At Aboukir and Acre: A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt

by G. A. Henty

  CHAPTER VII.

  SAVED.

  Hiring a donkey, for he still felt weak, Edgar rode out to the citadel.He found the town gate open, as Napoleon, to show his contempt for thepopulation and his perfect confidence that they would not venture torise again, had ordered everything to go on as usual. Paying thedonkey-boy when within a short distance of the citadel, he sat down on ablock of stone a little way off the road, and waited for the hour whenthe court-martial was to open. From what he had heard in the square hewas afraid that the Arab prisoners would all be among those sentenced todeath, as the general opinion was that a stern lesson was needed intheir case, as they had, with the exception of those dwelling nearAlexandria, proved themselves bitterly hostile to the French.

  "I am afraid that I shall have to lie," he said to himself. "I hatethat, and I would not do it for myself, but the lie will hurt no one andmay save Sidi. Anyhow I won't tell more than I can help."

  During the two hours that he sat there he made up his mind as to thestory that he should tell. As the hour approached, several Frenchofficers of rank rode into the citadel. He saw a few people go in onfoot, but all were questioned by the sentry at the gate. A few minutesbefore ten he went up.

  "You cannot pass without an order," the sentry said in French.

  "I wish to speak to the officer," Edgar replied in a mixture of Frenchand Italian. "I am a witness. I have to give evidence at the trial ofone of the scelerats."

  The sentry called a non-commissioned officer, who, after speaking a fewwords to him; entered the guard-house near the gate, and an officer cameout.

  "What do you want to come in for?" he asked.

  "I have evidence to give, monsieur, for one who is, I believe, among theprisoners. He is, like myself, but a lad; but he saved my life from oneof those villains of rioters, and slew him with his own hand, when myemployer, Signor Pancherasi, and two other of his assistants were killedby them. I would urge this in his favour."

  "Well, it is but fair that you should be heard;" and calling a soldierfrom the guard-house, he told him to accompany Edgar to the spot wherethe court-martial was to be held, and to inform the officer in charge ofthe prisoners that the lad desired to give evidence in regard to one ofthem.

  Thanking the officer, Edgar went up with the soldier into the greatquadrangle. In one corner were a large number of prisoners, guarded by aline of soldiers with fixed bayonets. Three or four officers werestanding on the steps in front of a large open door. One of them, asEdgar passed near, called out to his companion:

  "Whom have you got there, my man?"

  The soldier led Edgar up to the group, saluted, and stood at attention.

  "He has come to give evidence for one of the prisoners, general."

  "It must needs be pretty strong evidence then," the officer said,"considering that they were all taken when fighting against us. Well, mylad, who are you?"

  "I do not speak French well, monsieur: Italian is my language. My nameis Giovanni Baptista. I was in the employ of Signor Pancherasi, who soldgoods of our country in the broad street leading up from the square ofEl-Esbekieh, where your soldiers beat the Arabs yesterday."

  "I recognize the young fellow," one of the officers said. "He rushedout, half out of his mind with joy, as I rode past at the head of thecolumn. Well, go on, lad. Tell us what you have got to say."

  "Well, monsieur, an Arab boy saved my life when the others were killed.One had fired at me, and the bullet went through my arm, when the Arab,who had some of his people with him, sprang forward, and just as the manwas going to rush at me with his scimitar he sprang upon him and stabbedhim between the shoulders. I do not remember much more, for I wasfrightened; but there was a quarrel between him and his Arabs and theothers. I think I fainted. When I came to I was alone with the bodies ofmy master and comrades, and there I remained in hiding until your troopscame along."

  "But why should this Arab have interfered in your behalf?"

  "A few days before, sir, I was going with a parcel of my master's goodsthrough one of the narrow lanes, when I saw two rough men ill-treatingan Arab boy. He seemed to be the son of a sheik, and they were trying torob him and he resisted, and seeing that he was a boy like myself, Ishouted at the top of my voice for aid, and ran in with my knife. Thenwe fought for a minute, but doubtless it would have gone hard with us,had not two of your soldiers, who heard me shouting, come running up,and the men then took to their heels. The young Arab said that hisfather would show his gratitude to me for having aided him, but I hadnot heard of him again until, hearing our cries, he ran in with someother Arabs, and, as I have said, saved me from death."

  "Let me look at your wound?" the general said. Edgar took off his coatand showed the blood-stained bandage.

  "Well, you can look among the prisoners and see if your friend is here.If he is, when you see him brought in you must come in and repeat yourstory. By the way, how did you understand what this Arab said about hisfather?"

  "I have been out here some years, monsieur, and can speak a littleArabic."

  "Well, as you have lost your master, and are out of employment, if yougo down to the intendence and say that General Rombaud sent you, andthat you can speak enough French and Arabic to get on with, they willfind you some employment where you can be of use."

  "Thank you very much, monsieur," and, bowing, Edgar went off with thesoldier to the group of prisoners.

  There were in all about a score of Arabs, and these kept in a bodytogether. To his great joy, he recognized Sidi among them. His head wasbound up, and he looked weak and exhausted, but, like his companions,and indeed the great proportion of the prisoners, he maintained an airof indifference to his position. Thinking it as well that he should notbe recognized, and feeling sure that the guard would permit nocommunication to take place with any of the prisoners, Edgar turned awayand went and sat down on some steps between the prisoners and those onwhich the officers were standing. In a few minutes they went in by thedoor behind them.

  Five minutes later a sergeant came out, and calling four men from acompany drawn up near the door, went across to the group of prisonersand presently returned with six of them. In a few minutes they came outagain. Three of the men, in charge of a single soldier, were marchedaway in the direction of the gate; the other three were taken to a doora short distance away, thrust in, the door was locked after them, andtwo soldiers placed there as sentries. The barred windows told theirtale, and Edgar had no doubt that the three men who had entered weresentenced to death. In the meantime, another party had taken six moreprisoners in. So the matter proceeded for upwards of an hour, fiveminutes at the outside sufficing for each batch. At the end of this timethe group of Arabs was reached. Hitherto about half of the men taken hadbeen suffered to depart, but this time the six Arabs were all taken tothe fatal door.

  Edgar did not recognize any of them, and indeed, he knew that thegreater part of the sheik's followers had fallen in the attack on theFrench column in the street. Sidi was in the next group, and Edgar roseto his feet, saying to the soldier who still stood by his side, and whohad heard the conversation with the general, "That is the lad." The manwent with him to the door, told the sentries there that the general'sorders were that the witness was to be allowed to enter, and Edgarfollowed the party into a large room. Six French officers were seated ata table. The president, who was the general who had spoken to him,looked up:

  "Is that the lad?" he asked, pointing to Sidi.

  "That is he, monsieur."

  "As we have heard your testimony, it is not necessary to take it again."Sidi had given a sudden start on hearing Edgar's voice. "This youngfellow has testified to us," General Rombaud said to two of the membersof the court-martial, who had not been present on the steps when theconversation took place, "that this young Arab saved him from murder atthe hands of some of the rabble, by killing the man who was about toslay him, and that he did this in return for a service this youngItalian had rendered him in succouring him when attacked, some timebefore, by two rob
bers. As he is but a lad, and of course acted underhis father's orders, I think we may make him an exception to the rule.You can go free, young sir, but let the narrow escape that you have hadbe a lesson to you not to venture to mix yourself up in treasonablerisings again. You can take him away with you," he added to Edgar.

  Sidi moved away from his companions with an unsteady step. He had madeup his mind that his fate was sealed, and had been prepared to meet it,and the sudden revulsion of feeling was almost too much for him. He gavehis hand silently to Edgar, and as the latter bowed and murmured histhanks to the general, they went out together, one of the soldiersaccompanying them. In spite of his Arab stoicism, the tears were runningdown Sidi's cheeks as they issued into the open air.

  "I am not crying for joy that I am freed, brother," he said, "but withpleasure at seeing you alive. When we got to the end of that street andsaw, for the first time, that you were not with us, and, looking back,could see that your horse had fallen, we gave you up for dead, andbitterly did my father reproach himself for having permitted you toshare in our attack. He is among the dead, brother; I saw him fall. Ihad been separated from him by the rush of the French horsemen, but Isaw him fighting desperately, until at last struck down. Then, almostmad, I struck wildly. I felt a heavy blow on my head, and should havefallen had not a French soldier seized my arm and dragged me across hissaddle in front of him. I was dimly conscious of being handed over tothe infantry, and placed with some other prisoners. I sank down, andshould have bled to death had not an Arab among them bandaged my head.The fight was nearly over then, and I was brought up here."

  "I can give you good news, Sidi. I went last night with the two men whomwe had left behind, and searched for some hours among the dead for youand your father, and found him at last. He was insensible, but not dead.We carried him off, and the other two are with him in a grove six milesaway, and I have every hope that he will recover. He has five or sixwounds, but I do not think that any of them are mortal."

  Sidi fairly broke down on hearing the news, and nothing further was saiduntil they had issued from the gate. The officer was still there who hadspoken to Edgar on entering.

  "So you have saved your friend?" he said pleasantly, as Edgar passed."He is lucky, for I fancy he will be the only one of the Arabs who willissue out of here to-day."

  "I thank you much, monsieur, for having let me pass," Edgar saidgratefully. "I feared so much that I should not be allowed to enter tospeak for him."

  The officer nodded, and the two lads went out. They had gone but ahundred yards when Sidi said:

  "I must sit down for a while, Edgar. I have eaten nothing sinceyesterday morning, and I have lost much blood, and all this happiness istoo much for me. Don't think me very childish."

  "I don't think you so at all, Sidi. It has been a fearful time, and Idon't wonder that you are upset. Look, there is a quiet spot betweenthose two huts. Do you sit down there; you can't go on as you are. Inthe first place, your dress is covered with blood; and in the next, youare too weak to walk. I will go into the town. There are plenty of shopsclose to the gate, and I will buy a burnoose that will cover you, and achange of clothes for you to make afterwards. I will get you some foodand a little cordial."

  Sidi shook his head.

  "Nonsense, man!" Edgar went on. "This is medicine, not wine, and youmust take something of the sort or you won't be fit to travel. I shallget some fellah's clothes for myself, a basket of food and other thingsto take out to your father, and I will hire a couple of donkeys. You areno more fit to walk six miles than you are to fly, and I feel rathershaky myself. I sha'n't be away more than half an hour."

  After seeing Sidi seated in the place he had indicated, where he wouldnot be seen by those passing on the road, Edgar at once went in throughthe gate. The provisions, and two or three bottles of good wine, werequickly purchased, but it took him some little time getting the clothes,for had he not bargained in the usual way, it would have seemed strange.As it was, the man of whom he purchased them congratulated himself onhaving made the best bargain that he had done for many a day. He boughttwo Arab suits, and two such as were worn by peasants, and a brownburnoose for Sidi to put on at once. Then, going out with theprovision-basket and the clothes in a bundle, he went to the gate again,chose a couple of donkeys from those standing there for hire, and wentalong the road for a short distance. Telling the donkey-boy to wait withthe animals until his return, he took the basket and the burnoose, whichhad been made up into a separate parcel, and went to the spot where hehad left Sidi, who rose to his feet as he reached him.

  "I am better now, and can go on."

  "You are not going on until you have made a meal anyhow," Edgar replied;"and I feel hungry myself, for I have been up a good many hours."

  Sidi sat down again. The basket was opened, and Edgar produced somebread and some cold kabobs (kabobs being small pieces of meat stuck on askewer). Sidi eat some bread and fresh fruit, but he shook his head atthe meat.

  "I shall do better without it," he said. "Meat is for the strong. Mywound will heal all the faster without it."

  He did, however, drink from a tumbler Edgar had brought with him a smallquantity of wine mixed with the water.

  "I regard you as my hakim, and take this as medicine because you orderit."

  "I feel sure that the Prophet himself would not have forbidden it whenso used. You look better already, and there is a little colour in yourcheek. Now, let us be off. If your father has recovered consciousness,he must be in great anxiety about you."

  "But I want to ask you about yourself?"

  "I will tell you when we are mounted. The sooner we are off the better."

  He was glad to see that, as they walked towards the donkeys, Sidistepped out much more firmly than before. He had put on his burnoose assoon as Edgar joined him, and this concealed him almost to his feet whenhe had mounted.

  "We are not pressed for time," Edgar said to the donkey-boy. "Go alonggently and quietly."

  The donkey started at the easy trot that distinguishes his species inEgypt.

  "Now, Edgar," Sidi said, as soon as they were in motion, "here have youbeen telling me about my father, and I have been telling you aboutmyself, but not one word as yet have you told as to how you escaped, andso saved the lives of both of us. Allah has, assuredly, sent you to beour good genius, to aid us when we are in trouble, and to risk your lifefor ours."

  "Well, never mind about that now, Sidi. I will tell you all about it;but it is a good long story."

  So saying, he narrated his adventures in detail, from the time when hishorse fell with him to the moment when he entered the room where thecourt-martial was being held. He made the story a long one, in order toprevent his friend from talking, for he saw when he had spoken how greatwas his emotion. He made his narrative last until they came within aquarter of a mile of the village near which the sheik was hidden.

  "Now we will get off," he said, "and send the donkeys back."

  He paid the amount for which he had bargained for the animals, andbestowed a tip upon the boy that made him open his eyes with delight.They turned off from the road at once, made a detour, and came down uponthe clump of trees from the other side. The Arabs had seen themapproaching, and welcomed Sidi with exuberant delight. To his firstquestion, "How is my father?" they said, "He is better. He is very weak.He has spoken but once. He looked round, evidently wondering where hewas, and we told him how the young Englishman, his friend, had come tous, and how we had searched for hours among the dead, and, at lastfinding him, had carried him off. Then he said, 'Did you find my son?'We told him no, and that we had searched so carefully that we felt surethat he was not among the dead, but that you had gone back to the townto try and learn something about him. He shook his head a little, andthen closed his eyes. He has not spoken again."

  "Doubtless he feels sure, as we could not find you, that you are dead,Sidi. I have no doubt the sight of you will do him a great deal of good.I will go forward and let him know that you are here. Do n
ot showyourself until I call you."

  The sheik was lying with his eyes shut. As Edgar approached he openedthem, and the lad saw he was recognized.

  "Glad am I to see you conscious again, sheik," he said, bending overhim.

  The sheik feebly returned the pressure of his hand.

  "May Allah pour his blessings upon you!" he whispered. "I am glad that Ishall lie under the sands of the desert, and not be buried like a dog ina pit with others."

  "I hope that you are not going to die, sheik. You are sorely weak fromloss of blood, and you are wounded in five places, but I think not atall that any of them are mortal."

  "I care not to live," the sheik murmured. "Half my followers are dead. Imourn not for them; they, like myself, died in doing their duty and infighting the Franks--but it is my boy, of whom I was so proud. I oughtnot to have taken him with me. Think you that I could wish to live, andgo back to tell his mother that I took him to his death."

  "He was not killed, sheik; we assured ourselves of that before wecarried you away, and I found that, with twenty other Arabs and two orthree hundred of the townsmen, he was taken prisoner to the citadel."

  A look of pain passed across the sheik's face.

  "Your news is not good; it is bad," he said, with more energy than hehad hitherto shown. "It were better had he died in battle than be shotin cold blood. Think you that they will spare any whom they caught inarms against them?"

  "My news is good, sheik," Edgar said calmly; "had it been otherwise Iwould have left you to think that he had died on the field of battle. Ihave reason to believe that Sidi has been released, and that you willsoon see him."

  For a moment the sheik's eyes expressed incredulity; then the assuredtone and the calm manner of Edgar convinced him that he at leastbelieved that it was true.

  "Are you sure, are you quite sure?" he asked, in tones so low that Edgarcould scarce hear him.

  "I am quite sure--I would not buoy you up with false hopes. Sidi isfree. He is not far off now, and will speedily be here, directly heknows that you are strong enough to see him."

  For a minute the sheik's eyes closed, his lips moved, but no sound camefrom them, but Edgar knew that he was murmuring thanks to Allah for hisson's preservation. Then he looked up again.

  "I am strong enough," he said; "your news has made a man of me again.Send him here."

  Edgar walked away and joined Sidi.

  "Be very calm and quiet," he said; "your father is very, very weak. Donot break down. He knows that you are close by, and is prepared to seeyou. Do not, I beg of you, agitate him; do not let him talk, or talkmuch yourself; be calm and restful with him."

  He turned away and walked to the end of the trees, where he engaged in ashort conversation with the two Arabs. Then he turned again, and wentnear enough to catch a sight of the sheik. Sidi was kneeling by hisside, holding his hand to his heart, and a smile of happinessilluminated the drawn face of the wounded man. Satisfied that all wasgoing on well, he joined the men.

  "In the basket you will find a small cooking-pot," he said. "Pick upsome of the driest sticks that you can find, so as not to make anysmoke. Put some kabobs into the pot with as much water as will justcover them; then place it over the fire, and let it stew until the meatis in threads. Strain the broth off. I will give it to him, a sip at atime."

  "We need not be afraid of the smoke," one of the men said. "We went downto the village to get bread and dates. A man saw that we were Arabs, andasked us for news of what was going on in Cairo. Some fugitives passedalong yesterday evening, and said that the French were killing all theMoslems. We told him that it was not as bad as that, but that many hadassuredly been slain. He called down maledictions upon the French, andseeing that he was a true man we said that we had a wounded comradewith us, and that he was lying in the grove. He told us that he was theowner of it, and that we were welcome to use it, but prayed us not tocome to him again; for if the Franks came along in search of fugitives,and happened to search the grove, and found that he had been supplying awounded man with provisions, it might cost him his life. We told himthat he need not fear, for that we would not betray him, but that, atany rate, we would not come to his shop again."

  "Then make the fire immediately, Hassan; the sooner the sheik has alittle nourishment, the better. If he seems strong enough to bear it, Iwant to carry him off to the mountains at once. It is quite possiblethat the French may be searching the villages round for woundedfugitives, and I would fain get him up among the hills. Sidi, too, hasan ugly wound in the head, and needs a few days' rest. I think I haveeverything that they can want for the next two or three days, and youhave a good supply of fruit. We must find some place among the rockssheltered from the sun. When it is dark you must go down to the fountainand fill up your water-skins there."

  An hour later Edgar carried the cup of broth to the sheik.

  "Sidi, do you lift your father up a little--a very little. I want him totake some of this broth. It is all a question of keeping up yourstrength now, sheik, and I hope that you will try and drink a little."

  "I, too, want to get strong," the sheik said, "I have something to livefor now."

  He drank a few mouthfuls, and then motioned to his son to lower his headdown again.

  "'Tis strange," he said, "that we three should be together again when itseemed that none of us would meet on earth."

  "It is very pleasant to be together again," Edgar said heartily, "andit will be more pleasant still when we are able to get about againtogether."

  There had been but few words exchanged between father and son. To berestored to each other was sufficient, and the sheik had not evenwondered as to how his son had so unexpectedly arrived. After drinkingthe broth he closed his eyes, and in a few minutes it was evident, byhis quiet breathing, that he was asleep.

  Edgar moved quietly away, beckoning to Sidi to follow him, and when hejoined him at the edge of the grove, told him of the plan that heproposed.

  "Do you think that he is strong enough?" Sidi asked.

  "I do not think that it will do him harm, Sidi; indeed I think that if,before he goes to sleep, we lay him on that blanket that we brought himhere in, we might carry him without waking him. Of course I should tellhim this evening what we thought of doing. It may be that the Frenchwill make no search for the wounded. I saw proclamations signed by someof the principal sheiks and ulemas, calling upon the people to betranquil, and announcing that Bonaparte had consented to forgive thepast; but you know that did not prevent their trying those prisonersthis morning, and, I doubt not, executing a large number of them.Therefore, although they may leave the lower class alone, they may seizeany of their leaders they may find, and if they came upon your father,his wounds would show that he had been engaged in the fighting; and ifthey took him to the town many of those who saw him there might denouncehim as the sheik who led his horsemen against one of their columns. Ofcourse they may not search, but it is as well to be on the safe side,and it is better to run the slight risk that the journey might do himthan to chance his being captured here."

  Sidi heartily agreed.

  "Now, Sidi, you may as well get rid of those clothes and put on thepeasant's suit I bought you. I shall do the same; then should we becaught sight of, at a distance, we should simply be taken for twofellahs who have gone up into the mountains, either to shoot game or forsome other purpose, while the white clothes would excite suspicion. I amsorry now that I did not get them for Hassan and Ali, but it is likelyenough that I may be able to buy such things in the village. By the way,your father said, when we were riding from the Pyramids to the town,that there were a good many old tombs up in the hills. Of course, forto-night, it would be enough if we take him a short distance up, thento-morrow we can search, and if we can find one of those tombs, it willbe a safe place for him to stop in; and being cut in the solid rock, itwould be pleasantly cool. There will be no fear whatever of any Frenchsoldiers coming along and entering there, and we can live quietly untilhe is fit to sit a horse. When you have
taken off those things that youhave on, you had better tear off a number of long strips for bandages.We did what we could roughly when we first carried your father off thefield; but we can bandage his wounds carefully now, and yours also mustwant looking to badly."

  When the sheik woke, after two hours' sleep, he drank some broth. Hisvoice was louder and clearer, and it was evident that even the smallquantity that he had taken before, and the quiet sleep, had refreshedhim greatly.

  "Now, sheik," Edgar said, "Hassan and Ali are going to bandage yourwounds carefully. They say that they are both accustomed to it, and nodoubt they have some experience, for wounds are common enough in yourraids and forays."

  Edgar by this time had put on the dark-blue blouse, reaching down belowthe knee and girt by a belt at the waist, which forms the main articleof dress of every Egyptian peasant. On his head was a brown cap of roughwool, of something of the same shape as a fez. These, and a pair of lowTurkish shoes, completed his costume, underneath which he wore theEuropean one, the trousers being rolled up above the knees, so as not toshow. While the operation of dressing the wounds was going on, he wentdown into the village, and finding a shop where they sold such things,bought similar suits to his own for the two Arabs. When he returned, thesheik's wounds had been dressed, a blanket rolled up under his head, andhe was looking altogether more comfortable. Edgar now told him his planof carrying him off.

  "It will be best," he said, "much the best. Though I have said nothing,I have wondered to-day whether the French would come along, and it hastroubled me; besides, I shall gain strength faster up in the hills. Yourplan is a good one. I think that I shall sleep well in the blanket. Evenif I wake it will not matter; the motion will be easy, and my woundshave been well bandaged, and I have no fear of their breaking outagain."

  In addition to the severe sabre cut on the face, the sheik had anotheron the left arm. A third had struck him slantingly on the right side, ashis arm was raised to strike; a musket shot had also made a deep grooveon the hip. When in the village, Edgar had purchased, among otherthings, several sticks of kabobs, and when it became dark the two Arabs,now in their peasant dress, went down and filled the water-skins at thevillage well. The sheik drank off the rest of the broth, and was thencarefully lifted and laid down on the blanket, which was still attachedto the spears. The other blanket was then placed under his head, and inhalf an hour his son, who was watching him, was glad to see that he wasagain asleep. Some more kabobs were put in the pot to stew, and whenready the broth was poured into a wine-bottle that Edgar had emptied. Assoon as the moon was fairly up they started, as before, the two Arabstaking the pole at the sheik's head, Edgar those at his feet, where theweight was comparatively a light one. Sidi would have divided this withhim, but Edgar laughed at the idea.

  "I shall be well pleased, Sidi, if you can do the walk without needinghelp; the weight is really nothing. If he had been a big fleshyEnglishman it would be a different thing altogether, but you Arabs aresimply bone and muscle, and divided between three the weight is notworth talking about."

  The blankets had been rolled up and placed across the men's shoulders,the water-skins hung by their straps on either side, and they carriedthe baskets, on which were also placed the bundles of clothes, betweenthem. No stir or movement showed that the sheik was conscious of beinglifted from the ground. After twenty minutes' walking they got beyondthe area of cultivated ground, and were able to head directly for thehills, and two hours later they were well up among them, and Edgar andSidi agreed that there was small chance indeed of any French parties,especially of cavalry, searching such broken and rugged ground. A spotwas chosen where the ends of the spears could be laid on two flat stoneshigh enough to keep the bottom of the hammock from touching the groundbetween them.

  Sidi bent over his father, and, listening to his breathing, saw that hewas sound asleep. His only share of the burden had been a small, shallowiron pot, in which a little charcoal fire glowed brightly. A small bagof this, the most common fuel in Egypt, had been bought in the village.The broth was poured into a tin, which was hung a short distance abovethe fire, so that it would warm slowly. Then Edgar and Sidi, who wereboth completely worn out, wrapped themselves, one in his burnoose andthe other in a blanket, and lay down; Hassan and Ali, who had by turnsslept during the day, undertaking to keep watch by the side of thesheik, and to give him the broth as soon as he woke.

  Edgar dropped off to sleep instantly; when he awoke the sun had risen.He saw that Sidi was still asleep. The hammock had been lowered to theground, and Ali was holding the cup to the sheik's lips. Edgar saw atonce that he was better, the drawn expression and the ashen shade roundhis lips had greatly abated, and his eyes were brighter. Living sofrugal and active a life, the Arab, like the Red Indian, can bear woundsthat would be fatal to a dweller in towns; and as none of the sheik'swounds were in themselves very serious, and it was loss of blood alonethat had brought him to death's door, the night's rest, the nourishmentthat he had taken, and above all, his joy at finding his son living, hadalready placed him on the path to recovery.

  "I am glad to see you looking much better than you did yesterday," Edgarsaid heartily as he came up. "I hope that you have slept well?"

  "I have woke but twice, and each time took some of the broth, andstraightway went off to sleep again. I did not feel my move here, andwas indeed surprised on my first waking, when Ali told me that I wassafe up in the hills. See, I can already lift my right hand. I shall notbe your patient long."

  "There is no hurry," Edgar replied. "After I have had some breakfast Ishall start out to look for one of those tombs that you told me of.There we shall have shelter from the heat of the sun and from thenight-dews. There will be no fear of the French lighting upon us; andindeed I do not think that, now they have Cairo under their feet again,they will trouble more about the matter. They have other things to thinkabout; and although Cairo will be quiet for a long time after this, theFrench will know that their merciless slaughter of the Mussulmans willexcite the deepest feeling of hatred against them, and that it will beeven less safe than before for small parties to move about.

  "Kleber will no doubt start again with his division for Damietta. Desaixis many days' journey to the south. Probably a force will march to Suez.I heard it said by some French officers that this would probably be thenext move, and Napoleon will not care to further weaken the garrison ofthe city by sending out search parties."

  "Is Sidi's wound a bad one?"

  "No, it is nothing like so severe as that which you received on thecheek. It was a downright blow, but his turban saved him. It is a prettydeep scalp wound extending down to the ear, and he lost a good deal ofblood, but it was anxiety for you and the prospect of death for himselfin the morning that caused it to seem more serious than it was. In threeor four days he will be nearly himself again."

  "And you, did you escape unhurt? We deemed you certainly dead."

  "No; my horse was shot, and I at the same moment got a bullet through myarm. Beyond the loss of a little blood it was of no consequence. I raninto a house close by and sheltered there until the French column cameout, and then went out in some European clothes I found there, and hadno more trouble."