The River of Darkness; Or, Under Africa
Page 15
CHAPTER XIV.
OVER THE WALLS.
The crack of the revolver, following closely on the Somali's loud yell,had barely died away in echoes when the dark street seemed fairly toburst into life.
The fugitives did not wait to see the result of the shot, but as theydashed madly forward they heard the people calling wildly to one anotheras they hurried from their dwellings.
Even Melton kept up with wonderful endurance. The excitement had givenhim false strength, and he kept even pace with Guy and Canaris.
Close at hand was the termination of the street, and as they were withinten yards of it a big Somali suddenly leaped out and barred the way.
The fugitives were going at a rate of speed which it was simplyimpossible to check. Canaris was a foot in advance, and in an instantmore he would have impaled himself on the savage's outpointed spear.
It was too late to use the revolver which he still carried in his hand,but quick as a flash he hurled it with all his might, and with suchcorrect aim that it landed plump on the fellow's head with an uglycrack.
The Somali howled with agony, letting the spear drop from his nervelesshands, and just as it clattered to the ground Canaris was upon him witha rush, and down they went together, the Somali undermost.
Canaris was up in a trice, and Guy and Melton, bounding on behind,trampled the half unconscious savage under their feet.
"Go on," said Guy fiercely. "We will outwit them yet. Brace up, Melton;we'll soon be out of this hole."
Forbes gritted his teeth to suppress a cry of pain.
"I can't keep up much longer," he said. "I'll faint from loss of blood."
The place they had just entered was the great trading locality and slavemarket of the town. At this time of year it was deserted, but the emptystalls and booths stood about in endless confusion.
The wisdom of the route chosen by Canaris was now apparent, for thislabyrinth of paths, which wove an intricate network through the stalls,offered just the opportunity they wanted; and, following the Greek'sguidance, they twisted in and out in a tortuous line that graduallybrought them toward the opposite side of the market.
The outcry behind them had by this time swelled to a perfect tumult, andthe night air bore it to their ears with startling distinctness.
Fortunately for the fugitives, this vast court was surrounded by grimslave prisons, and they encountered no one in their flight. They reachedthe opposite side of the market in safety, and, plunging in among themass of empty prisons, ran on, panting and breathless.
The Greek's white burnous fluttered on ahead, turning angle after angle,diving into dark alleys and shooting across open spaces. At last hestopped and, too exhausted to speak, waved his hand in triumph at thefrowning wall of the town that towered directly over their heads fortwenty feet.
Close by the wall was a circular stone tower, partly in ruins, and intothis Canaris dived eagerly. It was an anxious moment to the two whowaited on the outside, but at last the Greek reappeared in triumph withhis hands full. The Jewish merchant had kept his promise.
He paused a second or two to listen to the outcry in the town.
"They are coming nearer," he said. "Keep cool and don't get excited.They will search every stall in the market before a man comes near us,and besides this is the last place they would look. They will neversuspect us of any intention to scale the wall. Still we must lose notime," he added. "Now here is a box of shells apiece; put them in yourpockets, buckle these sabers around your waists, take the rifles Ibought. They are better, so you may throw the others away."
"Forbes can't carry one," said Guy. "What shall we do with it?"
"Leave it behind," replied Canaris. "We have burden enough. I had theJew put up the stuff in three oilcloth bags. We must divide it into twoloads."
He turned the contents of all on the ground.
"Yes, everything is here," he said. "Crackers, dates, figs, two lamps, abox of candles, matches, and two flasks of palm oil. Now, then, for thefinal move."
He divided the stuff into two bags, and then, going back into the guardtower, came out with a bunch of long ropes.
"Hurry up," said Guy. "Do you observe how close the sounds are coming?"
"They are searching the market," said Canaris calmly. "They take us fora party of drunken Arabs out on a lark."
"Then they don't suspect the truth?" asked Guy.
Canaris laughed.
"If it were known that the Emir's English prisoners had escaped," hesaid, "the fiends up yonder would be making more noise than the surfthat breaks on the rocks at Bab el Mandeb."
The ropes had at one end a rude iron hook, and, taking one of them,Canaris threw it over the wall, retaining the other end in his hand.
He pulled it in a yard or two, and then the rope became suddenly taut.The hook was secure. He took a sharp glance around him, measured withhis ear the hoarse shouts that still rose from the slave market, andthen went nimbly up the rope, hand over hand. He reached the top insafety.
"Now fasten the stuff on," he whispered down; "put the other ropes inthe bag."
Guy obeyed instructions, and Canaris rapidly drew the string up. He thenspeedily hooked a second rope to the wall and dropped it down.
"Fasten Forbes to one rope, and come up the other yourself," he calledout to Chutney.
Here a difficulty arose. Melton was, of course, unable to climb therope, and if a noose were slipped under his arms the wound would be tornand lacerated by the strain.
"It's no use, Chutney," he said. "I foresaw this. You must get offwithout me."
Guy was in despair. He was just on the point of bidding Canaris make hisescape alone, when a happy thought struck him.
"I have it, Melton," he cried joyfully. "Have you much power in yourarms?"
"Yes," said Melton, "but not enough to go up that rope."
"That's all right. I don't want you to go up the rope," returned Guy."Here, put your feet together and stand straight."
Hastily noosing the rope, he drew the knot tightly about Melton's legsjust above the knee.
"You take a good grip with your hands," he added. "There won't be muchstrain on your wound and we'll have you on the top in a jiffy."
Melton obeyed instructions, and Guy pulled himself speedily to the top.
"Crouch down," said Canaris; "don't you see that watch-tower?" and hepointed to a dim mass rising from the wall some distance off. "That isthe nearest tower," he added. "I hardly think they can see us, but it isbetter to take precautions."
The other two ropes were already dangling on the outer side of thewall. Canaris had planned everything for an emergency.
Guy took a hasty glance at the roofs and battlements spread before themon one side, the moonlit landscape on the other, and then he whispereddown, "All right. Melton?"
"Yes, go ahead," came the faint reply.
"Quick, they are coming!" cried Canaris in sudden excitement, and as hespoke a yell went up close at hand, and three or four dark figuresturned the corner of the nearest slave-prison.
THEN THE SPEAR FLASHED IN THE TORCHLIGHT.]
A big Somali was in the lead, and, spying Melton, he raised his spear.
"You fiend!" cried Guy, and, lifting a loose stone from the wall, hehurled it down.
It struck the spear from the rascal's hand, and, before he could recoverhimself, Guy and Canaris had dragged Melton to the top of the wall by aprodigious effort.
"Down, down!" cried Canaris, and as they crouched low three or fourspears went over their heads and a hoarse shout of rage went up from thebaffled Somalis that was caught up and repeated far back into the town.
"Keep cool," cautioned Canaris; "the ropes are up; they can't reach us.Five minutes more, and----" The words froze on his lips. Loud abovethe shouts of the savages rose a harsh, metallic sound that vibrated inshuddering echoes through the night air. It was the beating of thetomtom at the Emir's palace.
An electric circuit could
not have more speedily roused the town. Avast, sullen roar went up instantly, and then, mingled with the clang ofthe tomtom and the tumult of the people, rang out a harsh rattle ofalarm-drums that swelled and spread until every oval watch-turret on thetown walls was sounding the tocsin announcing to the subjects of RaoKhan the escape of the hated Englishmen.