In the grip of the Mullah: A tale of adventure in Somaliland

by F. S. Brereton

  CHAPTER IV

  IN DISGUISE

  For the moment it looked as though the expedition upon which Jim and hisfriend had set out was doomed to early disaster, for there was nodenying the fact that they had unwittingly aroused the anger of thenatives. And yet, what could they do? Passing through the bazaar intheir search for information, an evil chance had brought them intocontact with this gathering, and they had found themselves compelled toaccept the unwelcome invitation to join the circle which sat about thebrazier. And now, at the very beginning, indeed, within less than aminute they were engaged in an altercation with them. Deeply did Jimregret the fact that he could not speak the language, for had he beenable to do so, there would have been no need for silence, and no need toruffle the feelings of the gathering.

  It was a dilemma, and, puzzle his brains as he might, he could not cometo any solution that would help him. Instead, therefore, he sat therestolidly, his eyes now fixed upon the brazier, and then turning for thespace of a second to the man who confronted him.

  "Insolent! How dare you to insult us so?" shouted the native, thrustinghis hand into the folds of his waistcloth, to withdraw it a moment laterclasping the handle of a dagger. "Dog!" he continued, springing forward."Speak, or I will bury this blade in your flesh."

  Meanwhile the other natives who formed the gathering had sprung totheir feet, and crowded about the two young Englishmen with threateninggestures.

  THE NATIVES CROWDED ABOUT THEM WITH THREATENINGGESTURES.]

  "Yes," they shouted angrily, "answer, or we will kill you now, and throwyour bodies into the gutter."

  It was wonderful to see the coolness with which Jim and his companionacted. Had they lost their presence of mind, and sprung to their feetwith the intention of escaping, they would have been instantly cut topieces, for they were entirely surrounded. Indeed, there was no doubtthat this was a situation demanding cunning more than anything else, andboth recognized that fact fully. Seated, therefore, side by side, as ifthey were unaware of the commotion raging about them, Jim still lookednonchalantly into the flames, as if, indeed, he had no other interest inlife, while Tom stared at the circle of angry faces with the utmostcalmness.

  "Are we, then, guests or dogs?" he demanded quietly, letting his eyeswander from one to the other. "Was it not you who bade us join yourcircle? Then why do you grumble if one of us is a man who will keep hisvow, whatever befalls? My friend and I have come here from Somaliland,bound upon an expedition to Mecca. But ill fortune fell upon us, and nowwe return to our country to replenish our funds. For my part, I confessthat I am disappointed, but my comrade is grieved beyond expression. Hislips are closed, and his ears deaf, until the day when he completes hispilgrimage. He has sworn it by Allah, and by Allah he shall keep to hisoath, even though thousands attempt to dissuade him. Take your places,then, again, I beg of you, and let us be friends, for we are deservingof your kindness."

  The words, spoken quietly as they were, acted like oil upon troubledwaters. Scarcely had they left Tom Dixon's lips, when the excitement ofthe angry natives disappeared even more rapidly than it had arisen.For a moment only they looked incredulously at one another, and then,saluting Jim with the utmost respect, they took their places againshamefacedly.

  "We meant no harm, brothers," said the first speaker, apologetically."Forgive us, if we spoke angrily and in some haste, but the occasiondemanded instant explanation, and, now that you have given it, we arefully satisfied. More than that, it is an honour to us to know thatthere sits in our circle in friendship with us one who has made such avow, and who refuses to break his oath in spite of any danger. I watchedhim carefully as I advanced upon him with my drawn weapon, but he didnot flinch, did not even turn aside, or raise an arm to ward off theblow which might well have fallen. Moreover, he allowed no sound toescape his lips, and, true to his word, and to the holy task which hehas set himself, sat there unmoved, prepared to die rather than cry outfor mercy. It is marvellous the strength that Allah gives to such men."

  "Yes, it is a great thing," chimed in an aged native, who sat crouchingover the brazier, as if to absorb all its warmth; "and in Aden here notone in ten thousand is capable of making and keeping such a vow. It isonly men from Somaliland who are brave enough to do such a thing. Ourbrother has just told us that we are honoured; we are more than that,for these guests of ours are friends of the Mullah, a holy man, who hasmade many pilgrimages to Mecca, and who will yet be king of the countrywhich lies yonder across the sea."

  He pointed towards the harbour, and looked round at his companions.

  "Yes," they agreed in guttural tones, "the Mullah is a great man, andwill be even more powerful."

  "We can speak openly," continued the old man, "for there are none butfriends here, and no Hindoos are within hearing. How thrives theMullah?" he went on, addressing Tom. "Does he know that the English arepreparing to march against him?"

  "Yes, he is fully aware of it," answered the latter, quietly, "and willmeet them in battle. But at present he is fearful of defeat, for thoughhis soldiers are numerous, they are poorly armed, and for the most partcarry only shields and spears. Guns are what he wants, and he isprepared to pay well for them. Indeed, he bade us on our return to makeenquiries here, and endeavour to induce some of the wealthy merchantswho are friendly to him to send him a ship-load of weapons andammunition. We believe that such a ship has lately sailed, or willshortly leave this shore, but we are uncertain. We have been to morethan one of those who live in this town, and are friendly to us, butthey will do nothing until silver is placed in their hands, and of thatwe have absolutely none. However, once we can get a passage across toSomaliland, we shall be able to replenish our store, and shall returnimmediately."

  "And how knows your friend of this arrangement?" asked the old mansuspiciously, glancing sharply at Jim. "If he has made a vow not tospeak, how can he have discussed this matter with you?"

  The question was a shrewd one, and at once set the whole circle ofnatives staring hard at their guests.

  "Yes, how can he have learnt of this plan?" cried another, rising to hisfeet, and waving his arms excitedly. "You say that you have been to manyin the town, and have questioned them concerning arms for the Mullah.Then this vow of which your comrade boasts is one made to be broken orkept at will. Perhaps he is a spy come here to learn our secrets."

  His words at once brought the whole gathering of natives to their feet,and again, such is the excitability of these Eastern people, theycrowded threateningly about their guests, calling loudly for anexplanation. But Jim and his friend were equal to the occasion. Theformer was certainly dumfounded at the sudden turn affairs had taken,for he had not understood a word of all that had been said. But he wasfully aware that here again an attempt to escape would be worse thanuseless, and therefore, placing full reliance in his friend, he squattedthere as calmly as before, prepared, however, to spring to his feet in amoment and join Tom in fighting for their lives. A hasty glance at thelatter told him that there was still some chance of calming the natives,for Tom Dixon sat as if carved in stone. One hand was buried, as ifaccidentally, in the folds of his waistcloth, though Jim knew well thatit grasped the butt of a hidden revolver; while the other was stretchedout towards the brazier, as if to gather some comfort from its glowingembers.

  "Did I say that I had discussed this matter with my comrade?" he askedsarcastically, looking round the circle with a contemptuous glance."When I said that we had been to various merchants in the town, Ithought that you were wise enough to understand my meaning. My comrade'svow is one which few or none of you would dare to take, and yet you donot hesitate to doubt it. It was sworn more than a week ago, and, byAllah, it has never been broken. But look at him? Do you not see himturn his head as each one speaks? He cannot help the words falling uponhis ears, and hears and understands all that you say, without, however,deigning to answer. So it is with me. So that he should know what wasto happen, I have spoken of my plans to him, but we have never enteredinto discussion on the matter. C
ome," he continued, "let us be friends,and treat us like brothers."

  "We will," exclaimed the old man warmly. "We cannot venture to takerisks, for were a spy to come amongst us, he would learn many things ofvalue to the Government. It was on that account that we tested you, andhave proved you to be of ourselves. We are friends and brothers."

  Each of the natives gave vent to a guttural exclamation of approval, andthen, as if to forbid further altercation, the sharp notes of thetom-tom were heard, and the gathering began a chant, one of thosepeculiarly dismal dirges which seem to delight the ears of natives ofthe East. Then, when the song was finished, an earthen dish, containingslices of juicy lemon, was handed round, each man present helpinghimself.

  "You spoke of a ship which might be sailing for Somaliland," said theold man, suddenly, awaking from a reverie into which he seemed to havefallen, and looking up at Tom. "You also told us that you and yourfriend were in search of a passage. Are you strong, and are you willingto work? For, if so, I will find places for you upon the dhow."

  "It is a good offer, and we accept it gladly," responded Tom promptly."As for strength, we are capable of hauling at the ropes as well as anyman. Would there be much else to do? For I tell you honestly that we areunused to the sea, and are more at home when mounted upon horseback andgalloping across the smooth plains of Somaliland."

  "There is little else for you to do than keep watch upon the deck, andhelp to pull in the sails, for three men will go besides yourselves, aswell as the master. But I warn you that fighting may fall to your lot,for a steamship flying the Government colours patrols these seas, and,should she sight you, will certainly endeavour to capture you. In thatcase your death would be swift and almost certain. If not, you would bethrown into prison, and would be a slave for the greater part of yourdays."

  "Then the post will suit us well. If there is fighting we shall notgrumble, for it is our trade, and as capture means death, you may relyupon it that we shall do all that is possible to defeat the enemy. Butwhy should the Government fall upon this dhow?"

  For a moment the old man scrutinized Tom closely, as if still suspiciousof him, and as if doubtful whether he was to be fully trusted. But thelatter returned his glance with one that was equally steady andunflinching, and, satisfied with this, the native at length answered:

  "That dhow is filled to overflowing with guns and ammunition for theMullah," he said. "If she reaches the Somali coast in safety, I shallhave done well for myself, and shall have aided the cause of yourmaster. She sails to-morrow at noon, and you will know her by the factthat she bears a red streak upon her bows, and has a large rent in hersail. When you see her, she will be lying some few yards from the shore,and any of the small craft in the harbour will put you aboard her. Youmust go below as soon as you get on board, and if any of the crew arethere, pass them without a sound, but salute them in this manner."

  The old man paused for an instant, and withdrawing his hand from beneaththe blanket which covered him, placed two fingers upon his lips.

  "That is the sign which you must make, and be careful that you do itexactly as I have shown you, for, if not, the crew will believe thatyou are spies, and will fall upon you as soon as you are below. To-daythe Customs officer has been on board, inspecting the cargo. But thecrew are even now busily employed in transferring it to another ship,and in taking in the guns and ammunition destined for the Mullah'stroops."

  "It is a good plan," said Tom, "and I can see the need for secrecy.To-morrow we shall go on board the dhow, and we shall be careful tofollow your wishes. Can you tell us how long the passage will take, andwhere we shall be landed?"

  Again the old man looked suspiciously at him, and then shook his heademphatically.

  "No, I cannot tell you that. If Allah wills it, you shall land upon thecoast and return to your people."

  Some five minutes later Tom touched Jim upon the arm, and made signs tohim to rise. Then, nodding to the natives, they left the circle, andwent on into the bazaar. But they had already had one experience ofnative cunning and curiosity, and instead of turning their steps towardsthe room in which they had disguised themselves, they moved away in theopposite direction, and taking advantage of a narrow alley, which wasfilled with chattering natives, they mingled with the crowd, andsauntered on, now looking curiously at the wares of some Hindoomerchant, and then watching with evident interest the skill of ajuggler, who sat in the middle of the street, with an admiring circleabout him. Winding hither and thither, they at length came to a desertedpart, and having hidden in the shadow of a booth for some ten minutes,so as to assure themselves that they were not followed, they took totheir heels, and before very long had reached the dwelling in which theywere to shelter that night.

  "We're in luck," exclaimed Tom, in tones of satisfaction. "I must admitthat at one moment I thought it was all up with us, for these nativesare suspicious beggars, and would think nothing of killing anyone whomthey suspected of spying upon them. If they had discovered us, you maytake it for certain that we should have disappeared for good, and noamount of searching on the part of our friends would have led to news ofour fate. There is no doubt that they are masters at the art, and nobribe will induce anyone to give evidence against his comrades."

  "I can quite believe that," answered Jim, "and I agree with you thatthings looked very black. Of course, I didn't understand what washappening, and am puzzling about it even now. But the shouting andexcitement, and the fact that that fellow drew his knife, told me thattrouble was coming. It was as much as I could do to sit there quietly,but I took my cue from you, and I can tell you I was jolly glad when thesquabble ended."

  "You behaved like a brick, old boy. Considering that you are a novice,and quite unused to these natives, you showed no end of pluck. I admitthat it was not without some misgivings that I allowed you to accompanyme into the bazaar, for, you see, I hadn't an idea how you would behave.But I felt sure that the fellow who could come out here, and quietlymake his preparations to face the dangers of an expedition into theheart of Somaliland, must be someone quite out of the ordinary. Ofcourse, you might have been a thoughtless kind of beggar, who had nofear simply because you were unaware of, and had taken no trouble tofind out, the difficulties and risks you were about to face. But I soonsaw that you realized the gravity of your task, and, by George! Iadmired you for it, for there are precious few youngsters of your agewho would have the grit to go on with the matter. But I am wanderingfrom the subject. There's no doubt that if you had flinched, and shoutedout when that beggar drew his knife, we should have been set upon by thewhole gang of ruffians, and, though we were armed with revolvers, weshould have had precious little chance. The whole row arose because youmade no answer when they invited you to sing."

  Throwing himself upon the bed, Tom Dixon gave his comrade a full accountof the altercation, and then went on to describe how a passage had beenoffered them upon the dhow, which was to sail upon the following day,with arms for the Mullah.

  "It will not do to take any risks," he said, "and therefore I vote thatwe practise going aboard and making the sign, for the slightest slipwould mean ruin to our plans."

  Accordingly, while Tom stood at one end of the room, Jim advanced fromthe other, and turning, raised his fingers to his lips as he passed him.Not till he had done it some half-dozen times was Tom satisfied, andthen he, too, went through the process.

  "The next thing will be to give news to the Governor," said Tom, "so asto make it possible for the gunboat to intercept us. She left Aden acouple of days ago, but was to return to-morrow night. If she slips awayagain at once, she should easily overtake us, and then I should givevery little for the chances of the crew. There should be four on boardbesides ourselves, and if we cannot master them with our revolvers, Ishall be greatly surprised. It will be a feather in our caps, Jim, tocapture the dhow by ourselves and then hand her over to the gunboat."

  "But you said that you had been unable to ascertain the destination ofthe dhow," interposed Jim. "Supposing the gunboa
t could not find her?"

  "It would be very awkward, and that's where the risk comes in."

  "Yes, it would be awkward," agreed Jim; "but then there would be all themore honour in capturing her. It would be grand to overpower the crewand compel them to sail the dhow back to Aden."

  "Perhaps it will turn out like that," said Tom. "But you lie down on thebed and have a sleep while I go off to the Governor. I shall be backwithin an hour, and shall make myself comfortable in the corner therewith a blanket as a covering. No," he exclaimed, seeing Jim about toremonstrate, "you are not yet used to sleeping on a hard floor like thenatives. But I am, and even prefer it."

  A few moments later Jim was left alone in the room, and blowing out thecandle, at once lay down upon the bed and settled himself to sleep. Anhour later his comrade returned, and threw himself down in the corner,where his heavy breathing soon gave evidence of the fact that he, too,had forgotten the adventures of the night and was lost in dreams.

  Scarcely had the sun risen on the following morning when both wereastir, and at once rearranged their clothing, so as to make sure thattheir disguise was satisfactory and would pass muster in broad daylight.Then Tom produced a small oil stove and a frying-pan, and began toprepare breakfast. Eggs were to be had in plenty, and as these were easyto cook, four of them were quickly spluttering upon the pan. Meanwhile akettle of water was set upon a second stove to boil, and soon they satdown to a satisfying if not dainty repast. To a hungry man food, ifclean and fairly well prepared, is always acceptable, and Jim and hiscompanion were not the ones to turn up their noses simply because theireggs reposed on rough tin plates, and their tea was contained in mugs ofsimilar material. Seated upon the two chairs of which the room boasted,and taking the plates upon their knees, they set to work with energy,and quickly caused the food to disappear. Indeed, so keen was theirappetite, that they unanimously agreed to prepare a second relay ofeggs, and partook of them with the same relish.

  "And now to business," cried Jim cheerily. "I feel as fresh as paint,and quite ready for this adventure. Shall I do as I am?"

  For the moment Tom did not answer, but pulling the curtain from thewindow so as to allow all the light that was possible to enter the room,he placed his comrade in the centre and walked slowly round him.

  "The disguise is perfect," he said in tones of satisfaction. "Iguarantee that you will pass muster anywhere, and, so long as youremember that you are never to open your lips, I have little fear thatyou will be discovered. Let me give you a little additional advice. Aswe go towards the dhow it is quite on the cards that we shall run acrosssome of the passengers who accompanied you from England, and you may betempted to renew your friendship with them, quite forgetful of yourdisguise. But you must not dream of doing such a thing, for sharp eyesare always watching in this town, and were the natives to learn that aspy is amongst them, your chances of success in Somaliland would beconsiderably diminished. Now, are your revolvers in position, and do youfeel ready to accompany me?"

  "Quite," exclaimed Jim, with emphasis. "I tell you that I feel aslight-hearted as possible, and fully prepared for the adventure."

  "Then come along."

  Leading the way to the window, Tom Dixon threw it open, and placing achair beneath it, stepped upon it and crawled through. Jim followed,without hesitation, and found himself in a narrow courtyard, from whicha gate that was almost tumbling from its hinges led into a streetbehind. A glance showed them that the street was empty, and at once theystepped into it, and hurrying along, were soon in the main thoroughfareof Aden.

  Had anyone taken the trouble to scrutinize them closely, he would haveseen two stalwart and swarthy men, one somewhat younger than the other,and of slightly smaller proportions, but both evidently from the shoresof Northern Africa. They strode along with that quick shuffling gaitcommon to men of their race, and due, no doubt, in some degree, to thesandals which they wear. That they were strangers to Aden could beeasily guessed, for they looked curiously about them, and stopped everynow and again to look in at the shop windows. An Englishman marchingalong the footpath was obviously an object of interest and respect, forthey turned aside to give him more room to pass, and gazed at him inwonderment. So cleverly did they act their part that no one suspectedthat they were not what they pretended to be, and even the natives, whoswarmed everywhere, let them pass without a doubt. On one occasion anative arrested their progress, and would have entered into conversationwith Jim, but a few words from Tom altered his intention, and he stoodaside, allowing them to pass without comment. A few minutes later, whenturning a corner sharply, they barely escaped running into a secondEnglishman, who was no other than Mr. Andrews. But he motioned themaside with a brusque "Out of the way!" and went on, without a thoughtof the two young fellows who had sat with him on the previous evening,and without a suspicion that the two Somali tribesmen whom he had metface to face were those whose interests he had so much at heart.

  Half an hour's sharp walk brought Jim and his companion to the shore,where they paused for some minutes to gaze at a large steamer which wasmoored there, undergoing the process of coaling with the help of aperfect army of dusky figures who swarmed about her, shouting at the topof their voices.

  From there they took their way to that part of the harbour usuallyallotted to native craft, and before very long had the satisfaction ofnoting that one which floated in deep water, and was of fairly largeproportions, had a thin streak of red upon her bows.

  Tom at once turned towards her, and, followed closely by Jim, went downto the water's edge. A number of flimsy native boats were drawn up onthe mud, with their owners seated chatting beside them. As soon as theycaught sight of the two strangers, the boatmen at once sprang to theirfeet, and, gesticulating wildly, offered their services.

  "We want to go aboard the dhow there," said Tom shortly, selecting oneof the boatmen. "What will you take us for?"

  A price was agreed upon after some little haggling, and a few momentslater a boat was run down into the water and pushed off. Taking hisplace in the stern, the oarsman paddled out into deep water, and quicklybrought them alongside the dhow. Tom at once handed him his fare, andthen, grasping the halliards, which were close at hand, swarmed up ondeck, closely followed by Jim. As he did so he threw a glance aloft, andnoted that the huge leg-of-mutton sail which was tied up to the masthad a large rent in one corner of it.

  "We are on the right ship, at any rate," he said to himself. "And nowfor the crew."

  Turning towards the stern of the dhow, he and Jim walked towards anarrow hatchway, which evidently gave admission to the hold. As they didso, three figures started up from behind some coils of rope with thesilence of spectres, and gazed at them curiously and suspiciously; whilea fourth, happening to thrust his head up at that moment, caught sightof the strangers, and, with a guttural exclamation, climbed out upon thedeck. They were fierce-looking fellows, clad in scanty raiment, andundoubtedly armed, for, as the newcomers returned their glances and rantheir eyes over them, they noted the handle of more than one weaponprotruding from their waist-cloths, while the man who had just emergedfrom the hold bore a pistol of gigantic proportions.

  "We shall have our work cut out to master them," Jim said to himself,"for they will fight hard and make a desperate resistance. However, solong as their suspicions are not aroused, and they believe that we arefriends, and to be thoroughly relied upon, we shall have everyopportunity of taking them by surprise. If we are successful in doingthat, I think we shall be able to overawe them; and if not, why, theymust look to themselves."

  A movement on Tom's part now attracted his attention, and following himclosely, Jim strode down the deck, taking little notice of the natives.Arrived at the hatchway, his companion paused for the space of a moment,and rapidly made the sign. Instantly the crew, who had stood there withmenacing looks, evidently determined to attack them should they prove tobe enemies come to spy upon them, sauntered away, watching, however, tosee that Jim, too, lifted his fingers to his lips. A moment later
bothhad disappeared into the darkness of the hold, and, creeping forward,sat down side by side.

  "Guns!" whispered Jim, feeling about with his hands, and venturing forone second to break the silence which he had promised to observe."Scores of them! They are all over the place."

  "And precious uncomfortable to sit upon," answered his companion inhusky tones. "The stock of one is digging into me. But, hush! We mustnot talk, for those beggars are certain to be curious about us, and wemay take it for granted that for a day at least they will watch us likecats. No doubt, for the present, and until the dhow sails, we shall beleft severely alone; but then will come the trial. Recollect, Jim, thatwe are landsmen, and don't forget to bungle when you hang on to a rope.I shall let them know of your vow, and you must act up to it byappearing morose and stupid. Hear nothing; say nothing; but wait untileverything is explained to you by signs."

  "Right, old man; you may rely upon me," was Jim's whispered reply; afterwhich they both sat silently, neither venturing to speak nor move, butlistening intently to every sound that reached their ears. Now and againthey could hear the distant shout of some native boatman, or the howl ofa cur prowling along the shore. Then, too, the voices of the crew couldbe occasionally heard as they chatted together on the deck, but theactual words could not be distinguished at that distance, though Tomwould have given anything to learn what they were saying. And all thewhile the dhow rolled lazily from side to side, her mast creakingdismally as she did so, while the rigging rattled loudly against thewoodwork. Occasionally, as a boat of large proportions passed, the seawould come with a splash against the side and drown all other sounds.But the noise soon quieted down, and Jim and Tom found themselveslistening again, as if fascinated, to the distant shouts, the murmur ofvoices above, and the flapping of the sail.

  Three long and weary hours passed--hours of suspense to the two youngEnglishmen seated below; and then, just as their patience was exhausted,they heard someone moving on the deck. There was a patter of bare feetupon the boards, followed by the noise of a rope passing through ablock.

  "Up goes the sail!" whispered Jim, in tones of delight. "Hurrah! We'reoff!"

  "Then prepare to go on deck," answered Tom. "They'll wait until we'reout of sight, and then will call us up."

  "Ah, there she goes!" exclaimed Jim, as the dhow suddenly heeled over,and began to move through the water. A minute later she was drivingalong before a brisk breeze, and the two young fellows below realizedthat, at last, their adventure had begun in earnest.