The River of Darkness; Or, Under Africa

by William Murray Graydon

  CHAPTER XII.

  A DARING MOVE.

  When daylight came the captives could scarcely believe that the eventsof the preceding night had not been all a dream. There was the document,however, to prove their reality, and Guy was deeply studying its fadedcharacters when the Greek arrived.

  His face was radiant with happiness, an expression which quickly gaveway to deep sadness as a big Somali entered with a platter of food. Thelatter had barely closed the door when Canaris held up a warning fingerand motioned the Englishmen to draw near.

  "It is well," he said softly. "I will tell you what I have done. Nearthe palace lives a Jewish merchant whom I know well. To him I went lastnight and by the aid of your gold made a good bargain. On the westernside of the city, close by the wall, is a deserted guard-house that wasonce used before the watch-towers were built. Here the Jew promised totake for me the goods I purchased--namely, a supply of dates, figs, andcrackers, three revolvers, three rifles with boxes of shells, threesabers, two ancient bronze lamps with flasks of palm oil, a box ofEnglish candles, and four long ropes with iron hooks on the end."

  "He will betray you to the Emir," said Guy in alarm.

  "Oh, no," returned Canaris, "no danger of that. I know a little secretconcerning my Jewish friend that would put his head above the town wallsin an hour's time. The things are even now hidden in the deserted house,you may rely on that."

  "But how are we going to get out of this infernal dungeon?" asked Guy."And how can we pass through the streets to the edge of the town?"

  For answer the Greek opened the leather case that he had brought withhim and took out three revolvers, three boxes of shells, a coil of rope,and a sharp knife.

  "These are my surgical instruments," he said. "I will put them under thestraw," and he suited the action to the word.

  "Affairs outside have changed somewhat," he continued. "The people aresullen and restless. They mistrust the Emir, and fear they will becheated of the pleasure they are looking forward to."

  Guy turned pale. "Then we are lost!" he cried.

  "No, you are saved," said Canaris. "That very fact works for yoursalvation. The Emir is alarmed; he fears for himself, not for you. Histroops are few since he despatched the caravan to Zaila, and at night,for better security, he takes guards from the prison courtyard andstations them before the palace. This leaves three guards to contendwith; one watches in the corridor, one stands before the prison door,and the third guards the gateway that opens from the prison yard on to adark avenue of the town. If all goes well you will be free men atmidnight. I must hurry away now. Listen well to my instructions, and dojust as I tell you.

  "You," and he turned to Melton, "must pretend that your wound is bad.Refuse to eat and lie on the straw all the time. It will be better if Ido not return today. I fear that even now Rao Khan grows suspicious. TheArab doctor is angered because I have assumed his duties. At midnight,if you listen sharply, you will hear the guard relieved by a new man.Soon after that knock on the door, and when the guard looks in show himthe wounded man, who will then feign to be very bad. I sleep in a rearapartment of the palace. The guard will send for me, and I will come.Otherwise my visiting you at that time of night would be looked uponwith suspicion. The rest I will tell you then. Don't despair. All willbe well; till midnight, farewell."

  Canaris glided from the dungeon, and the prisoners were alone. Theypassed the long hours of that day in a strange mixture of hope and fear.The difficulties to be overcome seemed insurmountable. They must escapefrom the prison, pass through the very midst of their bloodthirstyenemies, scale the wall, and then--where were they? Hundreds of milesfrom the coast, surrounded by barbarous and savage people, and theironly hope that mysterious underground river which in itself was a thingto be feared.

  But, on the other hand, speedy death awaited them in the dungeon of RaoKhan. The chances were truly worth taking.

  They followed instructions closely when the guard brought them food atnoon, and in the evening Melton tossed on the floor as though in pain.The thrice-welcomed darkness came at last, and the light faded out oftheir dungeon. Once a horrible thought entered Guy's mind. What was toprevent the Greek from making his escape alone, and abandoning theEnglishmen to their fate? It was but momentary, however, and then hedismissed the suspicion with a feeling of shame. He had already learnedto trust the Greek implicitly.

  Crouched by their dungeon door, they listened by the hour, and at lasttheir patience was rewarded. Voices were heard, steps approached anddied away, and then all was silent.

  The time for action had come.

  Melton threw himself on the straw and moaned. Guy rapped sharply on thedoor and waited in suspense. Almost instantly it opened, and the guard,a tall Nubian, pushed his lamp into the doorway and followed it up withhead and shoulders.

  "Canaris, Canaris!" said Guy earnestly, pointing to Melton, who utteredat that moment a most unearthly groan.

  The guard drew back and shut the door. His soft tread echoed down thecorridor, and all was still.

  The suspense of the next five minutes Guy will never forget as long ashe lives. It seemed to his excited imagination as though an hour hadpassed by, when suddenly sounds were heard in the corridor, and in aninstant more Canaris stood before them, his leather case at his side, alamp in his hand. He closed the door, opened, the case, and drew out twowide linen tunics and two long jackets such as the Emir's troops wore.

  "Put these on," he whispered. "You can wear your helmets; there are manyof them in Harar."

  As he spoke he drew an Arab burnous over his head, shading entirely hislight hair and mustache. He next pulled the revolvers and shells fromunder the straw, distributed them around, and with the knife cut therope in a dozen parts. By this time Guy and Melton had donned theirdisguises and were ready for action.

  Up to this point Guy had supposed that Canaris had bribed the guards andpaved the way out of prison.

  "You are sure the guards will let us pass?" he said.

  Canaris looked at him in wonder, and then a smile rippled over his face.

  "You thought I had bribed the guards," he said. "Ten thousand poundscould not tempt them. They would only lose their heads in the morning.It matters little," he added. "They will lose them anyhow. But our timehas come; be ready now to assist."

  He motioned Guy and Melton behind the door, and then, pulling it partlyopen, uttered a few words in a strange tongue.

  Instantly the powerful frame of the big Nubian entered, and as he stoodfor one second on the dungeon floor, sudden mistrust in his uglyfeatures, Canaris leaped at his throat and bore him heavily to theground.

  "Quick!" he cried, and in an instant Guy and Melton had seized thestruggling man's arms and feet.

  Still pressing the fellow's windpipe with one muscular hand, Canaristhrust a gag into the gaping mouth, and in two minutes their captive waslying bound and helpless on the straw.

  "What did you tell him?" asked Guy.

  "I said our lamp was going out," Canaris replied. "And now for the manat the prison door. I must get him inside, for the post is in plainview of the guard at the gate."

  A solution of this puzzling problem was closer at hand than anyoneimagined. The creaking of a door was heard, followed by approachingfootsteps.

  "Here he comes now!" said Canaris in an excited whisper. "He has grownsuspicious, and has determined to investigate. Quick!"

  Canaris darted to the other side of the doorway, and then ensued anotherperiod of chilling suspense.

  The tread came nearer, and at last another stalwart Nubian blocked thedoorway with his massive bulk. His look of wonder was comical as he sawhis comrade gagged and bound on the dungeon floor, but before the halfarticulated exclamation could escape his lips Canaris had him by thethroat, and down they came. The fellow uttered one cry, and then, as hishead struck the edge of the door in falling his struggles lessened, andwith no trouble at all he was gagged and bound.

  Cana
ris tore the ammunition from their belts, handed Guy and Meltontheir rifles, and then, blowing out the lamp, he pushed them into thecorridor and bolted the door.

  "Two heads will be off in the morning," he remarked grimly. "One morevictory and we are out of prison."

  He blew out the light that stood in the corridor and led the waythrough the darkness till he reached the door. He pulled it open, acrack revealing the moonlit courtyard, and took a long, careful survey.

  "There is the man we want," he whispered, pointing across the court, andputting his eyes to the crevice Guy saw against the massive prison walla dark shadow leaning grimly on a rifle.