> - -<p>“We will find this Mahdi,” he said, “and he shall lecture -through the States. There will be millions in it.”</p> - -<p>How disgusted Mohammed would have been had he -understood what Max said!</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was annoyed. It sounded so much like an -insult to his religion.</p> - -<p>But he deftly turned the conversation by saying:</p> - -<p>“Max, my friend, has a mission. He is searching for -the last of the Mamelukes.”</p> - -<p>“When Selim, the tyrant, destroyed the Mamelukes,” -said Mohammed, solemnly, “he gave to many provinces -a bey of Mameluke blood. He did it to save his life. I, -who speak unto thee, had for my great ancestor Mohammed, -the fearless, who was one of the beys.”</p> - -<p>“Didst thou come from the line of great Emin?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[140]</span></p> - -<p>“Alas, no! My ancestors did eschew the Mamelukes -and joined the Turks.”</p> - -<p>“Dost thou think Emin’s descendants live?”</p> - -<p>“As sure as that the sun does shine by day and the -moon by night.”</p> - -<p>“I would that I could find them.”</p> - -<p>“There is one who could guide thee.”</p> - -<p>“Where may I find that one?” Max asked, excitedly.</p> - -<p>“Alas! she is lost.”</p> - -<p>“She? Is it a woman?”</p> - -<p>Mohammed turned away his head to hide his emotion.</p> - -<p>Strong man as he was, his body shook as if with violent -ague.</p> - -<p>The tears streamed from his eyes and dropped like -great drops of rain upon the sand.</p> - -<p>“Tell me,” cried Max, “is she anything to you? Have -I offended you? Oh, forgive me if I have.”</p> - -<p>“I will tell thee.”</p> - -<p>Mohammed drew Max and Ibrahim away from the -caravan, and led them a hundred yards across the sand.</p> - -<p>He sat down after the manner of his people, and bade -them do likewise.</p> - -<p>When all three were seated he took a small box of -salt from his girdle and gave each a pinch.</p> - -<p>Although Max disliked the flavor of the saline mineral, -he knew that the partaking of it was a bond of -brotherhood with the Arab.</p> - -<p>“The story is a long one,” commenced Mohammed, -“but I will tell thee only the outlines, and some day, when -beneath the palms or under the tent, thine ears shall listen<span class="pagenum">[141]</span> -to the whole story. I loved—all young men do—but I -loved the most beautiful woman whom the prophet ever -allowed to live this side of paradise. She bore me a -daughter. On her I lavished all the love of a father. -Being a girl without soul”—many of the Mohammedans -teach that only man possesses an eternal soul—“I desired -she should learn all the mysteries of the ancient Mamelukes. -She was a diligent student, and when she reached -the age of twelve years she had learned all the symbols -and signs of the great brotherhood, and knew how to find -any of the true Mamelukes who might still live. But -then——”</p> - -<p>Mohammed again broke down, and the tears fell like -rain from his eyes.</p> - -<p>His agitation was painful to witness, and many times -Max wished he had curbed his curiosity and so have -saved the aged Arab.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was excited.</p> - -<p>He felt drawn toward the Arab by some unknown and -mysterious power.</p> - -<p>And yet he was impatient. He wanted to hear the -whole of the story, and could hardly wait for the Arab’s -emotion to cease.</p> - -<p>“Then my daughter, the pride of my life—by whom I -hoped to appease the wrath of my ancient ancestors for -deserting the Mamelukes—was stolen.”</p> - -<p>“Stolen!”</p> - -<p>“Even so. By the beard of the prophet, methinks -my wife must have gone mad.”</p> - -<p>“And does your wife live?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[142]</span></p> - -<p>“She is in yonder caravan.”</p> - -<p>“Has nothing been heard of her you loved?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing. She is dead, or taught to call some man -lord, and I would rather she be dead than never to see -again her father.”</p> - -<p>The old man ceased.</p> - -<p>His head was bent down, and he asked to be alone.</p> - -<p>The young explorers left him and went back to the -caravan.</p> - -<p>Max, ignorant of the laws which govern a traveling -harem, had wandered to the place where the women -were seated on the ground.</p> - -<p>Their faces were uncovered, for they feared not any -intrusion.</p> - -<p>When they saw Max they hastily threw the veils over -their faces, but it was too late.</p> - -<p>Max had caught sight of one, and was spellbound.</p> - -<p>His heart was in his mouth; he could not speak.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim touched his shoulder.</p> - -<p>“What is it, Madcap?”</p> - -<p>“She is there.”</p> - -<p>“Who?”</p> - -<p>“I saw her. How did she get there?”</p> - -<p>“Whom did you see?”</p> - -<p>“Girzilla.”</p> - -<p>“You are dreaming.”</p> - -<p>“I am not.”</p> - -<p>“How could Girzilla be in the harem of Mohammed?”</p> - -<p>“I know not.”</p> - -<p>“Come away, before——”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[143]</span></p> - -<p>“Look! she uncovers.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim looked across at the women, and, regardless -of all consequences, threw himself at the feet of her who -had so indiscreetly uncovered her face.</p> - -<p>“Girzilla, my heart’s love! how came you here?” he -exclaimed, passionately; but his lover’s rhapsody was interrupted -by Mohammed, who indignantly marched up to -him.</p> - -<p>“Seize him! He has desecrated the law of hospitality.”</p> - -<p>“Is not that Girzilla?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“And what if it is? She has been my wife these -eighteen years,” answered Mohammed, proudly.</p> - -<p>“Girzilla! oh, my Girzilla!” moaned Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>A soft, sweet voice was borne across the sands.</p> - -<p>“Who speaketh of Girzilla—my lost child—my beauteous -Girzilla?”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XX">CHAPTER XX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">“WHERE IS GIRZILLA?”</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“I spoke of Girzilla,” exclaimed Ibrahim, proudly.</p> - -<p>“And who is Girzilla?” asked Mohammed, his nostril -quivering like that of a horse who scents the battle.</p> - -<p>“The best, the dearest, the most lovely girl on earth, -and there she stands.”</p> - -<p>“You are mad. That is my wife, and has been for -eighteen years. Thrice has she been with me to the -prophet’s shrine at Mecca, but never hath she set foot -on the deserts of Egypt until now.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[144]</span></p> - -<p>“I’ll not believe it, unless she herself declares it,” -said Ibrahim, scornfully.</p> - -<p>“Answer, fair wife; have I spoken that which is -true?”</p> - -<p>“Indeed, my lord and master, it is true, and yet this -pasha spoke of Girzilla.”</p> - -<p>It was Mohammed’s turn to be surprised, when, a moment -later, the wife asked that none but Ibrahim and -Mohammed should hear what she had to say.</p> - -<p>Loving his wife with a passion foreign to Oriental -nature, the Arab chief granted her request, and with -Ibrahim entered his tent, followed by the wife unattended.</p> - -<p>“My lord and master, great servant of the prophet! -Great is Allah!” she commenced. “Wilt thou allow me -to unveil, so that this pasha see that I am not the Girzilla -he seeketh?”</p> - -<p>“My wife, I can deny thee nothing.”</p> - -<p>When the veil was removed, Ibrahim stepped back, -completely bewildered at the entrancing beauty of the -lady.</p> - -<p>He felt his heart beat with tumultuous frenzy, his -throat was husky, and he could not speak.</p> - -<p>It was not until the veil had been replaced that he -found himself able to articulate.</p> - -<p>“It is Girzilla, and yet—no, my Girzilla differs——”</p> - -<p>He was confused.</p> - -<p>“Tell me, where is thy Girzilla? What years hath she -counted? Is she thy wife?”</p> - -<p>“No, would to Allah she were!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[145]</span></p> - -<p>“Who is she, then?”</p> - -<p>“Wilt thou allow my friend Max to come here? He -it was who brought Girzilla to me.”</p> - -<p>Mohammed was interested, but at the same time considerably -piqued.</p> - -<p>“Would Max want to see his wife unveiled?” the -Arab wondered, and was about to refuse when his wife -pleaded in her musical Arabian:</p> - -<p>“Do, please, let me see this American.”</p> - -<p>“Be it as thou wish.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim went out, and shortly returned with the astonished -American.</p> - -<p>After a short pause, Mohammed asked who was this -Girzilla.</p> - -<p>“I know not what her name may be,” commenced -Max, “but when I asked her by what she should be -known, she said, ‘To thee I will be Girzilla.’”</p> - -<p>“It is the same. Oh, tell me, did she speak of her -mother—of her father?”</p> - -<p>“She told me her father had Mameluke blood——”</p> - -<p>A scream from Mohammed’s wife stopped the conclusion -of the sentence.</p> - -<p>“It must be our own child,” she said.</p> - -<p>“Know ye not that she was called Kalula?” asked -Mohammed.</p> - -<p>“Even so; but when she could scarcely talk I took her -to my room, and bade her remember that whenever she -found one she could trust as a brother—one she could -love with all the strength of her nature—she should bid<span class="pagenum">[146]</span> -him call her Girzilla, which means, in the language of -my own land, ‘the true one.’”</p> - -<p>“That is it, then, sweet lady,” answered Max, “for -she said, ‘Never mind my name, to thee I will be Girzilla.’ -I called her Gazelle, but she stopped me and said, ‘No, -no; Girzilla.’”</p> - -<p>Max told of his adventures, and dwelt lovingly on the -way in which he had been rescued by Girzilla.</p> - -<p>Every word seemed to bring proof to the lady’s mind -that the guide who had been looked upon as the ally -of brigands, and one not really to be trusted, was in -reality her daughter, the heiress of the great wealth of -Mohammed.</p> - -<p>“Where is she?” asked the Arab.</p> - -<p>“She is with my uncle, Sherif el Habib,” answered -Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“Together we will search for her, and she shall guide -us.”</p> - -<p>“Jewilikins! but this bangs Banagher!” exclaimed -Max, when he left the tent in company with Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“I understand not thy idiom,” said Ibrahim, “but if -thou meanest we are lucky, then I agree.”</p> - -<p>“I meant that it was strange—very strange; some great -mystery is here.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, Allah hath led us to the side of Girzilla’s -mother.”</p> - -<p>“Always thinking of her.”</p> - -<p>“Always. By night I dream of her, by day she is my -only hope and desire.”</p> - -<p>“And wouldst thou marry her?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[147]</span></p> - -<p>“Why not? If she is Girzilla, the bandit, she shall -be mine; but if she be really the daughter of the great -chief, Mohammed, then if he consents she shall be mine -also.”</p> - -<p>“Infatuated youth!”</p> - -<p>Mohammed was impatient to continue the journey, and -for an hour he talked with Max and Ibrahim about the -river and the volcano.</p> - -<p>He formed an idea that the oasis where Sherif el -Habib had encamped was to the southwest; whereas Max -had been going almost due east.</p> - -<p>“Lead, worthy chief,” exclaimed Ibrahim, “and if -thou dost but find my Girzilla I care not which way thou -goest.”</p> - -<p>At sunrise the next day the caravan started, and met -with nothing more terrible than the awful expanse of -sand until they encamped.</p> - -<p>Then it was that a tribe of wandering savages—living -like birds of prey upon others—pounced down upon the -cavalcade and sought to capture the women and the -camels.</p> - -<p>Mohammed had been a soldier, and his men were all -disciplined.</p> - -<p>Hence the savages could do but little.</p> - -<p>One of the Arabs was slightly wounded, while three -of the savages were killed.</p> - -<p>A native had been captured and held as prisoner.</p> - -<p>“What shall you do with him?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“Keep him an hour to frighten him and then let him -go,” answered the chief.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[148]</span></p> - -<p>Ibrahim was attracted to the only article of attire the -man wore.</p> - -<p>It was a belt, and strangely like the one worn by -Girzilla.</p> - -<p>The man wore it as a necklet, it being far too small -to encircle his waist.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim interrogated him, but the man could not, or -would not, understand.</p> - -<p>One of the Arabs, however, was able to act as interpreter.</p> - -<p>“Ask him where he got the belt,” said Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>The man was smart and cute, and replied by asking -what he would get if he told all he knew.</p> - -<p>He was promised his freedom, and then the man’s -mouth was opened and his tongue loosened.</p> - -<p>He said that his people had met some white men and -a girl, and that all had been killed. The belt belonged -to the girl, and she was nice.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim, horrified at the story, asked what had become -of the dead bodies.</p> - -<p>The man pointed to his mouth, and then rubbed his -abdomen, indicating that the murdered Girzilla and her -friends had been eaten.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim was so enraged that he forgot his promise.</p> - -<p>The man was to have his freedom.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim gave it to him in a way the wretch never -expected.</p> - -<p>In a fit of anger at the revelation made, Ibrahim, with -one blow, severed the savage’s head from his body.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[149]</span></p> - -<p>The blood ran over the belt, and the Persian sickened -at the sight.</p> - -<p>Wiping the belt clean, he kissed it many times, for -had it not encircled the waist of the one he loved?</p> - -<p>When Mohammed heard the story he looked sad, but -with the fatalists’ philosophy, he only said:</p> - -<p>“If Allah willed it, who am I to repine?”</p> - -<p>Later, however, he called Ibrahim and Max to one side -and told them that he did not believe the man’s story. -He thought he should please them by telling it, and how -was he to know that there were people who would be -horrified at the idea of murder?</p> - -<p>Ibrahim, however, looked on the blackest side, and was -fully convinced that his uncle and Girzilla had been converted -into juicy steaks or luscious pot roasts, and had -served to provide a feast to the tribe of cannibals at -whose hands they had fallen.</p> - -<p>He was inconsolable, and had it not been for the high -spirits of Max, who made Ibrahim smile in spite of his -misery, the young Persian might never have lived to inherit -his uncle’s great property.</p> - -<p>Mohammed was determined to set the matter of Sherif’s -fate at rest, and so continued the journey.</p> - -<p>It was near the end of the third day that Max went -forward to Mohammed and told him that a smoke was -rising in the distance, and that it appeared like an encampment.</p> - -<p>Mohammed gave orders for two of his most trusty -Arabs to ride forward and reconnoiter.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[150]</span></p> - -<p>It was so late before any sign of their return was obtained, -that Mohammed gave them up for lost.</p> - -<p>When, however, a shout proclaimed that the messengers -were safe, there was joy in the camp of the Arab -chief.</p> - -<p>The messengers conveyed two letters, one addressed to -the most worthy pasha and illustrious chief, Mohammed, -and the other to the worthy Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>Both were signed by Sherif el Habib, and each contained -the welcome news that Sherif and all the party -were well.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim and Max were too impatient to await the -morning, and after making Mohammed promise to start -at sunrise they journeyed forth to meet their friends.</p> - -<p>Who can describe the meeting between uncle and -nephew? and what pen can convey the faintest idea of -the rapture felt and expressed by Girzilla and Ibrahim?</p> - -<p>When the excitement of the meeting had subsided, no -one thought of returning to rest.</p> - -<p>True, all had been roused at midnight, but all were -eager to learn of the adventures of the young explorers.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim, however, was anxious to find out how Girzilla’s -belt had got into the possession of the cannibal, -and she admitted that some time before she had lost it -while out looking for the return of Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“And didst thou look for my return?” he asked.</p> - -<p>“Daily I journeyed forth, and as the weeks passed -Uncle Sherif believed that the grave held thee.”</p> - -<p>“And if it had?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[151]</span></p> - -<p>“I should have found it if I could and laid down beside -thee.”</p> - -<p>“Do you then love me so much, Girzilla?”</p> - -<p>She made no answer in words, but there was an eloquence -in the glance from her dark eyes which told him -all he wished to know.</p> - -<p>When, some hours later, Mohammed and his caravan -arrived, there was a great commotion.</p> - -<p>Not a word had been said about Girzilla’s parentage, -and Mohammed was shocked to see his daughter going -about unveiled.</p> - -<p>He recognized her instantly.</p> - -<p>The likeness to his wife was so striking that doubt -was an impossibility.</p> - -<p>Who can picture the happy scene when the mother -once more folded her arms around the form of the -daughter, only child of her heart and home?</p> - -<p>Explanations were made, and a happy family, long disunited, -was once more complete.</p> - -<p>“I can share in your joy,” said Sherif, “for I love her -as a daughter, and she will not leave me.”</p> - -<p>“Not leave? Hath the great and illustrious pasha -taken her to wife?”</p> - -<p>“No, Mohammed, but I ask her for my nephew.”</p> - -<p>“She shall accept.”</p> - -<p>“If she desires.”</p> - -<p>“She must.”</p> - -<p>“No, no! let the young folks decide.”</p> - -<p>It so happened that those young folks were near<span class="pagenum">[152]</span> -enough to overhear the conversation, and Ibrahim -stepped forward, a joyous smile on his face.</p> - -<p>“We have decided, uncle. Girzilla is mine.”</p> - -<p>“Blessings on you both. May Allah shower his great -bounties on you!” exclaimed Mohammed, reverently.</p> - -<p>And Sherif el Habib prostrated himself on the sacred -carpet, and in that humble position, appealed to Allah -and his prophet to bless the couple.</p> - -<p>After a rest and a discussion as to the best route to -take to reach the promised Mahdi, the caravan started.</p> - -<p>Mohammed believed that in the neighborhood of -Khartoum, or in the district known as the Soudan, the -Mahdi would be found.</p> - -<p>So pleased was Sherif el Habib with his newfound -friend that he agreed to follow him.</p> - -<p>Both were religious enthusiasts.</p> - -<p>Each believed that he should die happily only after -seeing the promised one.</p> - -<p>For several days no event of importance occurred.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXI">CHAPTER XXI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE MAHDI.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>In the wild district of Bakara, for ten years prior to the -commencement of our story, there had lived, in the strictest -seclusion, a man whose name was suddenly to burst -upon the world like the unexpected flash of a meteor -across the sky, and to leave behind a trail of blood.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[153]</span></p> - -<p>This man devoted his whole life to the exercises of -religion.</p> - -<p>He lived on the wild fruit and roots which grew about -his place, he drank nothing but water, and he spent twelve -hours out of the twenty-four in prayer.</p> - -<p>He slept only four hours each night, and the remaining -eight were devoted to study and the obtaining of the -necessaries of life.</p> - -<p>The Arabs who lived near looked upon him as a sacred -teacher who would ere long receive a mission from the -prophet.</p> - -<p>Mohammed Ahmed was born at Dongola in 1843. He -removed to Bakara and commenced his hermit life about -1870.</p> - -<p>Every morning he would go to the door of his hut and -intone the <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Adan</i> of the Mueddins, which translated would -read:</p> - -<p>“Allah is most great. I testify that there is no god -but Allah. Come to prayer. I testify that Mahomet -is the apostle of Allah. Come to prayer, come to security! -Prayer is better than sleep.”</p> - -<p>As regularly as the Mueddins of the mosque would -he intone this <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Adan</i>, and at midnight, after sleeping two -hours, he would rise from his bed, open the door, and -in a strong, musical voice would chant the <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">ula</i>.</p> - -<p>“There is no deity but Allah. He hath no companion—to -him belongeth the dominion—to him belongeth -praise. He giveth life and causeth death. He is living -and shall never die. In his hand is blessing, he is almighty. -Great is Allah! His perfection I extol!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[154]</span></p> - -<p>The Arab neighbors wondered who this mysterious -hermit could be, but years passed, and never could they -get an opportunity to speak with him.</p> - -<p>At last he wandered forth, his face shining with an -ethereal radiance, his bright eyes piercing and beautiful.</p> - -<p>“Who are you?” asked an exiled Arab chief.</p> - -<p>The hermit spoke—the first time to a human being -for many years.</p> - -<p>“Have you not heard that there should arise a twelfth -Imaum?”</p> - -<p>“Thou art the Mahdi!” answered the chief.</p> - -<p>Within a few days the Arab chief was sent with a message -to each governor and chief of a tribe, the burden -of which was:</p> - -<p>“Turn from your evil ways of living. Oppress not the -people. I, the Mahdi, have ordered it. I will punish -the oppressors of the poor. Prepare for my coming.”</p> - -<p>Rauf Pasha, the Egyptian governor general of the -Soudan, received the message.</p> - -<p>He sent for Abu Saud, the great Mohammedan theologian, -and showed him the message.</p> - -<p>“What thinkest thou?” asked Rauf Pasha.</p> - -<p>“The prophet foretold the coming of the Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>“But would he not come from Mecca?”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Allah il Allah!</i> His ways are not our ways,” answered -Abu Saud.</p> - -<p>“Go thou to Bakara as my special commissioner, and -find out whether this is indeed the Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>No sooner had the theologian started out on his mission -than Rauf Pasha said to himself:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[155]</span></p> - -<p>“Abu Saud will represent the prophet, but my soldiers -shall go and bring this so-called Mahdi to Khartoum, -and I will make him obey me.”</p> - -<p>Abu Saud held many theological discussions with -Mohammed Ahmed, and embarked on the state steamer -fully convinced that the Mahdi had indeed come.</p> - -<p>No sooner had Abu Saud started on his homeward -journey than a company of soldiers arrived and demanded -that the Mahdi should go with them to Khartoum.</p> - -<p>The prophet went to the door and intoned the <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Adan</i>.</p> - -<p>A hundred Arabs obeyed the call to prayer, and with -faces turned toward Mecca, they joined in the prayer -offered by the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>When the prayer was over Mohammed Ahmed said to -the soldiers:</p> - -<p>“Go thou and tell thy master, Rauf Pasha, that it is he -who must obey me.”</p> - -<p>The captain of the Egyptian soldiers made reply:</p> - -<p>“We have orders to take you to Khartoum, and that -we shall do.”</p> - -<p>The standard bearer unfurled his flag, and the sun -shone on the crescent emblazoned on the blood-red banner -of Egypt.</p> - -<p>“Allah is with me,” said the Mahdi, devoutly. “Fight -not against your <em>Imaum</em>.”</p> - -<p>The soldiers laughed and called on Mohammed to surrender.</p> - -<p>“By the great Allah and the illustrious prophet, the -Mahdi will never surrender!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[156]</span></p> - -<p>That was the signal for an order to fire on the followers -of the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>In less than an hour every Egyptian soldier had been -annihilated, and all their arms and ammunition fell into -the hands of the Arabs, together with the steamer which -had brought them down the Nile from Khartoum.</p> - -<p>The first blood had been shed, and the alleged Mahdi -had been victorious.</p> - -<p>The followers of Mohammed went on board the -steamer, and sailed down the Nile in the direction of -Kordofan.</p> - -<p>Long before Kordofan was reached, the people flocked -to the standard of the Mahdi, and Mohammed Ahmed -was welcomed as the long-promised leader who was -to triumph over the Turks and drive them from the -Soudan and Egypt.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi would raise the crescent above the cross, -and the whole world should be subjugated to the faith -of Mahomet.</p> - -<p>Such was the rise of that wonderful man, and still -more remarkable enthusiasm, which caused the plains -of the Soudan to be dyed crimson with the blood of -Egyptian and Turkish and English soldiers.</p> - -<p>Rauf Pasha was alarmed at the enthusiasm of the -people, and he sent to the governor of Fashoda stringent -orders to crush the Mahdi and his followers.</p> - -<p>The orders were welcome, for the governor loved -fighting, and his people were fond of plunder.</p> - -<p>He therefore gave orders for his soldiers to be in -readiness for the march early on the following morning.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[157]</span></p> - -<p>The trumpet sounded, and nine hundred soldiers, about -half of them unarmed, however, set out for the Arab -village of Senari.</p> - -<p>When the village was reached the governor himself -raised the banner of Egypt, and shouted:</p> - -<p>“Down with the Arabs! Death to the infidels!”</p> - -<p>Senari was fired on.</p> - -<p>The people were panic-stricken.</p> - -<p>Men rushed for their houses, and called on Allah to -protect them.</p> - -<p>Women and children were shot down without mercy.</p> - -<p>The blood-red flag of Egypt, with its golden crescent, -was not more crimson than the streets of the Arab -village.</p> - -<p>The soldiers pillaged every house.</p> - -<p>Men saw their children hewn into pieces with the -heavy swords of the soldiers; they saw their wives mutilated -in the most horrible manner, but were powerless -to resist.</p> - -<p>They were unarmed.</p> - -<p>From Senari the victorious Fashodians marched to -Bari, and again commenced a carnival of slaughter and -plunder.</p> - -<p>The Arabs of Bari showed considerable spirit, for they -armed themselves with knives, long sticks and various -other weapons, and rushed upon the bayonets and muskets -of the invaders, fighting against terrible odds and at -great disadvantage.</p> - -<p>Again the same scenes of horrible brutality were -witnessed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[158]</span></p> - -<p>The butchery was at its height when a cloud of dust -and sand was seen in the distance, and in a few minutes -a gallant band of well-armed Arabs rode into the center -of the village, and charged the Fashodians with an impetuosity -entirely foreign to the Arab nature.</p> - -<p>“Come on, boys!” shouted Sherif el Habib, in good -Arabian. “I don’t know what the quarrel is about, but -the villagers are the weakest.”</p> - -<p>“That’s so!” shouted Max; “and in my country we -always go to help the under dog of the fight.”</p> - -<p>Our friends, Mohammed and Sherif, with their lieutenants, -Max and Ibrahim, arrived at the very nick of time.</p> - -<p>The governor of Fashoda believed that the Mahdi had -come.</p> - -<p>The villagers declared that Allah had answered their -prayers, and that very thought caused them to fight with -desperate courage, even though they were practically -unarmed.</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi!” shouted the people.</p> - -<p>“Great is the prophet!”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Allah il Allah!</i>”</p> - -<p>The air was filled with the shouts of the Arabs, and -it was not until a lull took place that Sherif el Habib was -able to explain that the Mahdi had not come, that in fact -they were seeking for him.</p> - -<p>Max fought desperately, and when the scimiter was -knocked from his hand he almost cried with vexation.</p> - -<p>But he created a consternation which led to a panic.</p> - -<p>It was unexpected and to the Fashodians inexplainable.</p> - -<p>Max had amused himself on his journey in making a<span class="pagenum">[159]</span> -number of giant cartridges—consisting of a paper shell -and nearly half a pound of powder.</p> - -<p>He had intended them for any rock he wanted to dislodge -or blast, and when he felt for his revolver, he accidentally -discovered one of these heavy cartridges in -his saddlebag.</p> - -<p>Madcap as he was even when fighting, he conceived a -plan unique and terrible.</p> - -<p>Quietly riding forward on his camel to the standard -bearer of the Fashodians, he managed to place the cartridge -under the saddlebag and lighted the fuse.</p> - -<p>The standard bearer turned quickly on his camel to repel, -as he thought, the attack made by Max, but was -surprised to see the American ride away.</p> - -<p>The fight was raging furiously when a loud report was -heard, and the standard bearer was flying through space.</p> - -<p>Alas! his beauty was defaced and his usefulness ended, -for the madcap had charged the cartridge so well that -the poor bearer of the crescent of Egypt was rent into a -hundred pieces, and his remains had to be left scattered -on the ground.</p> - -<p>The Fashodians were superstitious, and believed that -the prophet must have indeed come.</p> - -<p>To add to their terror, a great army of Arabs was seen -approaching, and a great cry arose from the throng:</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi has come!”</p> - -<p>And into the thickest of the fight rode a stately looking -man with clear, bright eyes and intelligent, broad forehead.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[160]</span></p> - -<p>In a voice of authority he shouted:</p> - -<p>“To your homes! Repent ye. I am your <em>Imaum</em>, -the Mahdi.”</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXII">CHAPTER XXII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">TRICK OR MIRACLE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Long years of asceticism had made the man who -claimed to be the long-promised Mahdi almost ethereal in -appearance.</p> - -<p>There was a brightness about his eyes which fairly -fascinated one.</p> - -<p>His skin was as smooth as that of a child, his teeth even -and regular, his forehead high and broad, while his jet-black -mustache and beard gave him a look of authority.</p> - -<p>It is very easy to believe that the appearance of such a -man, added to the sanctity of his life, impressed the untutored -Arabs with a belief in his pretensions.</p> - -<p>Had this Mahdi lived five hundred years ago, he would -have subjugated Europe easily.</p> - -<p>“I am the Mahdi!”</p> - -<p>Soldiers dropped their weapons and many prostrated -themselves on the ground.</p> - -<p>The victory was a very easy one, and the governor of -Fashoda fell back with his troops.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi did not pursue, but gathered his forces together -and commenced the march into the mountain fastness.</p> - -<p>When a halt was called Sherif el Habib fell on his face,<span class="pagenum">[161]</span> -and taking the Mahdi’s garment in his hands, pressed it -to his lips.</p> - -<p>“I know thou art the Mahdi!” he said, with reverent -solemnity.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi bade him rise.</p> - -<p>Turning to Mohammed, the Mahdi said:</p> - -<p>“Thou, too, believest; I see it in thy mind. Verily the -kingdoms of the world shall know it as well as thou.”</p> - -<p>Looking at Ibrahim, this mysterious man exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Young man, thou art delighted because thy uncle hath -found me, because the time of your pleasure is near at -hand.”</p> - -<p>Ibrahim started as if a bomb had suddenly exploded -beneath his feet.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi had read his thoughts exactly.</p> - -<p>“It is a wonder to thee,” he said, “but thy thoughts I -can read.”</p> - -<p>“And mine?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>For a moment the Mahdi was silent and then replied:</p> - -<p>“Yes. Thy people are commercial. They would ally -themselves with me if they could gain by it. Curiosity -would prompt them, but thy land I shall never see.”</p> - -<p>“I am not English!” said Max, who thought that the -Mahdi had referred to the British nation.</p> - -<p>“Thou speakest truly. Hadst thou been of that accursed -infidel nation, the sword of the faithful would have -pierced thee through.”</p> - -<p>“Tell me what thou knowest of me?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“Thou hast been in the grave, and mid the bones of<span class="pagenum">[162]</span> -those who went before, left thine own father, and through -a girl didst thou escape.”</p> - -<p>“It is true. Thy mind reading is wonderful. If ever -being a Mahdi fails, come over to New York and you will -just make millions, see if you don’t.”</p> - -<p>Mohammed, Sherif el Habib and Ibrahim laughed -heartily at the characteristic speech delivered by Max. It -so clearly corroborated the mind reading of the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>“What are you laughing at?” Max inquired, half -vexed at Ibrahim, especially.</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi read your thoughts,” answered Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“That is just why I said he would rake in the dollars -in the States.”</p> - -<p>A number of the followers of Fashoda’s governor came -to the camp and began asking questions of the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>Some asked on matters of faith and doctrine, and the -Mahdi answered with convincing eloquence.</p> - -<p>Others asked for signs and miracles.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi’s face darkened.</p> - -<p>“Oh, ye of little faith!” he commenced, “is it necessary -that I should work signs and wonders before you believe -me?”</p> - -<p>“Moses did,” suggested one. “So did Mahomet.”</p> - -<p>“And a greater than Mahomet is here, for he is the -promised Mahdi,” said Sherif el Habib. “I have journeyed -over sea and land, have been across the great -desert, to meet this Imaum, and I can die happy.”</p> - -<p>“The governor says all will die that follow him,” exclaimed -one of the unbelievers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[163]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes, the army of Rauf Pasha, and of Egypt and of -England will crush all who follow the Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>The Mahdi saw that the unbelievers in his mission were -gaining ground, and he must do something to convince -them.</p> - -<p>His face wore a scowling expression as he resolved on -his course.</p> - -<p>“Stand in a circle,” he ordered, and the crowd obeyed, -quickly.</p> - -<p>“You, and you, and you,” he said, pointing to the unbelieving -ones, “stand in the center.”</p> - -<p>Tremblingly the doubters obeyed, and the Mahdi drew -from the folds of his dress a snake skin.</p> - -<p>He showed it to them all, and they admitted it was -but the skin of a deadly snake.</p> - -<p>“Are you satisfied?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>He opened out the skin and drew it through his hand -until it was stretched to a length of six or seven feet, and -was as stiff as a walking cane.</p> - -<p>He threw it on the ground in front of the unbelievers, -and it laid there, stiff, inert, but yet terribly lifelike.</p> - -<p>The men recoiled.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi laughed.</p> - -<p>“And are you frightened of a poor snake skin?” he -asked, sneeringly. “Wait and see.”</p> - -<p>He took up the snake by the end of the tail and it remained -stiff.</p> - -<p>The thing looked as if it was expanding.</p> - -<p>“Surely it is moving,” exclaimed Ibrahim.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[164]</span></p> - -<p>“Yes; look. Isn’t it splendid?” asked Max, admiringly.</p> - -<p>There was no mistake about it. The thing was endowed -with life.</p> - -<p>Its forked tongue shot in and out its ugly mouth. Its -body writhed and wriggled, as if it resented being so -tightly grasped by its tail.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi dropped it. The reptile coiled itself as if -ready for a spring.</p> - -<p>The men shrieked.</p> - -<p>The unbelievers slunk away.</p> - -<p>The believers were delighted and yet awe-stricken at -the miracle.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi grasped the snake round its neck just as it -was about to spring.</p> - -<p>The body straightened out, and looked stiff and lifeless.</p> - -<p>It gradually shrunk until it became again the empty -piece of skin, so small that it could be held in the closed -hand.</p> - -<p>Whether this was trick or miracle, sleight-of-hand performance -or some freak of nature, the reader must determine. -The Buddhist fakirs of India and the Mohammedan -dervishes of Persia and Turkey perform the same -thing to-day, save that they place the snake skin on the -sand and cover it with a paper cone. When the cone is -removed the skin has disappeared, and a live snake has -taken its place.</p> - -<p>The unbelievers fell on their faces, and with one voice -declared:</p> - -<p>“Thou art the Mahdi!”</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[165]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIII">CHAPTER XXIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">UNDER THE MAHDI.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>To the simple minds of those Soudanese peasants and -soldiers, the experiment, or trick, of the Mahdi, was -sufficient evidence of his power and of the truth of -his mission.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib, however, was grieved.</p> - -<p>He had seen the dervishes do a similar thing, and he -wished that the Mahdi had shown his power in some -other way.</p> - -<p>Not that any doubt crossed his mind, but Sherif el -Habib wanted to believe that the Mahdi possessed a -power unlimited, and which no one could imitate.</p> - -<p>Reading his thoughts, the Mahdi turned to him.</p> - -<p>“Believer from the glorious mosque of Khorassan, the -proof of my power must be adapted to those who are -witnesses of it. Had I said to this mountain: ‘Get thee -back ten leagues,’ and it had obeyed, it would not have -been more convincing than the snake transformation.”</p> - -<p>“To me it would,” said Max, “and if you will remove -the mountain even ten feet, I’ll give up my country and -adopt yours.”</p> - -<p>The Mahdi made no answer.</p> - -<p>He treated the young American with contempt.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib apologized for his speech, while Mohammed -bowed his head, grieved that anyone in his caravan<span class="pagenum">[166]</span> -should speak so lightly or demand such a great -miracle.</p> - -<p>Max was in disgrace.</p> - -<p>He wandered away and strolled near where the women -members of the caravan were encamped.</p> - -<p>He walked about, his head bent down, for he was -sorry that he had offended his friends.</p> - -<p>“What grieveth my brother?” asked a low, sweet voice -at his side.</p> - -<p>He turned, and a female form stood beside him, heavily -veiled.</p> - -<p>Coquettishly the veil was removed a little, and he -caught a glimpse of Girzilla.</p> - -<p>Max was pleased. He felt his heart throb with delight.</p> - -<p>He almost envied Ibrahim, and yet he, a white man, -could never marry a dark-skinned Arabian.</p> - -<p>“Why art thou sad?” Girzilla asked again.</p> - -<p>Max told her of the offense he had given.</p> - -<p>“If he be the Mahdi,” said she, consolingly, “he will -not be offended. If he be not the Mahdi, he will not hurt -my brother for fear of offending Mohammed, my father, -and the illustrious Sherif el Habib.”</p> - -<p>“It is fair reasoning, my true one, my Girzilla. How -strange that, through saving me, you should be restored -to your friends.”</p> - -<p>“It is indeed. Oh, Max, my mother is lovely.”</p> - -<p>“I am glad you are so happy, and yet you will soon -leave her and go with thy husband.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose so;” and Girzilla sighed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[167]</span></p> - -<p>“Tell me, Girzilla, do you not love Ibrahim?”</p> - -<p>“Yes—that—I—what shall I say?”</p> - -<p>“Speak to me as a brother, dear one.”</p> - -<p>“As a—brother. Ah, yes—but art thou going away?”</p> - -<p>“Going away?”</p> - -<p>“To seek the last of the Mamelukes?”</p> - -<p>“I must. I feel that I would like to do so, but I have -no one to guide me.”</p> - -<p>“I could instruct thee.”</p> - -<p>“Will you?”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps, but——”</p> - -<p>Fearing to say more, the girl ran away, leaving Max -far happier than when she had joined him.</p> - -<p>He returned to his friends, and with that generous nature -which characterized him, he sought out the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>“I was wrong to speak as I did,” he said, “but I am -not of thy faith. You adopt the crescent, my sign is the -cross. Mahomet did a grand work for your people, but -my Savior is Jesus.”</p> - -<p>“He is one of our prophets.”</p> - -<p>“I know it. But let us not talk of faith or creed. You -are beset with danger. Your enemies may league against -you——”</p> - -<p>“They may, but they cannot triumph.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not. But if I can be of use to you while I -am in the camp, I will fight under your standard, and if -the English came——”</p> - -<p>“They will not.”</p> - -<p>“If they do, I will not leave you till the end. I am<span class="pagenum">[168]</span> -an American, and I would like to be able to tell the English -to stay at home and mind their own business.”</p> - -<p>It was a long speech for Max to make, but the Mahdi -could see it came from the heart.</p> - -<p>For several days the camp was undisturbed.</p> - -<p>“I shall remain here until the end of the rainy season,” -said the Mahdi, “and then I shall march on Kordofan.”</p> - -<p>Mohammed and Sherif el Habib determined to stay -with the new prophet, and to participate in what they believed -to be his forthcoming triumphal march across the -Soudan.</p> - -<p>Max began to love the Mahdi, for the man was essentially -human, grandly sublime in his ideas, and, although -undoubtedly a religious fanatic, an able man.</p> - -<p>That Mohammed Ahmed really believed he was the -Mahdi, no one could doubt.</p> - -<p>In his own estimation he was no impostor.</p> - -<p>His asceticism, his study, his extreme self-denial, all -tended to make him believe in his mission.</p> - -<p>But, although the Mahdi had faith in his divine authority, -he was too good a soldier to neglect military precautions.</p> - -<p>Every morning at sunrise the bugle sounded, and the -soldiers and followers of the new prophet were drilled -for an hour.</p> - -<p>At ten o’clock they were again mustered and drilled in -the manual of arms.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib was given the command of a division, -and he appointed Ibrahim as his chief of staff, while Max<span class="pagenum">[169]</span> -occupied the same post of responsibility under Mohammed.</p> - -<p>Each knew that at any moment they might have to -fight, and our young heroes were eager for the fray.</p> - -<p>Truth to tell, Max was a soldier born. He was never -so happy as when engaged in combat, either in a wordy -war with his tongue or in the more deadly conflict with -the sword.</p> - -<p>When not engaged in some work of the kind his madcap -proclivities were sure to manifest themselves, and he -would make some one the victim of his practical jokes.</p> - -<p>His wish for a fight was soon to be gratified, and before -he left the Mahdi he saw blood flow like water, and -men go down to the valley of death by the thousand.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIV">CHAPTER XXIV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">COUNTING CHICKENS.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>In all Africa there was not a more conceited man than -the Governor of Fashoda.</p> - -<p>Defeated and driven back by the Mahdists, and ordered -by Rauf Pasha to remain on the defensive, he nevertheless -conceived the idea that he could win renown and -perhaps become governor-general of the Soudan with -the greatest ease.</p> - -<p>As his principal adviser he had a young Englishman, -who had been compelled to leave his own country surreptitiously, -or spend a few years in one of the English -prisons.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[170]</span></p> - -<p>He managed to slip away to Egypt, and being of an -adventurous disposition, Hubert Ponsonby was sent on -a special mission to Rauf Pasha, who transferred him to -the Governor of Fashoda.</p> - -<p>Hubert Ponsonby, whose father was a member of the -English aristocracy, was educated at Oxford University, -had been in the army, but resigned his commission just in -time to escape being kicked out.</p> - -<p>But he was brilliant in every way, a good fellow, but -a great rascal.</p> - -<p>Everybody liked him in spite of his faults.</p> - -<p>The Khedive of Egypt thought he was too brilliant. -He feared that his winning ways might lure some of the -court to the gaming table, for Ponsonby was a great -gambler.</p> - -<p>Hence the khedive hit upon the happy plan of sending -Ponsonby to the Soudan.</p> - -<p>Rauf Pasha saw that the young Englishman would -soon run the country to suit himself, and he determined -to get rid of him.</p> - -<p>He dared not kill him; he did try to get him into a -low part of Khartoum, hoping he might be robbed and -murdered, but Ponsonby escaped.</p> - -<p>The only thing he could think of was to send him with -good recommendations to the Governor of Fashoda.</p> - -<p>“If ever the fellow gets away from there, I’ll resign -in his favor,” said Rauf Pasha, when Ponsonby started -from Khartoum.</p> - -<p>This was the Englishman who advised the Fashoda -governor, and, in fact, really ruled the province.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[171]</span></p> - -<p>Two weeks after the defeat by the Mahdi, Ponsonby -was closeted with the governor.</p> - -<p>“You see, Rauf is jealous of you,” said the Englishman, -insinuatingly.</p> - -<p>“Why should he be?”</p> - -<p>“If you defeated this Mohammed Ahmed, you would -be the greatest man in the Soudan, and I would go right -off to the khedive and so work upon his feelings that you -would be appointed governor-general of the Soudan. -Once there you might aspire higher——”</p> - -<p>“How?”</p> - -<p>“The army wants a leader.”</p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“Your defeat of the Mahdi, the organization of a big -Soudanese army would point to you as the man. Arabi -Pasha would help you.”</p> - -<p>“You think I might be commander of the Egyptian -army?”</p> - -<p>“Greater than that.”</p> - -<p>“How so?”</p> - -<p>“The army could make you khedive.”</p> - -<p>“And you?”</p> - -<p>“You would make me minister of war, and I would -get England’s influence, and Egypt should become an independent -nation, with you as its first sultan.”</p> - -<p>The Governor of Fashoda was vain and egotistic, and -believed he was the only man fitted for the career -sketched out by the brilliant Englishman.</p> - -<p>But what ambition had Ponsonby?</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[172]</span></p> - -<p>In the recesses of his own heart he reasoned in this -fashion:</p> - -<p>“The governor is ambitious—he is a tool in my hands—he -has no scruples; he would use the assassin’s dagger -just as readily as the soldier’s sword. The army wants -a bold, dashing leader. Under my guidance he shall win -everything until the last step—then I will, as minister -of war, effect a <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">coup d’etat</i>, and Hubert Ponsonby shall -become Sultan Hubert the First of Egypt.”</p> - -<p>So we see, with an author’s privilege, just how the -Governor of Fashoda was to be used as a cat’s-paw to -pull the chestnuts out of the fire for Ponsonby’s benefit.</p> - -<p>The whole thing was feasible if the Mahdi could be -defeated and crushed.</p> - -<p>Rauf Pasha was afraid of the growing power of the -Mahdi.</p> - -<p>Egypt itself was being converted to the belief in the -claims of the Mahdi, and in the mosques of Constantinople -the Mahdi was openly referred to as having made -his appearance.</p> - -<p>The conquerer of the Mahdi would therefore be all -powerful.</p> - -<p>It would have been as well if Hubert Ponsonby had remembered -the old Irish story of the Skibbereen market -women.</p> - -<p>As the two women were going home from market, one -of them began to prophesy how many good things she -would be able to get by the next gale—rent—day.</p> - -<p>She had two sitting of eggs to take home, and she -reasoned: Twenty-six eggs will bring me at least twenty<span class="pagenum">[173]</span> -chickens; each chicken will begin laying in the spring. I -shall get so many eggs every day; seven times twenty -will be one hundred and forty eggs every week. I can -sell them, and the money will buy——</p> - -<p>But a stop was put to her calculation by her friend, -who asked:</p> - -<p>“But what’ll you do if the chickens are all roosters?”</p> - -<p>The other was sure they wouldn’t be.</p> - -<p>The women wrangled and got to high words, and at -last one declared she could tell by the yolks whether the -egg would produce a hen or a rooster.</p> - -<p>Challenged to the proof, she broke all the eggs to prove -her assertion; and then suddenly remembered that no -chickens at all could be hatched from broken eggs.</p> - -<p>Ponsonby should have thought of that, and have defeated -the Mahdi before he counted his profits.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi was receiving recruits daily.</p> - -<p>Men who were fanatics; desperate fighters because they -believed the triumph of the prophet was the triumph of -religion.</p> - -<p>Every day these recruits were drilled; the discipline -was of the strictest, but they would have suffered torture -if they thought by so doing they could assist the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>Ponsonby had won over the chief of the Shiluk tribe -to his ideas, and five thousand men were ready to take the -field against the Mahdists.</p> - -<p>“Why wait?” asked Hubert Pasha, as he was called.</p> - -<p>“Will the Governor of the Soudan object?” asked the -chief of the Shiluk.</p> - -<p>“The Governor of Fashoda will soon be Sultan of<span class="pagenum">[174]</span> -Egypt, and you will be the governor general of the -Soudan.”</p> - -<p>And the poor barbarian was fired with ambition, and -ready to fight against anybody, or any nation, as Ponsonby -should direct.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXV">CHAPTER XXV. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">VICTORY.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Max, if anything happens to me, will you be good to -Girzilla?” asked Ibrahim, one night.</p> - -<p>“Anything happen? What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“I feel that we are about to have a battle, and I may -fall.”</p> - -<p>“Of course, so may I.”</p> - -<p>“Yes; but I feel it here,” and Ibrahim placed his hand -on his forehead.</p> - -<p>“Premonition, eh? Take a good stiff dose of quinine, -and you will be all right.”</p> - -<p>“No, I am not sick.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps not, but talking of being sick. Wasn’t that a -lark I had with the Mahdi?”</p> - -<p>“What lark?”</p> - -<p>“I forgot you were not there. It was good fun. I -could have split my sides with laughter, but I had to be -sober as a judge.”</p> - -<p>“What did you do, Madcap?”</p> - -<p>“Swear you won’t give me away.”</p> - -<p>“Give you away?” repeated Ibrahim, surprisedly.</p> - -<p>“Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell even Girzilla.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[175]</span></p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“Swear it.”</p> - -<p>“By the beard of the prophet, I swear!”</p> - -<p>“Well, you know the Mahdi has a great deal more -ceremony shown him now than at first. His hands and -feet are washed before he stretches himself on your -uncle’s sacred carpet.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I know that.”</p> - -<p>“You also know that he must pour the water into the -basin himself.”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Well, the Mahdi stood ready for the water. A big -Arab held the basin, another came with a leather bottle, -filled with the sacred water. The Mahdi took the bottle -and poured some into the basin; but he nearly fell with -fright.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“The water foamed and sizzed until it overflowed the -basin. The Arab was so frightened that he dropped the -bowl and fell on his knees. ‘Bring the other vessel,’ -commanded the Mahdi. The other was brought, and the -same thing occurred. ‘A miracle! A miracle!’ shouted -your uncle, and Mohammed declared that it signified a -great uprising of the Mahdi’s enemies; but just as the -boiling and frothing of the water subsided, so would his -enemies. Hadn’t I hard work to preserve a sober face, -because——”</p> - -<p>“What did you do?”</p> - -<p>“I got your uncle’s medicine chest and put three -seidlitz powders in each bowl. The white powder was<span class="pagenum">[176]</span> -not noticed because the Mahdi insists on the sacred sand -from Mecca being at the bottom of the basin.”</p> - -<p>“It was a shame, Max. How could you do it?”</p> - -<p>“You ought to thank me, for everyone believes it to -have been a miracle.”</p> - -<p>“Max, Max, I am afraid that you are indeed an infidel.”</p> - -<p>“Not at all, Ibrahim, old fellow, only——What was -that?”</p> - -<p>“A bugle call ‘to arms.’”</p> - -<p>The conversation was over; Madcap Max became the -soldier once again.</p> - -<p>He buckled on his scimiter and joined his men.</p> - -<p>“The cohorts of the infidels are coming,” shouted the -Mahdi. “But not one will go back. The grave shall receive -each one who fights beneath the crescent without -the star.”</p> - -<p>Through a mountain pass five thousand men, headed -by the Governor of Fashoda and the Chief of Shiluk, were -seen approaching.</p> - -<p>On a jet-black Arab horse Hubert Ponsonby rode, -looking kinglike and majestic.</p> - -<p>The whiteness of his skin contrasted strangely with the -tawny color of the soldiers.</p> - -<p>He was clad in white, and he looked almost ghostly -as he bestrode the back of the raven-colored horse.</p> - -<p>He did everything for effect.</p> - -<p>“Allah il Allah!” shouted the Mahdists, and the same -cry was repeated by the Fashodans.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[177]</span></p> - -<p>“For Mahomet and the Mahdi!” cried the Mahdists, -and the Fashodans replied with stentorian voices:</p> - -<p>“For Mahomet and the khedive.”</p> - -<p>The Fashodans commenced the battle.</p> - -<p>They were weary and wanted it over.</p> - -<p>They believed the victory would be an easy one. They -had no water, and the wells were guarded by the -Mahdists.</p> - -<p>Hence it was that they precipitated the struggle.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi was practically unarmed.</p> - -<p>He carried a spear, but from it streamed pennons on -which were written passages from the Koran.</p> - -<p>There was something grand about this religious fanatic.</p> - -<p>Strong and brave as a lion, yet he was as simple and -guileless as a child.</p> - -<p>He hated war, and yet believed it to be a sacred mission.</p> - -<p>He knew it was only by the sword that he could win, -and yet he would not use the weapon himself.</p> - -<p>When the fight was hottest he was calm.</p> - -<p>The bullets flew about him like hail, but he sat unharmed -and as cool as if he knew the leaden hail could -not hurt him.</p> - -<p>On came the legions from Fashoda.</p> - -<p>But it was evident that they were disheartened.</p> - -<p>“Who is that white man?” asked Max.</p> - -<p>“Hubert Ponsonby,” answered one of the Mahdists.</p> - -<p>“An Englishman?”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[178]</span></p> - -<p>“It is the same. He cheated my father’s firm. I wondered -what had become of him. Wonder if he knows -me? It is three years since we met, and I was only sixteen -then.”</p> - -<p>Max thought all this quicker than the pen can write -the words.</p> - -<p>He called his men to follow him, and swinging his -scimiter above his head dashed into the very midst of the -attacking force.</p> - -<p>He pushed his way through until he found himself by -the side of Hubert’s coal-black horse.</p> - -<p>“Hubert Ponsonby!” exclaimed Max.</p> - -<p>“Who calls me by that name?”</p> - -<p>“I do.”</p> - -<p>“You; and who are you?”</p> - -<p>“Max Gordon, of the firm you robbed.”</p> - -<p>“You lie!”</p> - -<p>“Do I, Hubert Ponsonby? My scimiter shall whet -itself in your flesh and prove my words.”</p> - -<p>Hubert swung his scimiter round with terrific force, -but it cut the empty air.</p> - -<p>Max wheeled round quickly and parried a second -blow.</p> - -<p>“So ho! You are a renegade, are you?” sneered Ponsonby.</p> - -<p>“You wear the Turk’s colors, I the Mahdi’s; that is -the difference,” answered Max.</p> - -<p>Steel clashed on steel, the sparks flew from the blades, -but neither combatant was wounded.</p> - -<p>“Surrender!” cried Max.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[179]</span></p> - -<p>“Never!” answered Hubert.</p> - -<p>Again the two men came together.</p> - -<p>The blood was now flowing from Hubert’s left shoulder, -but Max was unhurt.</p> - -<p>The Englishman was getting weak from loss of blood.</p> - -<p>With his left hand, weak though it was from the -wound, he drew his revolver.</p> - -<p>“No, that will never do,” Max exclaimed, as he made -an upward cut and sent the revolver careening through -the air.</p> - -<p>The Soudanese very seldom fight fairly, and when they -saw that Hubert was getting the worst of it, a dozen of -them surrounded Max, cutting him off entirely from his -followers.</p> - -<p>It was a critical moment.</p> - -<p>Max swung his scimiter round vigorously, dealing out -terrible blows with it; but what could one man do against -twelve?</p> - -<p>He felt he would have to succumb.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim’s premonition came to his mind.</p> - -<p>He was to be the one to die, not the Persian.</p> - -<p>He was ready for his fate, but even as he admitted -it he resolved that Ponsonby should not live to gloat -over his defeat.</p> - -<p>He threw himself forward on Ponsonby, bearing him -from his horse.</p> - -<p>Like a lightning flash Max dismounted and grasped -Hubert by the throat.</p> - -<p>A Soudanese raised his scimiter and was about to bring -it down on the young American’s head, when the blow<span class="pagenum">[180]</span> -was turned aside by the Mahdi’s spear, and instead of -cutting off the head of the young lieutenant of the Mahdi, -it did no other damage than the destruction of a verse of -the Koran.</p> - -<p>Amid the flashing of steel and the cracking of musketry -the Mahdi rode; he had saved the madcap’s life at the -risk of his own.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim had fought with terrible fury, and scores of -the Fashodans had felt the keenness of his sword and the -strength of his arm.</p> - -<p>His latest achievement was the capture of the Governor -of Fashoda.</p> - -<p>When the day ended and the result of the fight was -known, it was found that of the five thousand brave followers -of Hubert Ponsonby and the Fashodan governor, -not two hundred escaped.</p> - -<p>The carnage was fearful.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi lost about two hundred men, the enemy -over four thousand.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim and Max were the heroes of the hour, and the -Mahdi, in a loud voice, proclaimed the “infidel” Max as -an adopted son of the prophet.</p> - -<p>Amid heartfelt cries of: “Great is Allah! The Mahdi -hath come!” the sun went down, and Mohammed Ahmed -was the greatest warrior the Soudan had ever known.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[181]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVI">CHAPTER XXVI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">A PLAN OF CAMPAIGN.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>The victory of the Mahdi over the Fashodans was -telegraphed all over the world.</p> - -<p>In London as well as Constantinople, in Paris alike -with Cairo, the people could talk of nothing but the wonderful -advance of the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>Mohammed Ahmed was shrewd.</p> - -<p>He knew that his victory would rouse all the animosity -of the Egyptians and Turks against him.</p> - -<p>A delay would be dangerous.</p> - -<p>The Soudan must be his, and that at once.</p> - -<p>He called together his chosen friends and told them -that the victory must be followed up by still greater -victories.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib, full of the religious devotion which -made men rejoice in being martyrs, advised the instant -march on Khartoum.</p> - -<p>“The presence of the Mahdi is enough; all men must -acknowledge your mission,” he said, and really believed -that the Mahdi could scatter his enemies by a mere -word.</p> - -<p>But the prophet shook his head.</p> - -<p>“No, my friend, Allah works by men’s hands, and it is -only by the sword that the prince of darkness can be -crushed. To march now would be to invite defeat.”</p> - -<p>Max opened his mouth to speak, but remained silent.</p> - -<p>“Speak, my son,” said the Mahdi.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[182]</span></p> - -<p>Max blushed a deep crimson as he was thus addressed.</p> - -<p>“I am the youngest here and I may offend,” he replied, -modestly.</p> - -<p>“Thou canst not offend me. Speak just as you think. -I will hear all and condemn not.”</p> - -<p>The madcap was emboldened, and clearing his throat -made, for him, a long speech.</p> - -<p>“I left Cairo on a special mission of my own,” he began. -“Fate, or, as you would say, Allah, guided me to -you. I have fought under your banner.”</p> - -<p>“And right bravely, too,” the Mahdi interjected.</p> - -<p>“I don’t believe in your religion, but I know that you”—looking -at the Mahdi—“are by a long shot the best -man in the Soudan to-day. As Englishmen have joined -your enemies, I don’t see why I should not join you, -and I’ll be hanged if it isn’t a good work you are engaged -in. Now, I’ve got an idea—just forget that you -are the Mahdi and, to put it plainly, a rebel——Oh, -don’t wince; George Washington, the greatest man who -ever lived, was a rebel until he was successful, then he -was a patriot.”</p> - -<p>“I have already told you to speak as you think,” said -Mohammed Ahmed. “I shall not be offended.”</p> - -<p>“My plan is this: Let some one go secretly to Khartoum, -to Kordofan, and Senaar, and preach rebellion. -Let whoever goes rouse the people—talk to them of the -way they have been robbed, and then spring upon them -the idea that you, their Mahdi, will deliver them. You -see, by this means you would have friends waiting for -you in each place.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[183]</span></p> - -<p>“That is good, my son, but the messengers may be -killed.”</p> - -<p>“Very likely. When I took up the sword I just said -to myself: ‘Max, old fellow, make your will, reconcile -yourself to your enemies, and go in a buster.’”</p> - -<p>Although the slangy manner in which Max spoke -seemed incoherent, his hearers knew that he was in earnest, -and that the plan was a good one.</p> - -<p>“Better leave out Khartoum,” said the prophet; “let -the plan be worked in other places first.”</p> - -<p>“The plan is a good one,” said Sherif el Habib, “but -who could carry it out?”</p> - -<p>“I would go to one place,” exclaimed Mohammed.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim whispered to Girzilla’s father:</p> - -<p>“What would become of your harem?”</p> - -<p>“I will go,” said Sherif el Habib, with enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>“No, no, no!” interrupted Max, excitedly, “it would -never do. Both the illustrious Sherif el Habib and Mohammed -have too much to lose.”</p> - -<p>“Do you think we value our possessions more than -principle?”</p> - -<p>“Not at all; but it would be mighty inconvenient to -lose all, and perhaps your lives as well. Let me go to -Kordofan.”</p> - -<p>“You?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; I can talk—why, great Cæsar! I’d just glory in -the adventure.”</p> - -<p>“But you are not of our faith.”</p> - -<p>“So much the better. I am an American, and every<span class="pagenum">[184]</span> -body will know that the cause is a good one if an American -takes it up.”</p> - -<p>“Go, my son, and may Allah bless you!”</p> - -<p>“May I not go to Senaar?” asked Ibrahim.</p> - -<p>“What do you know about revolutions?” asked his -uncle, with almost a sneer.</p> - -<p>“Not much, unky, and that’s a fact; but Max will -tell me what to do.”</p> - -<p>“Go, then; and if you die, you will know it was for the -truth.”</p> - -<p>“Just so, only we shall not die; at least, not just yet. -When do we start, Max?”</p> - -<p>“At once; earlier, if possible,” and the madcap laughed -as he spoke.</p> - -<p>He walked away to think out his plan of action, and -was joined by Girzilla.</p> - -<p>“You were going without bidding me good-by.”</p> - -<p>“Yes.”</p> - -<p>“Cruel brother. Remember, Max, wherever you may -be, I am not Kalula to you, but Girzilla.”</p> - -<p>“I shall never forget it, my true one. May you be -happy.”</p> - -<p>The girl was deeply agitated, for she realized from -what Mohammed, her father, had told her, that the mission -in which both Max and Ibrahim were to be engaged -was one of deadly peril, and that the chances were that -neither would ever be seen again alive.</p> - -<p>But, like the grand old martyrs of olden times, the -young men went forth, their lives in their hands, in support -of the cause they had espoused.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[185]</span></p> - -<p>Max was not quite so much in love with his mission -when he entered Kordofan alone, and knew that he, in all -probability, was in antagonism to several regiments of -soldiers and an excited populace.</p> - -<p>He needed rest.</p> - -<p>It was a treat to reach a town after all the horrors of -caravan life on the desert. Yet his mission was so urgent -that he dare not delay more than that one day.</p> - -<p>He had been provided with a letter of introduction -to a merchant with whom Sherif el Habib had done business. -That letter opened the merchant’s heart and home, -for Max was at once invited to make Shula’s house his -home during his stay in Kordofan.</p> - -<p>Shula was a shrewd business man, a faithful religionist, -and a man of wealth, and therefore of great influence.</p> - -<p>It was not long before he asked Max the pointed -question:</p> - -<p>“Do you believe the Mahdi has come?”</p> - -<p>Max parried the question in order to find out Shula’s -belief.</p> - -<p>“I believe Mohammed Ahmed to be the Mahdi,” said -the merchant.</p> - -<p>“Do the people of Kordofan believe it also?” asked -the American.</p> - -<p>“Yes; but I hope the Mahdi may not come here.”</p> - -<p>“Why?”</p> - -<p>“The people would be disappointed.”</p> - -<p>“In what way?”</p> - -<p>“You will laugh.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[186]</span></p> - -<p>“Indeed I will not. Tell me, for I am interested in this -Mohammedan Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>“They expect too much.”</p> - -<p>“How?”</p> - -<p>“They say the Mahdi is ten feet high. I told you that -you would laugh.”</p> - -<p>“I apologize. I could not help it.”</p> - -<p>“They think, also, that he never walks.”</p> - -<p>“Never walks?”</p> - -<p>“No; they imagine that he floats whenever he desires to -reach any place.”</p> - -<p>“Anything else?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; they say that he has the blood of Mahomet in -his veins, as well as that of Emin Bey.”</p> - -<p>“Whom did you say?”</p> - -<p>“Mahomet.”</p> - -<p>“Yes, but the other name?”</p> - -<p>“Emin.”</p> - -<p>“What Emin?” asked Max, excitedly.</p> - -<p>Shula was now in his glory, for he, above everything, -loved to tell a story, and one story was always entrancing -to him.</p> - -<p>He sipped his sherbet and caused a cloud of tobacco -smoke to eddy and curl up to the ceiling before he commenced -his story.</p> - -<p>“It was in the year 1811, as you would call it, that -Mohammed Ali determined to destroy the Mamelukes——”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” interrupted Max, “I know, but what has that -to do with the Mahdi?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[187]</span></p> - -<p>Shula looked at Max with astonishment.</p> - -<p>It was as much as to say: “How dare you interrupt -me in the midst of a story?” He puffed away at his -chibouk, closed his eyes, paused for a minute or so, and -then continued:</p> - -<p>“The Mamelukes attended the banquet to which Mohammed -Ali invited them, the portcullis fell behind the -last of their splendid army, and they were trapped like -rats.”</p> - -<p>“I know, but one escaped the slaughter.”</p> - -<p>“One, didst thou say? Yes. Emin spurred his stanch -Arabian over a pile of dead and dying. He sprang on -the battlements, his horse was killed, but with a shout -of <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Allah il Allah</i>, he leaped into the darkness and escaped -to the mosque.”</p> - -<p>Again Shula paused.</p> - -<p>Max was impatient, and could not wait.</p> - -<p>“I would give my right hand to find the descendants -of Emin,” he said.</p> - -<p>“Would you?”</p> - -<p>“Indeed I would.”</p> - -<p>“Then listen. Emin was wounded. He had entered -the mosque without removing his shoes. He pleaded to -his own conscience that his wound would excuse his sacrilege. -He fell asleep, and as he slept he dreamed—that -is, some say so; he declared that he was awake all the -time. But he fancied he saw a great ring of light, and -in the center, Mahomet, the great prophet. ‘Rise,’ said -the prophet, ‘thy wound is healed.’ Emin began to excuse -the wearing of shoes in the mosque, but the prophet<span class="pagenum">[188]</span> -stopped him. ‘Thy shoes were removed by me,’ he said, -and sure enough, Emin was shoeless. ‘Go to the ruins -of Thebes and hide thee until I bid thee go to the desert, -and there thou shalt stay, thou and thy sons, but thy -son’s son shall be the <em>Imaum</em> of his people.’ ‘But,’ said -Emin, ‘the <em>Imaum</em> shall be of thy race, illustrious -prophet;’ and then the prophet answered: ‘Thou art of -my race, thou art blessed, indeed.”</p> - -<p>Shula called for his servant and ordered him to bring -some grapes.</p> - -<p>Holding a cup, the servant squeezed the grapes until -the cup was full of the ruby-colored juice.</p> - -<p>Another cup was filled for Max, and when the servant -had withdrawn, Shula continued:</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi, according to tradition, should be the -grandson of Emin——”</p> - -<p>“And I never thought of it—I, who have been seeking -the last of the Mamelukes—I——”</p> - -<p>“What! do you know the story of the Mamelukes?”</p> - -<p>“I have given my life to finding Emin’s descendants, -and I never told the Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>“Do you know the Mahdi?”</p> - -<p>“I will reveal all, most noble Shula. The Mahdi -sent me here. He is coming in all the glory of victory, -and I am to prepare a way for him.”</p> - -<p>Shula sprang to his feet and hugged and kissed the -American until poor Max began to think his breath would -all be squeezed out.</p> - -<p>Had he wanted rest?</p> - -<p>If so he made a mistake in telling Shula his mission.</p> -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<p><span class="pagenum">[189]</span></p> - -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVII">CHAPTER XXVII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">SOWING THE SEED.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>For no sooner had he done so than Shula sent out for -three of his most particular friends and bade them hasten -to his house.</p> - -<p>Rashid, who looked more like a Jew than an Egyptian, -was the first, and he stared at Max with eyes which -seemed to glitter with hate.</p> - -<p>He was quickly followed by Barbasson, whose skin -had been changed from olive to almost black through -exposure to the sun.</p> - -<p>Barbasson was the owner of a number of Dahabeahs, -and he imagined Max to be some wealthy foreigner who -was desirous of engaging a Dahabeah for business or -pleasure.</p> - -<p>He had scarcely made his salaam before Nasr el Adin, -a Persian, entered and embraced Shula most warmly.</p> - -<p>The door was closed, curtains of heavy chenille were -drawn round the room and everything done to prevent -the slightest sound being heard on the outside.</p> - -<p>“We ought to remove our shoes,” said Shula, “for this -illustrious one is a messenger from the Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>The three visitors rose to their feet, salaamed very low, -and murmured some words of prayer.</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi is coming,” said Max, “but are you -ready?”</p> - -<p>“What are we to do?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[190]</span></p> - -<p>“Raise his standard over Kordofan.”</p> - -<p>“But the soldiers?” Rashid interjected.</p> - -<p>“Are you afraid of them? I saw the Mahdi ride into -the midst of an army; he had no weapon, the guns were -firing, the swords and spears clashed around him and -over his head, but he merely smiled and bade them cease -their strife. And you in his name ought to be strong. -Will you not raise his flag?”</p> - -<p>“We will.”</p> - -<p>“What does it matter if a few are killed, they will die -in a great cause. You have been robbed by Khartoum, -pillaged by Egypt and taxed by Turkey. England now -wants a share, and what will you have left?”</p> - -<p>“Nothing.”</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi can save you. He will be ruler of Egypt, -of Turkey and the whole of the Mohammedan world. -The crescent and star will float above all other flags, for -the Mahdi will be prince of princes and shah of shahs.”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Allah il Allah</i> be praised.”</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Inshallah!</i>”</p> - -<p>“We will do it,” exclaimed Nasr el Adin, so emphatically -that no opposition was offered. A plan was adopted -by which on the third day all the followers of the four -wealthy citizens should revolt and raise the standard of -the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>In the meantime Max was advised to remain quiet. -It was not thought wise for him to interfere, as some -thought it might be said he was a foreigner, and of -alien faith, and therefore at work against the interests of -the religion, while wearing the garb of the prophet.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[191]</span></p> - -<p>Max had sown the seed, and he had no desire to gather -the fruit. He was quite willing that others should do -that.</p> - -<p>So he fell in with the views of Rashid, Barbasson and -Nasr el Adin, and agreed to remain quiet in the city, -while they kindled the torch of revolt.</p> - -<p>Max slept well that night. It had been many months -since he reposed in a regular bed in a comfortable room, -with both male and female servants to minister to his -needs.</p> - -<p>True, the females were not lovely. They were very -old, exceedingly ugly and bad tempered, but they did the -work.</p> - -<p>It was noon the next day before Max ventured forth -into the streets.</p> - -<p>He left the city and followed the course of the Nile.</p> - -<p>A huge crocodile was basking on the bank, and looked -lazily at Max, who returned the gaze, and wondered -whether he ought to attack the peculiar animal or not.</p> - -<p>While he was looking at the reptile a girl, unveiled, -ran screaming past him, followed by a fat, ugly-looking -man.</p> - -<p>Max thought that it was a case of father chastising -his daughter, but even then his blood boiled with indignation, -for the girl was too old to receive corporal -punishment.</p> - -<p>The man overtook the girl and struck her over the -shoulders with his cane.</p> - -<p>At the same instant Max found he could not restrain -the muscles of his arm, and his clinched fist managed to<span class="pagenum">[192]</span> -come in contact with the fat man’s nose, causing that -organ to bleed with refreshing copiousness, and inducing -its owner to lie on the ground on his back.</p> - -<p>It was a curious accident—for so Max called it—but -the girl did not hurry to assuage the grief of her fallen -foe, but rather turned her black eyes in the direction of -Max.</p> - -<p>He then saw that she was really pretty.</p> - -<p>Her olive skin, her long, black eyelashes overhanging -sparkling dark eyes, made her quite a pretty feature in -the landscape.</p> - -<p>The fat man lay on the ground with no inclination to -resume the perpendicular while Max was around.</p> - -<p>The girl started running away, but Max called to her -to stop.</p> - -<p>He wanted to know her name, at least.</p> - -<p>He was an American, and did not realize how different -were the customs of Egypt.</p> - -<p>She ran swiftly, but Max could outrun her.</p> - -<p>She smiled when he got alongside her.</p> - -<p>As she did so she revealed two rows of shiny, pearly -teeth that really added to her beauty.</p> - -<p>“Thank you, but it was very wrong,” she said, with -charming <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">naïveté</i>.</p> - -<p>“What was wrong, mademoiselle?”</p> - -<p>She smiled.</p> - -<p>“You know you shouldn’t.”</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“Have knocked him down.”</p> - -<p>“But he shouldn’t have struck you.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[193]</span></p> - -<p>“I was wrong. I went out without a veil.”</p> - -<p>“As ladies always do in my country,” said Max.</p> - -<p>“Do they? Isn’t that nice?”</p> - -<p>Turning round they saw that the fat man had risen, -and was following them.</p> - -<p>“Go,” she said.</p> - -<p>“Not until you tell me where you live and your -name.”</p> - -<p>“My name is Lalla. I live——But what good to tell -you?—I shall never see you again.”</p> - -<p>“Jewilikins! Hark at that! Not see me? Of course -you will.”</p> - -<p>“No, no, no! you must not; good-by—I live—here.”</p> - -<p>She had stopped in front of a small gate in a very big -wall.</p> - -<p>“You do? May I come and see you?”</p> - -<p>She laughed so boisterously that Max caught the contagion -and laughed as well.</p> - -<p>“No; what absurdity—I am going to be married——”</p> - -<p>The gate opened, and Lalla slipped in and closed it -again so quickly that Max could not get even the slightest -glimpse of what was on the other side.</p> - -<p>“Never mind, I will when his nibs goes in,” thought -Max.</p> - -<p>But again he was mistaken, for the old party, looking -quite disreputable in his blood-stained clothes, dodged -in just as expeditiously as the girl had done.</p> - -<p>“I’ll be hanged if I’ll be treated this way!” said Max. -“I’ll see over that wall, or I’ll know the reason why.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[194]</span></p> - -<p>He looked for a good climbing place, and found a -better one than he expected.</p> - -<p>“Here goes—Mahdi or no Mahdi,” he said, as he commenced -climbing the wall.</p> - -<p>When he reached the top he saw an elegant estate.</p> - -<p>The lawn was as beautiful as Central Park, and a number -of fountains were sending up continuous sprays of -water, which the slight breeze scattered over the turf, -keeping the grass green and soft.</p> - -<p>A large house stood in the center, and near to its main -entrance stood Lalla.</p> - -<p>She was motioning to Max to go back, but he would -not understand her signals.</p> - -<p>He quietly dropped from the wall to the ground, and -sheltered himself behind a clump of euphorbia.</p> - -<p>He was afraid that his presence might be known, and -that he would be expelled from the grounds.</p> - -<p>He was determined to speak with Lalla, and did not -see why it should be considered wrong to do so.</p> - -<p>He knew how the Eastern women were guarded, and -that if he were caught his life might be the forfeit, but -he was Madcap Max still.</p> - -<p>He saw the fat old party waddle along the driveway -and enter the house.</p> - -<p>“I wonder if he will beat her?” thought Max. “Jewilikins! -if he does, I’ll break into his place and steal her -away—that I will!”</p> - -<p>But it soon became evident that his position would -be an unpleasant one.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[195]</span></p> - -<p>Either Lalla or the fat old party had determined to -drive him from the grounds.</p> - -<p>A dozen male servants of the great man who owned -the estate started down the steps of the portico and made -straight for the euphorbia.</p> - -<p>The gate was fastened.</p> - -<p>The wall was too high to climb on short notice.</p> - -<p>Max saw his peril.</p> - -<p>If caught——</p> - -<p>“But I won’t be,” he said to himself, very emphatically.</p> - -<p>“Shall I break cover now, or wait until they are close -upon me?” he asked himself, and answered:</p> - -<p>“Wait until they are close upon you. They will be -tired, you fresh; then race them for all that it is worth.”</p> - -<p>The men ran as if the very old bogey of ancient -romance was after them.</p> - -<p>When they reached the euphorbia hedge Max stood -ready.</p> - -<p>They were only half a dozen yards away from him, but -had separated themselves so that they might surround -him and thus effect an easy capture.</p> - -<p>He saw their maneuver and made a spring forward—going -toward the house instead of away from it.</p> - -<p>As he passed at a bound the eunuch waiting for him, -Max put out his left foot and tripped the fellow up.</p> - -<p>As ill luck would have it—or perhaps it was Max’s -good luck—the man fell on his face in a bed of <i lang="la" xml:lang="la">euphorbia -splendens</i>, a plant commonly known as the “crown of -thorns.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[196]</span></p> - -<p>The sharp thorns tore the man’s face in a criss-cross -fashion and made him wish he had never been born.</p> - -<p>Max was now pursued by the others.</p> - -<p>He ran fast, and when he saw an opportunity, doubled -on his pursuers.</p> - -<p>Two of them he tripped up, and thus gained another -advantage.</p> - -<p>He thought if he kept by the wall he would be able to -find some means of exit.</p> - -<p>But again he was mistaken.</p> - -<p>He, however, found something he did not bargain -for, and that was a trap or cellar door.</p> - -<p>It was open.</p> - -<p>Max did not see it.</p> - -<p>It did not require a great exercise of his reasoning -powers, or even much knowledge of the rules of logic, -to comprehend the result.</p> - -<p>He fell through the open door.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII">CHAPTER XXVIII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">AN UNEXPECTED BATH.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Throwing out his hands to save himself, Max clutched -the door and closed it, by accident, after him.</p> - -<p>It had a spring lock, and he was a prisoner.</p> - -<p>Fortunately, the fall did not hurt him.</p> - -<p>He was only shaken and slightly bruised.</p> - -<p>His pursuers reached the door and tried it.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[197]</span></p> - -<p>Max felt his heart go pit-a-pat, pit-a-pat—louder than -he liked.</p> - -<p>But to his great astonishment he heard his pursuers -declare that he must have scaled the wall.</p> - -<p>“The cellar,” said one, by way of suggestion.</p> - -<p>“The door has not been opened for a week,” answered -one of the eunuchs.</p> - -<p>“How blind they were!” mused Max, as he heard the -declaration.</p> - -<p>His heart gave a big leap for joy when he heard the -eunuch call off his men and declare that the “infidel” had -escaped.</p> - -<p>When the footsteps died away Max began to think -about his prison house.</p> - -<p>If the door had not been opened for a week, was there -any way of egress or ingress?</p> - -<p>If not, then might he not starve to death?</p> - -<p>“Perhaps the Mahdi will capture the place, and I shall -be saved.”</p> - -<p>Max was looking on the bright side of the subject, -and his spirits rose correspondingly.</p> - -<p>The cellar or basement was very dark, but Max fortunately -had a small pocket lantern with him, and after -being there an hour he felt it was safe to light the lamp.</p> - -<p>He saw that he was in a great, excavated cellar, without -any flooring save the mud.</p> - -<p>The roof was very high in some places, and in others -so low that Max could not stand upright.</p> - -<p>It seemed to be under a whole series of houses, its extent -was so great.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[198]</span></p> - -<p>A few rats shared the pleasures of the solitude with -Max, but those were the only living things he saw.</p> - -<p>Wandering about a dark cavern, even if it is under a -house, is not the most inspiring exercise, and Max was -not very elated.</p> - -<p>Once he thought he heard a flow of water.</p> - -<p>Was he mistaken?</p> - -<p>No; he soon found that on one side of the cellar, -only separated by a very thin partition or wall of baked -clay, ran the river Nile.</p> - -<p>Two narrow doors opened from the cellar to the river, -but they were both fastened.</p> - -<p>“I may break one of these,” he said, “but not yet. I’m -in for a good time, and I’ll have one.”</p> - -<p>Max discovered some broad steps leading to the upper -story.</p> - -<p>They were made of the baked clay, and as hard as -stone.</p> - -<p>He walked up them, and found a door at the top.</p> - -<p>Groping his way along by the wall, he came to some -more steps which led to a long corridor.</p> - -<p>There was a feeble glimmer of light at the end of the -hallway, and he followed that as his guide.</p> - -<p>Once he thought he heard voices, but made up his -mind he was mistaken. There were no signs of anyone -dwelling there, everything was deserted and desolate.</p> - -<p>He had no particular desire to meet anyone, his whole -thoughts being now bent on escape.</p> - -<p>He reached the end of the corridor, and found that<span class="pagenum">[199]</span> -the little ray of light proceeded from a transom over -another door.</p> - -<p>That door he pushed open, and saw before him another -flight of stairs.</p> - -<p>“Up, up, up!” he ejaculated. “Well, never mind, if I -only get out at last.”</p> - -<p>He ascended the stairs, and at the top another door -confronted him.</p> - -<p>He opened that, and nearly fell backward at the sight -which met his gaze.</p> - -<p>No scene in the “Arabian Nights” could compare with -the beauty and grandeur of what he saw.</p> - -<p>The room was a hundred feet long, by half as many -feet wide.</p> - -<p>The walls were hung with silk and tapestry of the -most exquisite patterns and quality.</p> - -<p>The floor was covered an inch thick with padded carpets.</p> - -<p>Great chandeliers with oil lamps, each one having a -different tinted shade, shed a brilliant light over the -scene.</p> - -<p>But that was not all.</p> - -<p>Round the great room were divans covered with the -most costly silks.</p> - -<p>And on each divan reposed, in Oriental languor, a -beauteous woman.</p> - -<p>Each woman had a little table by her side, on which -cigarettes and sherbet were placed.</p> - -<p>Many of them were smoking the most fragrant tobacco -Max had ever sniffed.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[200]</span></p> - -<p>He had not been seen, and so he stood watching without -the beauteous creatures having any idea that their -privacy had been invaded.</p> - -<p>But his eyes recognized on one of the divans the girl -Lalla.</p> - -<p>Why should he not go to her?</p> - -<p>He was an American, and knew no fear.</p> - -<p>He walked down the center of the room, and instantly -there was a shriek—a tiny little scream—and a flutter -of a score of beauties.</p> - -<p>But no sooner had they screamed than they felt sorry -for it, for never before had any man save their lord -entered the grand <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">salon</i> of the harem, and the novelty -was refreshing.</p> - -<p>Each one pressed forward to touch the American, and -some offered to hide him.</p> - -<p>There was a noise outside, and Lalla took Max by -the shoulders and pushed him behind the drapery which -covered the walls.</p> - -<p>She was only just in time.</p> - -<p>Three eunuchs entered.</p> - -<p>“You screamed,” said the chief.</p> - -<p>“A mouse,” simpered one of the beauties.</p> - -<p>“And you all saw it at the same time?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered another.</p> - -<p>“And did the mouse wear this?” he asked, holding up a -hat, which Max had dropped on the floor.</p> - -<p>Poor Max!</p> - -<p>He had never missed his hat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[201]</span></p> - -<p>He had carried it under his arm when he entered the -<i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">salon</i>.</p> - -<p>So excited was he at the sight of Lalla, that he dropped -his <i lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">chapeau</i> and never missed it.</p> - -<p>The women could not explain how it came about that -a mouse wore a soft felt helmet.</p> - -<p>The eunuch took his scimiter and started on his mission -of discovery.</p> - -<p>He slashed at every piece of drapery which he thought -might cover a man, and was approaching the place where -Max was hidden, when Lalla fell on her knees.</p> - -<p>“Oh, spare him!”</p> - -<p>“Who do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“He came here, I know not why; I hid him. I never -saw him before, but he is so handsome! Do not kill -him.”</p> - -<p>“Get up,” ordered the eunuch, gruffly.</p> - -<p>Max emerged from his hiding place, and stood with -arms folded before the servants of the pasha.</p> - -<p>“I am to blame. I was pursued. I fell in your cellar -and was trying to get away. I found myself here by -mistake. Do with me as you like.”</p> - -<p>“Don’t hurt him,” pleaded Lalla, and all the others -took up the prayer.</p> - -<p>But the men were inexorable, they knew their duty.</p> - -<p>“He must die,” said they.</p> - -<p>“No, no, no!” shrieked the women, but in the midst -of their cries Max was seized, his hands tied by his sides, -after which he was carried down the steps into the great -noisome cellar by which he had entered.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[202]</span></p> - -<p>Max did not try to bribe his captors.</p> - -<p>He never made a sound, but kept his teeth close together.</p> - -<p>“If I die,” he thought, “they shall see I can die game.”</p> - -<p>But he felt that he had not a hope nor a chance to -escape, when they produced a great sack and covered -him with it.</p> - -<p>Tying the mouth of the sack above his head, they -lifted him shoulder high, and he soon felt the strange -sensation of being whirled through space.</p> - -<p>His senses were almost numbed when he realized that -he was in water.</p> - -<p>He had been thrown into the Nile!</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXIX">CHAPTER XXIX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">SAVED!</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Barbasson and Shula were walking along the banks of -the Nile discussing the best way to assist the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>Shula was for openly proclaiming the advent of the -prophet, and calling on all good religionists to rally round -his standard.</p> - -<p>But Barbasson was crafty.</p> - -<p>He was richer than Shula, and not so hot-headed.</p> - -<p>“If the Mahdi wins that would be a good plan, but if -he fails——”</p> - -<p>“He won’t fail.”</p> - -<p>“I hope not; but suppose he did?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[203]</span></p> - -<p>“Well?”</p> - -<p>“We should lose our property, and perhaps——”</p> - -<p>“Our lives. Just so. I am ready to risk that.”</p> - -<p>“I am not; I have a great horror of death.”</p> - -<p>“Yourself, perhaps, my worthy Barbasson; but you -don’t mind killing others,” Shula retorted, sharply.</p> - -<p>“What mean you?”</p> - -<p>“Why, Barbasson, don’t you know?”</p> - -<p>“By the beard of the prophet, no!”</p> - -<p>“Then let me remind you. Four moons ago I was -watching a dahabeah on the Nile; I saw something bulky -thrown overboard——”</p> - -<p>“Well, what of that? Some refuse for which the Nile -was the best place.”</p> - -<p>“Possibly. Only I was curious. I fished up the bundle -and found——”</p> - -<p>“What?”</p> - -<p>“A most lovely girl.”</p> - -<p>“The prophet be praised! Was she dead?”</p> - -<p>“Not much. She told me her story. How one of your -wives took a great dislike to her——”</p> - -<p>“One of my wives?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; the girl was called Leila.”</p> - -<p>Barbasson was about to speak, but Shula stopped him.</p> - -<p>“I liked Leila. I found she was pretty and good, and -I took her into my harem.”</p> - -<p>“That is your business. What is it to me?”</p> - -<p>“You said you had a horror of death, but you threw -Leila into the water.”</p> - -<p>“Bah! that was only a girl—and they are not missed.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[204]</span></p> - -<p>Barbasson suggested—when he had got over his annoyance—that -secret agents should be sent out and that -riots should be organized.</p> - -<p>Then, when every part of the city of Kordofan was -in disorder, Shula should come forward and proclaim the -advent of the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>This was agreed upon, and the conspirators, now -joined by Rashid and Nasr el Adin, started on their -homeward journey.</p> - -<p>“What was that?” Shula suddenly exclaimed, as a -splash was heard in the water.</p> - -<p>“A crocodile, most likely.”</p> - -<p>“Pish! there are no crocodiles so near the city.”</p> - -<p>“I suppose it is some recalcitrant from yonder harem.”</p> - -<p>“What! Mahmoud Achmet?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; he drowns a dozen girls a month.”</p> - -<p>“The prophet will stop all that.”</p> - -<p>“I hope so.”</p> - -<p>“It depends. Mahmoud Achmet pays most of the expenses -of the government here, and he is never molested -for beating or drowning his wives. Of course, he never -touches a man.”</p> - -<p>Such was the state of morality in the Soudan at the -time that a woman’s life was considered of no more value -than that of a dog or any common animal.</p> - -<p>A man got angry with his wife or daughter, and he -could drown her, providing he did it decently—that is, -place her body in a sack, with some heavy weights, so -that the body should not rise to the surface.</p> - -<p>While the conspirators were discussing the morality<span class="pagenum">[205]</span> -of Mahmoud Achmet, their eyes were strained in an endeavor -to discover what had caused the splashing sound.</p> - -<p>A dark object was seen, and Shula, who was more -humane than the majority of Kordofans, stepped into a -boat anchored by the bank, and pushed out in the stream.</p> - -<p>He made a prod with the boat hook, and managed to -stick it in the canvas sack.</p> - -<p>He towed it to land, and soon opened the sack.</p> - -<p>He expected to find some discarded wife of Mahmoud -Achmet, and hoped she would be young and pretty, because -by the laws she would be his slave.</p> - -<p>To his astonishment—and equally so to the surprise of -the other—instead of a woman the sack contained a man, -and that man our young friend—Madcap Max.</p> - -<p>Max was unconscious.</p> - -<p>When he had been thrown into the river so unceremoniously -he struggled all he knew how to free himself.</p> - -<p>What could he do?</p> - -<p>He struggled, but the sack was securely fastened.</p> - -<p>His body was doubled so that he could not use his -hands to tear the bag or strike out.</p> - -<p>In two minutes he had relinquished all hope.</p> - -<p>He began to wish that he had never heard of the -Mahdi, or the Mameluke.</p> - -<p>But regrets were useless.</p> - -<p>He knew he had to die.</p> - -<p>Had it been on the battlefield, pitted against a foe, -he would have been proud to die—because he knew no -disgrace would be attached to it.</p> - -<p>But to die in a sack, like a mangy dog or vicious cat,<span class="pagenum">[206]</span> -was so hurtful to his self-respect and so humiliating that -he cried with vexation.</p> - -<p>The water got to his lungs. His stomach was full of -it. His brain grew dizzy.</p> - -<p>The singing in his ears had become like the roaring -of the waters of a great cataract.</p> - -<p>Mercifully unconsciousness came, and had not the conspirators -been discussing their schemes of rioting and rebellion -at night by the banks of the Nile, Madcap Max -would never have been the hero of this story.</p> - -<p>Shula rubbed Max briskly.</p> - -<p>He straightened out the madcap’s body and laid it face -downward.</p> - -<p>The conspirators began kneading the poor fellow’s -back—sitting on it, treading it, kneeling on it, and using -every means of which they knew to restore life.</p> - -<p>“Get out of that and meet a fellow face to face.”</p> - -<p>The words startled the conspirators.</p> - -<p>They were uttered by Max, who, black and blue with -the treatment he had been subjected to, had revived -with great suddenness.</p> - -<p>He did not realize where he was, but he knew he was -being hurt, hence his calling out.</p> - -<p>He jumped to his feet.</p> - -<p>“Shula!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“Max!”</p> - -<p>“Yes. How did you find me? Was I drowned? -Where am I?”</p> - -<p>“You are not drowned; you are by the Nile’s water,<span class="pagenum">[207]</span> -and the less you say the longer you will be likely to live. -Come—let us get home. Can you walk?”</p> - -<p>“Of course I can.”</p> - -<p>Max started forward, but before his legs had moved -a dozen times he fell on his face.</p> - -<p>The conspirators lifted him up, and as no conveyances -were to be found in Kordofan at that hour of the night, -they had to carry him to Shula’s residence.</p> - -<p>Before morning’s dawn he had told his adventures and -laughed at the escapade.</p> - -<p>“If ever the Mahdi rules in Kordofan I am going to -see Lalla,” he said. “I want to know more about her.”</p> - -<p>“Not even the prophet could give you the right to enter -any man’s harem,” said Shula.</p> - -<p>“Then your Mahdi must be a queer sort of fellow.”</p> - -<p>Max was unable to talk longer, for he was naturally -weak from his struggles in the Nile.</p> - -<p>Twenty-four hours elapsed before he was able to feel -that he was the strong athlete again.</p> - -<p>When he awoke on the morning of the third day he -heard cries which roused him:</p> - -<p>“<i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Allah il Allah!</i>”</p> - -<p>“Long live the Mahdi!”</p> - -<p>“Down with the foreigner!”</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi has come!”</p> - -<p>Max looked at Shula, but the merchant did not speak.</p> - -<p>His face was white as that of a corpse. He knew that -he had staked all his property and his life on the riot -which was then in progress.</p> - -<p>“Is it true? Has the Mahdi come?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[208]</span></p> - -<p>“No, Max, but the people are expecting him.”</p> - -<p>A heavy fusillade was heard on the streets, the windows -were shaken, and some panes of glass broken.</p> - -<p>“What does it mean?”</p> - -<p>“They are fighting,” answered Shula.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXX">CHAPTER XXX. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">THE MAHDI’S JUSTICE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>“Fighting, and you here? Why are not you at the -head of the Mahdi’s friends?”</p> - -<p>“I—stayed—with you.”</p> - -<p>“Come! where is my sword?”</p> - -<p>“It is here; but don’t go out. You will be killed—the -soldiers wouldn’t join the Mahdi, and they are shooting -the people down.”</p> - -<p>“Give me my Winchester and my sword.”</p> - -<p>“It is madness.”</p> - -<p>“Well, I am the madcap,” laughed Max; “but if I -wasn’t I’d scorn to be a coward.”</p> - -<p>“A coward?”</p> - -<p>“Yes, I said so, and I repeat—a coward.”</p> - -<p>“Why do you call me that? I have fought in the army -of Egypt.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps so. But did you not stir up this riot and -are now afraid——”</p> - -<p>“I am not afraid; but is it policy to risk so much?”</p> - -<p>“Risk all—if by that means you save your honor.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[209]</span></p> - -<p>“But the people have no chance against the soldiers.”</p> - -<p>“All the more reason why you should not desert them.”</p> - -<p>“See what it means to me—loss of property, perhaps -life.”</p> - -<p>“Do as you like, most excellent Shula, but I am going -to fight.”</p> - -<p>“It is madness!”</p> - -<p>“Give me my rifle and my sword.”</p> - -<p>Max seized the weapons and rushed into the street.</p> - -<p>He saw the rioting, and felt that Shula was right—the -people had but scant chance.</p> - -<p>That made Max all the more determined.</p> - -<p>He waved his sword above his head and rushed into -the thickest of the fight.</p> - -<p>“Long live the Mahdi!”</p> - -<p>At the sight of the paleface the soldiers fell back.</p> - -<p>“I am an American,” shouted Max, “but I am with -you. The Mahdi is a native of your country, he is no -foreigner. Strike for him, and let your cry be Egypt -for the Egyptian, the Soudan for the Soudanese!”</p> - -<p>The people lost their fear.</p> - -<p>Like demons they sprang on the soldiers, but the soldiers -did not return the fire.</p> - -<p>Instead, they reversed their guns and retired.</p> - -<p>The Egyptian officer was enraged.</p> - -<p>“I’ll shoot the first man who deserts!” he shouted.</p> - -<p>A number of the soldiers again shouldered arms, but -the majority kept them reversed.</p> - -<p>Max saw the advantage he had gained.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[210]</span></p> - -<p>He caught the bridle of a horse whose rider had -fallen in the mêlée.</p> - -<p>Vaulting into the saddle, he looked proud and defiant -as he sat there, like a veritable centaur.</p> - -<p>“Soldiers, you believe in Mahomet! Hark ye! I -have fought with the great Mahdi. I have seen the -thousands of Fashoda beaten back when he waved his -wand. He has no need of sword or scimiter; he fights -with his eyes, and when he waves his hand, armies fall -back.”</p> - -<p>The enthusiasm was great.</p> - -<p>Max had won over most of the soldiers, and the -others were undecided.</p> - -<p>The officer was furious.</p> - -<p>“Ready!” he shouted, but very few of his men obeyed -the call.</p> - -<p>“Load! Aim! Fire!”</p> - -<p>Half a dozen rifle shots were fired, but Max saw to -his great joy that the aim was too high to do any damage.</p> - -<p>“Men! soldiers of the crescent!” he called out, “our -fight is not against you. The Mahdi is of your faith. -Nay, more, he will restore the great Mameluke kingdom. -Every soldier of his will be greater than a pasha, -for the Mahdi is the last of the Mamelukes.”</p> - -<p>The speech was listened to by soldiers and people, who -wondered who this young paleface could be.</p> - -<p>The result was electrical.</p> - -<p>Every rifle was reversed.</p> - -<p>The officer was left alone to return to the fort—a -commander without soldiers.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[211]</span></p> - -<p>At the time when Max so eloquently proclaimed the -Mahdi, Mohammed Achmet was close to the gates of the -city. He heard the cheering and the firing.</p> - -<p>His face paled visibly, for he disliked bloodshed.</p> - -<p>Half an hour later, riding between the Persian Sherif -el Habib and the Arab Mohammed, the Mahdi rode into -the main street of <a id="Ref_211" href="#BRef_211">Kordofan.</a></p> - -<p>“The Mahdi!”</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi has come!”</p> - -<p>The cheers rose on the air.</p> - -<p>Songs were sung—the soldiers fraternized with the -people.</p> - -<p>Everywhere the enthusiasm was intense.</p> - -<p>Even the garrison joined in the cheering, and the officer -handed his sword to the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>“I cannot fight without men,” he said, “so take my -sword and use it for truth and our faith.”</p> - -<p>The Mahdi took the weapon, and immediately handed -it back, saying:</p> - -<p>“General, you are a brave man. Take the sword, for -you will use it as only a brave man can.”</p> - -<p>The fires of joy were lighted.</p> - -<p>Houses were thrown open, and everywhere the Mahdi -was welcomed.</p> - -<p>Mahmoud Achmet, when he saw that the Mahdi was -triumphant, came to offer the hospitality of his house -to the conqueror.</p> - -<p>Max recognized him, and after the man had said all -he intended, came forward.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[212]</span></p> - -<p>“You threw a young man into the Nile. You enveloped -him in a sack, and drowned him.”</p> - -<p>“It is he! I know it! The Mahdi is the Mahdi. He -has raised this man from the dead. All my wealth is his,” -exclaimed Mahmoud.</p> - -<p>Max saw the mistake the man had made. He, however, -did not contradict him, but allowed him to think that -the power of the Mahdi had indeed raised him from the -dead.</p> - -<p>He spoke privately to the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>“Let him give me Lalla,” said Max.</p> - -<p>“You spoke of your wealth,” said the Mahdi; “give -this man the girl called Lalla.”</p> - -<p>Mahmoud fell to the ground.</p> - -<p>He tore his hair and pulled out his beard.</p> - -<p>“Woe is me, I cannot!”</p> - -<p>“She is dead?” queried the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>“Indeed it is true. <i lang="ar" xml:lang="ar">Inshallah!</i>”</p> - -<p>Mahmoud then admitted that he was jealous of Max, -and after throwing him into the river, Lalla had refused -to be comforted, had called him a murderer, and refused -to allow him to approach her. Then it was that in his -anger he ordered her to be drowned.</p> - -<p>Max told of the brutal way in which Mahmoud acted.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi called the pashas and beys together, and in -the presence of a great concourse of citizens, said:</p> - -<p>“One of your number, Mahmoud Achmet, has at -times made away with such of his wives that displeased -him. Now, therefore, to prove to you how abhorrent -such a thing is, it is my order that Mahmoud Achmet<span class="pagenum">[213]</span> -be taken from here in the sack which he has provided for -others, and that he be thrown into the Nile.”</p> - -<p>“Mercy!” cried the wealthy man—“mercy! I will give -you wealth.”</p> - -<p>“I do not want it.”</p> - -<p>“All I have shall be yours!”</p> - -<p>“It is mine already.”</p> - -<p>One of the eunuchs connected with Mahmoud’s harem -testified how the wives were constantly beaten with -whips.</p> - -<p>“The same measure shall be meted out to Mahmoud,” -said the Mahdi; “it is fate.”</p> - -<p>The man pleaded for his life, but the Mahdi was inexorable.</p> - -<p>Mahmoud suffered the scourging from the hands of -his own eunuch, and was drowned in the Nile.</p> - -<p>“It is fate! It is justice!” exclaimed the people, who -were more than ever enthused with the prophet and his -cause.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXI">CHAPTER XXXI. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">VICTORY ALL ALONG THE LINE.</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>Early on the following morning a man, riding at hot -haste, asked for the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>He bore a letter to the prophet, and another to Sherif -el Habib.</p> - -<p>When the dispatch was opened the Mahdi read:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[214]</span></p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“To the illustrious Mahomet Ahmed, the Prophet, Imaum -and Mahdi:</p> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Greeting</span>: Senaar resisted for several hours, but the -flag of the Mahdi floats over its fortress. The day is -ours.</p> - -<p class="center pminus1" style="padding-left:5em">“<span class="smcap">Ibrahim.</span>”</p> -</div> - -<p>Sherif el Habib handed his document to the Mahdi.</p> - -<div class="blockquot"> - -<p>“Dear uncle, we have fought and won,” ran the letter. -“I was wounded in the right foot and lost two -toes, but that was better than my life. The people were -all with us, but the soldiers fought bravely. It was a -tough battle. The commander gave me his sword, which -I will send to the Mahdi when I hear from him. How is -Girzilla? Give her my love. Is Max the Madcap alive? -Of course he is. Tell him not to play any pranks in -Kordofan.</p> - -<p class="center pminus1" style="padding-left:5em">“Your loving nephew,</p> - -<p class="center pminus1" style="padding-left:15em">“<span class="smcap">Ibrahim.</span>”</p> -</div> - -<p>When the Mahdi had read the letters aloud to his -staff, he called Max to him.</p> - -<p>“It was your plan which we adopted,” he said, “and -we are victorious. You are Max Pasha; and your -nephew”—turning to Sherif—“is also pasha, and is made -governor of Senaar, while Max, here, shall be governor -of Kordofan.”</p> - -<p>The people cheered the young governor.</p> - -<p>Turning to the Mahdi, Max said:</p> - -<p>“I thank you for the honor, but I am about to decline -it.”</p> - -<p>“You must not.”</p> - -<p>“I am about to decline it after to-morrow. I want to -be governor and pasha for one day, because I am going -back to America, and if I ever go on the lecture platform<span class="pagenum">[215]</span> -the people will sooner pay a dollar to hear a real -live pasha, than a quarter if the speaker is only Madcap -Max.”</p> - -<p>The Mahdi laughed.</p> - -<p>“Still thinking of the dollars?” he said.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” answered Max; “and whenever you get tired -of being the Mahdi come over to New York and I will -trot you round, and—oh, my! won’t the dollars just flow -into our pockets.”</p> - -<p>But before the Mahdi could reply another dispatch -was placed in his hands.</p> - -<p>It was from a trusty agent in the North.</p> - -<p>“Giegler Pasha has placed the army of Khartoum under -the command of Yussuf Pasha Hassan,” it read, -“and is marching with five thousand men against you. -Hicks Pasha, an Englishman, with three thousand men, -is marching from the northeast. You are to be cut in -two by these armies.”</p> - -<p>“No! by the prophet—no!” exclaimed the Mahdi. -“We will attack both and exterminate them.”</p> - -<p>The bugles called the army together and the march -was ordered.</p> - -<p>With a speed accelerated by the most fanatical enthusiasm, -the followers of the Mahdi started to meet -Yussuf Pasha Hassan.</p> - -<p>The soldiers of Khartoum were well disciplined veterans, -but they lacked enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi—still without weapon—rode at the head of -his people and gave the words of command.</p> - -<p>Like a cyclone tearing everything before it on a Western<span class="pagenum">[216]</span> -prairie, the army of the Mahdi swept on the veterans -commanded by Yussuf.</p> - -<p>The Egyptians made a stubborn resistance at first, but -the Mahdists were more like fiends.</p> - -<p>They seized the soldiers by their hair and deliberately -cut their throats.</p> - -<p>It was a horrible carnage.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi never struck a blow, never made any effort -to defend himself, but was ever in the thickest of the -fight.</p> - -<p>His brow shone as though it were gold.</p> - -<p>His presence was remarkable.</p> - -<p>Max fought with desperate valor.</p> - -<p>At times he stood up in the stirrups to give himself -more power in striking a blow.</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi forever!” he shouted, with every savage -blow.</p> - -<p>Yussuf saw the young fellow and knew that, next to -the Mahdi, Max was the most powerful leader.</p> - -<p>Yussuf would not touch the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>He was a trifle superstitious.</p> - -<p>If Mohammed was the Mahdi, steel weapons could not -kill him, and Yussuf would not risk an encounter; so he -rode through the fighting demons until he reached the -side of Max.</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi forever!” shouted Max, as he suddenly -wheeled round and aimed a blow at Yussuf’s head.</p> - -<p>The veteran officer parried the blow and made a lunge -at Max.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[217]</span></p> - -<p>But the American’s sword swung round with cyclonic -speed, and Yussuf’s sword merely struck the air.</p> - -<p>As the heavy scimiters clashed together sparks of fire -flew out, and seemed to keep fiery time to the music of -the steel.</p> - -<p>Yussuf got angry.</p> - -<p>“Do you also bear a charmed life?” he sneeringly -asked, during a pause in the duel.</p> - -<p>“I am an American,” answered Max, “and fight for -liberty.”</p> - -<p>Again the fight was resumed.</p> - -<p>Great heaps of dead were to be found in every direction.</p> - -<p>The horses ridden by Yussuf and Max often had to -kick and trample down the dead and dying.</p> - -<p>It was a fearful sight.</p> - -<p>Yussuf fought bravely.</p> - -<p>His left arm had been broken by Max, just below -the shoulder, but he would not give in.</p> - -<p>“Surrender!”</p> - -<p>“Never!”</p> - -<p>“Then die!”</p> - -<p>“I will, but you will go first.”</p> - -<p>Max was of a different opinion, and he kept swinging -round his heavy scimiter with the strength of a giant.</p> - -<p>Once, when Yussuf parried a blow, the weapon struck -the horse’s neck, almost severing the head from the body.</p> - -<p>Yussuf was now at a disadvantage.</p> - -<p>Max leaped from the saddle and stood by the Egyptian’s -side.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[218]</span></p> - -<p>“We are equal,” he said.</p> - -<p>But it was scarcely the truth, for Yussuf had only one -arm to fight with.</p> - -<p>The Egyptian slipped in a pool of blood, and as he -did so a sword still grasped by a dead man pierced his -side.</p> - -<p>The brave man could stand no more.</p> - -<p>“I surrender!” he gasped, but it was not a surrender -to Max, but to the Great Creator, for as the man uttered -the words the breath left his body.</p> - -<p>Out of four thousand seven hundred men—hale, hearty -veterans—who had marched under the crescent of Egypt -that morning, only two hundred and one survived at -night.</p> - -<p>The Mahdists did not lose more than four hundred -men all told.</p> - -<p>They did not stop to care for the wounded or bury -the dead.</p> - -<p>Another blow had to be struck, and this time at Hicks -Pasha.</p> - -<p>It was a two days march to Tokar.</p> - -<p>At that place Hicks, with three thousand seven hundred -and forty-six men, met the advance guard of the -Mahdists, led by Sherif el Habib and Max.</p> - -<p>The fighting was desperate, but seemed to be as favorable -to the Egyptians as the Mahdists, until the Mahdi -himself arrived.</p> - -<p>There was a charm and magnetism about the man -which made him irresistible.</p> - -<p>His presence was equal to a thousand men.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[219]</span></p> - -<p>In less than an hour the unfortunate Hicks was dead, -and two thousand three hundred and seventy-three of his -men lay stiffening under the tropical sun.</p> - -<p>The defeat was a thorough one.</p> - -<p>The Mahdi was now master of all the Soudan except -Khartoum and Equatoria, over which Emin Bey presided.</p> - -<p>The people flocked to the Mahdi’s tent.</p> - -<p>Dervishes proclaimed him to be the promised Imaum. -In the mosques his name was mentioned with that of -the prophet, and the people prostrated themselves when -reference was made to him.</p> - - -<hr class="chap x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="nobreak" id="CHAPTER_XXXII">CHAPTER XXXII. -<br /><span class="cheaderfont">“ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL.”</span></h2> -</div> - - -<p>A week of peace after the storm of war was delightful.</p> - -<p>The army of the Mahdists was large enough to crush -any force which could be sent against it.</p> - -<p>The officers took things easy.</p> - -<p>Mohammed had brought his harem to the Mahdi’s -headquarters, and Ibrahim had received a furlough or -leave of absence for two months.</p> - -<p>This gave him plenty of time to be with Girzilla.</p> - -<p>One day Girzilla sought out Max and whispered:</p> - -<p>“I have found him.”</p> - -<p>“Whom do you refer to?”</p> - -<p>“The last of the Mamelukes.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[220]</span></p> - -<p>“And he is——”</p> - -<p>“The Mahdi.”</p> - -<p>“Are you sure, Girzilla?”</p> - -<p>“Yes; by secret signs I discovered him, and he will -restore the glories of his race and bring the whole world -to believe in Mahomet.”</p> - -<p>Max went to the Mahdi and told him of his mission.</p> - -<p>The tears came into the warrior prophet’s eyes as he -heard Max tell his story; how he had lost his father -in the caves of the bandits, and had been rescued by -Girzilla.</p> - -<p>When Max narrated how he had become enthused over -the story of the great Mameluke who escaped from Mohammed -Ali, the Mahdi embraced him.</p> - -<p>“For my ancestors’ sake, you are doubly dear to me. -Stay with me, my son, and share in my triumph.”</p> - -<p>“No—the work is done. I shall go back to my own -land, and shall do as other Americans have done before -me—write a book, or tell on the platform the story of -the Mahdi, and the Mameluke.”</p> - -<p>Max wanted to start at once, but Ibrahim pleaded -with him to stay until after his wedding with Girzilla.</p> - -<p>This Max consented to do, and three weeks later a -most impressive wedding took place in the vestibule of a -mosque at Kordofan.</p> - -<p>The couple were united and blessed by the Mahdi.</p> - -<p>The Imaum made some pertinent remarks, which were -worthy of the great prophet himself.</p> - -<p>To Ibrahim, after praising his courage, he said:</p> - -<p>“You have taken to yourself a wife. The Koran permits<span class="pagenum">[221]</span> -you to take three others; but take my advice—cleave -to the one. It is better, and a new dispensation -will so order. Treat Girzilla, not as others of our race -have been treated, but let her be your equal; for it is -now written that if you be faithful to her on earth -the gates of Paradise will open for you both, and she -shall be your bride through all eternity.”</p> - -<p>After spending the customary seven days in prayer -and religious observances, Ibrahim obtained permission -to take his dusky bride on a trip up the Nile in company -with Max.</p> - -<p>The cataracts were passed, and Cairo reached.</p> - -<p>Girzilla pleaded so earnestly to continue the journey -that her loving husband accompanied her to Suez, where -they bade farewell to Madcap Max as the Peninsular -and Oriental steamer steamed out of the port.</p> - -<p>Max had not noticed that it was the very vessel he -had made the journey on three years before.</p> - -<p>He made himself known to the captain, and the tedium -of the journey was broken by the story of adventure told -by the madcap.</p> - -<p>When Max reached New York he found himself the -head of the firm, and the cares of business life caused -him to relinquish the thought of “coining dollars” on the -lecture platform; but he made a solemn promise to the -author that some day he would tell him the story of -his life.</p> - -<hr class="tb" /> - -<p>Two years passed, and the author asked the well-known -and highly respected merchant to tell the story.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum">[222]</span></p> - -<p>“To-morrow come to us, be our guest for a week, and -you shall know all.”</p> - -<p>“But——”</p> - -<p>“My wife will welcome you as an old friend.”</p> - -<p>Max had married a fairer woman than Girzilla, but -many a time he declared that no more true one ever -lived than the Arab maiden.</p> - -<p>When the author reached the Gordon uptown mansion -on the following day he was surprised to find so many -evidences of the Orient everywhere; but when, an hour -later, Max took the author by the hand and led him -into a large parlor, he was still more surprised, for there -stood, waiting to receive him, Ibrahim and Girzilla.</p> - -<p>Sherif el Habib was dead. His nephew had sold the -shawl manufactory, and found himself extremely wealthy.</p> - -<p>He at once determined to make the “grand tour” of -the world, and so infatuated was he with the remembrance -of Max, that nothing would satisfy him but to -commence the journey proper from New York.</p> - -<p>That was how this story came to be written.</p> - -<p>Max narrated it, but Ibrahim and Girzilla insisted on a -more lavish praise of the madcap than he would acknowledge -he deserved.</p> - -<p>Never was there a happier couple than the Persian and -his lovely bride, who does not look so dark and dusky -in the modern American clothing as she did on the -deserts of Africa.</p> - -<p>Ibrahim accepted the advice of the Mahdi, and declares -that Girzilla occupies every bit of his heart, and<span class="pagenum">[223]</span> -he could not take three more wives, even if his religion -ordered it.</p> - -<p>Our story is told. All has ended happily for our madcap -and his friend, and although his heart turns sick -sometimes as he thinks of the carnage he witnessed, yet -he says he shall always look back with pride to the -intimacy he had with Mohammed Ahmed, the Mahdi and -the Mameluke, the result of his trip “In the Volcano’s -Mouth.”</p> - -<p class="center p1">THE END.</p> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="boxit"> -<p class="center xxlargefont" style="word-spacing:0.2em">TALES OF VICTORIES</p> - -<p>Gained in the Pre-Revolutionary wars by lads -of pluck and intelligence. Every true boy will -be fascinated with these stories of the exciting adventures -of boys who gladly gave their lives to -freedom’s cause.</p> - -<p class="xlargefont center" style="word-spacing:0.2em"><em>BOYS OF LIBERTY LIBRARY</em></p> - - -<p class="numberitem1">3.—The Young Ambassador. By John De Morgan</p> -<p class="numberitem1">7.—The Young Guardsman. By John De Morgan</p> -<p class="numberitem2">11.—Fighting Hal. By John De Morgan</p> -<p class="numberitem2">15.—By Order of the Colonel. By Lieut. Lounsberry</p> -<p class="numberitem2">19.—A Call to Duty. By Lieut. Lounsberry</p> -<p class="numberitem2">23.—The Young Patriot. By Lieut. Lounsberry</p> -<p class="numberitem2">26.—The Trader’s Captive. By Lieut. Lounsberry</p> - - -<p class="center xlargefont boldfont" style="word-spacing:0.15em">Only Ten Cents Per Copy<br /> -At All Newsdealers</p> - -<p class="center largefont"><em>If ordered by mail, add four cents to -cover postage.</em></p> - -<p class="center xlargefont">STREET & SMITH, Publishers<br /> -<span class="largefont">NEW YORK</span> -</p> -</div></div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="boxit1"> - -<div class="center"> -<p class="displayinline center boldfont sansseriffont" style="font-size:0.7em">BOUND TO WIN<br /> -LIBRARY</p> - -<p class="displayinline boldfont center" style="font-size:0.7em;padding-left:0.5em;padding-right:0.5em">A weekly publication devoted to high-class literature<br /> -for boys. Sept 14, 1905.</p> - -<p class="displayinline largefont" style="font-size:1.25em">NO. 134</p> -</div> - -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont sansseriffont">Charles Garvice’s New Stories</p> - -<p>If you are a novel reader, you certainly must be -waiting for the appearance of a new novel from the -pen of Charles Garvice. We are glad to inform you -that you will find it in</p> - -<p class="center xxlargefont boldfont sansseriffont">SMITH’S MAGAZINE</p> - -<p>In the future, all of Charles Garvice’s new stories -will appear in this magazine, as he is under contract -to write for it exclusively. “DIANA’S DESTINY” -is the title of a bright, original story, of absorbing -interest. It began in the April number and is still -being published.</p> - -<p>If you are one of the vast army who have depended -upon cheap, occasional issues of early non-copyrights, -of which there are now no more by this author, -you will find this new tale distinctly refreshing.</p> - -<p>In addition to a long installment of the Garvice story, -there are other features which make SMITH’S -MAGAZINE one of the best and most pleasing -of all ten-cent publications.</p> - -<p class="center largefont boldfont sansseriffont">PROFUSELY ILLUSTRATED BY THE BEST ARTISTS</p> - -<p class="center xlargefont boldfont sansseriffont p1">PRICE, TEN CENTS Sold by all Newsdealers</p> - -<div class="center"> -<p class="displayinline center xlargefont sansseriffont">THE SMITH PUBLISHING HOUSE,</p> - -<p class="displayinline center sansseriffont" style="font-size:0.7em">156 FIFTH AVENUE<br /> -NEW YORK</p> -</div></div> -</div> - -<hr class="tb x-ebookmaker-drop" /> - -<div class="chapter"> -<div class="transnote"> -<h2 id="TN_end" style="margin-top: 0em">Transcriber’s Notes:</h2> - -<p>Punctuation has been made consistent.</p> - -<p>Variations in spelling and hyphenation were retained as they appear in -the original publication, except that obvious typographical errors -have been corrected.</p> - -<p>The following change was made:</p> - -<p><a id="BRef_211" href="#Ref_211">p. 211</a>: Korfodan changed to Kordofan (street of Kordofan.)</p> -</div></div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK IN THE VOLCANO'S MOUTH ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for -copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very -easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation -of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project -Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may -do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected -by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark -license, especially commercial redistribution. -</div> - -<div style='margin-top:1em; font-size:1.1em; text-align:center'>START: FULL LICENSE</div> -<div style='text-align:center;font-size:0.9em'>THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE</div> -<div style='text-align:center;font-size:0.9em'>PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™ -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person -or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the -Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™ -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when -you share it without charge with others. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country other than the United States. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work -on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the -phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: -</div> - -<blockquote> - <div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most - other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions - whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms - of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online - at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you - are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws - of the country where you are located before using this eBook. - </div> -</blockquote> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project -Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™ -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™ -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg™ License. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format -other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain -Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -provided that: -</div> - -<div style='margin-left:0.7em;'> - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation.” - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ - works. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - </div> - - <div style='text-indent:-0.7em'> - • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works. - </div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of -the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set -forth in Section 3 below. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right -of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™ -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, -Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up -to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website -and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread -public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state -visit <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/donate/">www.gutenberg.org/donate</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate -</div> - -<div style='display:block; font-size:1.1em; margin:1em 0; font-weight:bold'> -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Most people start at our website which has the main PG search -facility: <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. -</div> - -</div> -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/68164-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/68164-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f8e2767..0000000 --- a/old/68164-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68164-h/images/cover_illo.jpg b/old/68164-h/images/cover_illo.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index dca99db..0000000 --- a/old/68164-h/images/cover_illo.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/68164-h/images/i004.jpg b/old/68164-h/images/i004.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e8024e2..0000000 --- a/old/68164-h/images/i004.jpg +++ /dev/null |
