Les aventures du Capitaine Magon. English
Page 17
CHAPTER XV.
JUDGE GEBAL DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF.
On arriving within a comparatively few paces of our encampment, wewere challenged by the sentinels, who were keeping a sharp look-out.As soon as we had entered the lines, Aminocles came running towardsus with excited gestures, and, hardly allowing me time to inquirewhat had occurred, told me in broken Phœnician that during ourabsence "the little man" had been and gone, and was now in a clump oftrees hard by.
For the moment I was puzzled; but Bichri, comprehending more quicklywhat the man meant, exclaimed, "Gebal! Judge Gebal!" and dashingoff in the direction indicated, began to whistle his accustomedcall-note. In a few minutes he returned, his countenance beaming withglee. The monkey was seated on his shoulder, and greeted us withhideous yells and grimaces. Ugly as the creature was, I confess Iwas glad to have it again amongst us; nearly every one came to lookat it, and although it pulled Hannibal's beard, scratched Himilco'sface, and bit Gisgo's nose, nothing was set down to spitefulness, butall was taken in good part, until the beast tried to claw Chamai'shand, upon which Chamai, never very patient either with man or brute,struck it a violent blow which sent it howling back to Bichri. Asit sprang away it dropped something that looked like the strap of asandal. After picking it up and examining it by the light of a torch,Chamai exclaimed:
"By all that's good, there is something written here! it is writtenin Phœnician."
I snatched the strap away from him in my eagerness, and discerned ina moment that it was covered with characters apparently traced inblood. Without waiting to read it all, I cried out:
"Hanno is alive! old Gebal has brought us the news. Hanno has writtento us himself."
After I had deciphered the writing carefully, I said:
"Now, listen, my friends--this is what he says: 'We are prisoners,alive and well: Jonah's trumpet saved us; savages would not give usup to Bodmilcar; their chief wanted a Phœnician trumpeter. Anotherchief wants a trumpeter before he will give his daughter in marriageto this chief. I am spared as well. We are to be sent off at once tothe northern chief. Keep up your spirits. We will soon escape. Bewareof Bodmilcar; he is laying an ambush. He means to cut you off fromthe river.' There, my men, that's what he says. We will hope to seehim yet."
As I ceased to read, Chryseis threw herself into Abigail's arms,and wept for joy; Gisgo flung his cap into the air; Himilco tooka liberal draught from his goat-skin; and Hannibal manifested hisemotion by sneezing seven times in succession. As for Bichri, he tookthe monkey in his arms, and fairly hugged it, a piece of attentionwhich Gebal acknowledged by plucking out a handful of his hair.
"O, Gebal, shame upon you! would you be pulling out my hair when youknow how much I love you? Brave old Gebal! I was only congratulatingyou on distinguishing yourself so well."
The others were all equally anxious to pet the creature, and gave itquantities of almonds and raisins, which it took without leaving itsperch upon Bichri's shoulder.
"Come, come!" I said, "no time for this trifling. Our water is gone;we must get to the river; we must be beforehand with Bodmilcar.But there is one piece of business that we must settle first. BringHazael here."
The eunuch was brought before me, and addressing him very sternly, Isaid:
"Hazael, you have heard this letter. It proves you a liar and atraitor. Your villainy has cost us much trouble; there is no reprievethis time; you must be sent forthwith to another tribunal. Menath,Hokk, and Rhadamath must be your judges. You must die."
Flinging himself prostrate at my feet, the abject wretch broke outinto the most piteous supplications; he implored for mercy, but I wasinexorable. Two sailors raised him to his feet, and Himilco havingmade a running noose in his rope, slipped it round the Syrian's neck.
"Choose your own tree, my good man," said Himilco; "for my part Ishould recommend a sturdy holm."
Hazael made no reply, but struggled so violently that he had to bedragged forcibly along.
"Don't be a fool!" cried Gisgo. "What objection can you have to behanged? it will save your shoe-leather."
"Now then," said Himilco, as soon as they had placed the eunuch underthe tree, "haul away, tackle him up to the standing-rigging; there!his navigation has come to an end!"
And almost as he spoke, Hazael was dangling in the moonlight.
"One traitor gone to his last account," I said.
"And the other, I hope, soon to follow," Hannibal replied.
Brief and scanty was our rest that night; and when in the morningthe sun rose in a cloudless sky, so unrefreshed were we after ourfighting and toiling, that it was with the utmost difficulty that wecould drag ourselves across the hot and dusty plain. My own throatwas parched, and my stomach cramped with those terrible sensationsknown only too well by those who have suffered the tortures ofexcessive thirst. Himilco had drained his last drop of wine, and wentfeebly along through lack of stimulant; Hannibal removed his helmet,and carried it slung from his girdle; and all were too worn and wearyto utter a syllable as we marched. Bichri was the only one of us whoexhibited no symptom of fatigue, his wiry frame being capable ofunlimited endurance.
About the middle of the afternoon a light mist, indicating thecourse of the river, revived our flagging energies by making usaware that fresh water was not far off. I took Bichri and a numberof men carrying gourds and goat-skins, and hurried on to obtain,without loss of time, some drink for my thirsty host; but when I hadgot within half a stadium of the river-bank I was seized with suchviolent pain and nausea that I could hardly stand. I persevered,however, till we were hardly more than twenty paces from the water'sedge, when suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes, and a scoreor more of lances came whizzing about us, and we were startled bythe shrill war-cry of the Iberians. Surprised, but not intimidatedby the attack, we kept steadily on our way, and were close upon theriver-bank, when some thirty or forty savages emerged from therushes and confronted us with their lances, whilst as many again,with hideous yells, ran to assail the flank of our main body.Hannibal and Chamai soon dispersed their adversaries, but I withmy party in advance did not fare so well, for notwithstanding thatBichri struck down more than one of the foremost of the barbarians,they succeeded in entirely surrounding us. One of the sailors had hisarm pierced by a javelin. Bichri had a cut in the calf of his leg,and my own movements were completely paralysed by a lance having gottightly fixed in my shield and shoulder-belt. I confess I thought itwas all up with us, but at the critical moment the well-known soundof the Phœnician trumpet broke upon us, followed by the animatingcry, "Courage, courage, we are here!" and a change passed upon thescene. Like a flock of startled birds the savages were off in scaredretreat; an advancing troop, doubtless Bodmilcar's own, wheeledrapidly about and took to flight; they had descried Hasdrubal who,from the river-bank, was bringing up a company to our rescue. Neverdid a friend receive a warmer welcome. To my inquiry how it was thathe had arrived so opportunely, he told me he had been watching theenemy's movements all the morning; they had been too engrossed withtheir own schemes to observe him, but he was so convinced they weredesigning mischief that he lowered the mast of the _Cabiros_ andbrought her up to the side-arm of the river, whence he had led hismen forward just in time to render us good service.
Thus happily relieved from the threatened peril, our force hastenedonwards to slake their thirst, and I think it was for the firsttime in my life that I saw Himilco gulp down (and that with evidentsatisfaction) a draught of pure water. Another hour and we weredescending the Bœtis, and joyously recounting our adventures.
That night, which was spent on board the _Cabiros_, was a night ofwell-earned rest. Next morning we started early for the spot wherethe _Dagon_ and the _Ashtoreth_ had been moored.
I gave my sailors five shekels apiece, and a triple ration ofwine, and conscious that they had been overworked, I granted themtwenty-four hours' release from labour before finally recommencingour voyage. They spent their holiday according to their own taste;they drank, they shouted, they
sang, they danced, and occasionallythey diversified their amusement by a little fighting; yet,notwithstanding the obstreperousness of their proceedings, whenevening came they calmed down quietly enough to their ordinarydiscipline.
The next day found us once more on the open sea, and for myself Ifelt an indescribable satisfaction in again looking upon its greenand restless face, and in hearing its waves plash against the sidesof my ship.
In two days we had reached Gades, and I settled all the business Ihad to transact with Ziba.
And now the time had come for me to announce to my officers and crewa purpose that I had long been contemplating. Accordingly I invitedthem all to an entertainment in a tent at some public gardens beyondthe town, and when the repast was over I rose and told them why I hadgathered them together.
"My friends," I began, "our mission is accomplished. King David'sdemands are met; King Hiram's orders are fulfilled. King David'ssubjects are at liberty to return to Palestine, and I have broughtthem here to bid them all farewell."
Chamai started to his feet impatiently, and looking at me with a keenand earnest scrutiny, asked what I meant.
"What I mean," I continued, "is soon told. I propose to put all mysilver on board the _Dagon_, and to place her under the command ofHasdrubal. In the _Dagon_ you, too, can return. Hasdrubal shall haveorders to land you and Abigail and Hannibal, and whoever else maychoose to accompany you, at Joppa."
Upon hearing this, Hannibal, in a voice agitated with emotion, calledout:
"And you? What about yourself? And are not Himilco, Hamilcar, andGisgo to go back with us?"
"Not one of them," I answered; "we have other work to do."
A blank silence fell upon them all. Hannibal gazed at me inbewilderment, big tears gathering in his eyes; Chamai broke hisreverie by bringing his fist down so violently upon a chair thatit broke under the blow; and after a space, Bichri began softly towhistle one of the melodies of his tribe, his usual way of trying toexhibit a contemptuous indifference.
Chamai was the first to speak.
"By our holy God! captain, I could never have believed you capable ofthis," he blurted out.
"Yes, indeed, by all that's holy!" said Hannibal, finding his voice,"what have we done that merits treatment of this kind?"
"I am doing you no wrong," I answered; "friends we have beenhitherto; friends let us part. You can surely ask no more than thatI should remit you to your homes to pass the rest of your lives inease and affluence."
"But why not return yourself?" they asked.
"I have invited you here, to tell you why. It is the resolve ofmyself and of the Sidonians that are with me to make a voyage ofdiscovery. I have set my heart on finding out what lands thereare, whether they be isles or continents, lying to the north. I amdetermined, if I can, to settle whether it be possible, by sailinground Tarshish to the west, to reach the Celtic shores. These are theproblems that I seek to solve."
"And do you think," said Chamai, "that we shall be content to enjoyour repose while you are braving all the perils of the unknown sea?No, no; not quite so ungrateful as that!"
"Desert our colours in the middle of the fight? nay, that will neverdo," cried Hannibal: "return home, who will; my post is with you,captain."
Chamai echoed his words, and Abigail averred her intention of notbeing parted from her lover.
I was quite overcome by the attachment of my people, and grasped themall in turns by the hand.
"The gods reward your courage and fidelity," I exclaimed. "But surelysome of you will wish to return? Aminocles, what say you? do you notwant to take your son back to his home? And you, Chryseis, you willhardly think of facing the perils of the untried sea?"
Aminocles replied that he could not desire his son to have a betterhome than the society of warriors offered; and Chryseis avowed thatshe was bound to me by a perpetual debt of gratitude: I had liberatedher from slavery, and it might be, if she continued with me still,that her missing lover would be restored to her.
Turning to Bichri, who was still whistling some national air in alackadaisical manner, I said to him:
"As yet, young man, we have not heard your decision. Have you nothingto say?"
"Not much," he answered; "I planted a patch of Ziba's land with a lotof vine-slips. I think I shall go north with you, and look in here atTarshish on my way back, just to see how my plantation prospers."
"Well done, Bichri!" cried Himilco; "you have set a young vineyardgoing, have you? You will have a long generation of tipplers neverceasing to bless the day you came to Gades. May the gods smile on youand your vines!"
Bichri did not vouchsafe Himilco any answer, but went on, as thoughtalking to himself:
"With old Gebal, and little Dionysos, I think I can be happy enough.I shall miss poor Jonah, though."
I had thus learnt to my great surprise that there was not one of mycompanions who was disposed to leave me. I took measures, therefore,for consigning the charge of my cargo, including the silver, to aSidonian captain who was about returning home, and then, without lossof time, laid in an ample store of provisions for my voyage over theuntraversed waters of the West.
On the morning of my departure I went to take my leave of the navalsuffect and of Ziba. As I passed along the quay by the entrance ofthe harbour, I found a great concourse of people gathered togetherfor the purpose of witnessing the erection of two great pillars, oneof which bore a figure of the sun, and the other a statue of ourgod Melkarth. I was naturally curious to ascertain the meaning ofthe columns, and was informed that they indicated the limits of thehabitable world, and that beyond them there was nothing but ocean.But the response of the oracle was still echoing in my memory: theworld for me had wider bounds, I smiled, and went my way with ahopeful heart.