WE were certainly in a bad strait, yet I was sincere in telling my companions that I felt hopeful of delivery. Every moment made matters worse, for the air down below was frightful, and there was no doubt that we must climb up again, where I hoped to find a hidden passage out.

"O Effendi, if you only were right," wailed Selim. "All my hope is dead; we shall starve in misery. Oh, why has Allah ordained this kismet for me?"

Even the weak and exhausted Ben Nil could not stand this. "Why do you whimper?" he said. "You tell me you are called the greatest warrior of your tribe; if you are, it must consist of old women. How shall I get up, Effendi? I am too weak to climb."

"We will drag and carry you," I said. I tied the rope around his body, and Selim fastened the other end around himself, and went up first. I followed, with Ben Nil resting on my shoulders, so that I could shove him while Selim pulled, as we had done in getting the steward out of the hole, and thus we slowly ascended. How lucky it was that we had brought torches, and had given none to the fakir; two were used up, but we had four left.

Arrived in the first chamber, where I had brushed away the sand from the stone, I went over to it and began examining the wall. It was but a few moments before I found a

brick that looked loose; I removed it, and found the others around it easily displaced, Selim by this time helping me, while Ben Nil held the light.

"Allah is great," cried Selim; "it is a passage! Effendi, how did you know it was here?"

"I guessed it, because this air is so fresh and sweet, and for that reason I believe it leads out of doors, not into another passage. Do you remember the hole the steward fell into?"

"Allah, wallah, tallah! Do you mean that ---"

"I mean that we are coming out into that same hole, if my calculations are right. Keep on digging away the sand and bricks." We went at it with renewed vigor, and at last the passage lay open before us. I crawled in with my torch to follow it up, and at last I reached the end, which I found filled up with sand.

As I turned to go back to summon Selim and Ben Nil I heard a well-known voice behind me, saying: "Allah be thanked, I have found you again. I could not stay longer in that darkness "

"You were afraid?" I asked.

"No, I was not afraid, but little Ben Nil was," replied Selim.

"And because he was afraid you left him alone! You have a queer way of showing your courage. Here, hold the torch; I am going to dig."

The sand was very light; I scattered it on every side, and soon felt the fresh wind on my face. A moment more, and daylight streamed in, the sand collapsed, and revealed a hole, into which I crawled. The sun was directly over my head, and I found myself, as I expected, in the hole into which the steward had fallen. Selim came after me and cried in jubilant tones: "Allah il Allah! Heaven be praised, and all the caliphs be ---"

"Oh, shut up with your caliphs, you donkey," I cried out of all patience. "Do you want to betray us?"

"Betray us? To whom?" he asked, with the most stupid face I ever saw. "

To those who entrapped us."

"But they will know we got out."

"Yes, but not till the time comes. If they are in there still we will catch them."

"You are right, Effendi. We will catch them, and I will crush and destroy them, I the most renowned"

"Oh, for goodness sake, do stop your nonsense! I am going back after Ben Nil. You stay here, and don't do anything ridiculous. Keep perfectly still."

I crawled back and found Ben Nil sitting quietly just where I left him. "What news, Effendi?" he asked.

"The best; we are free." He rose, uttered a prayer of thanksgiving aloud, and then stretched out his hands to me and said: "Effendi, I will never forget this hour. If ever I can thank you and fail in gratitude, may Allah forget me when I stand at the gates of paradise. You need not help me now; I can crawl after you; lead the way."

He spoke truly. His strength seemed to return to him, and we reached the open. Selim was not in sight. But we heard him, shouting: "You dogs, you sons of dogs, and descendants of dogs! Run, run, and if you turn back I will crush you in the fingers of my right hand. I am the mightiest of warriors, and the greatest of heroes."

"Selim," I shouted, "come here! What are you yelling at?"

"Shall I not tell these curs what I think of them?" he asked, returning to the edge of the hole.

"What curs?"

"The fakir and the juggler."

That I did not throttle the idiot on the spot I think ought to stand high on the credit side of my accounts.

"Where were they?" I asked.

"I climbed out of the hole, and they stood on the throw of the hill. My wrath mastered me. I yelled at them in fury, and they ran with the swiftness of the gazelle; you can still see them running."

"Catch the rope; pull me up," I said.

Yes; he spoke the truth; there they were, too far off to be captured, and still running. I nearly choked as I saw them, and I turned on Selim angrily: "You old, incurable donkey! If you had held your tongue they would both have fallen into our hands!"

"They will yet," said Selim, as complacent as ever. "We will catch them in Siout."

"They won't go back there. However, we must return. We will carry Ben Nil between us, and our progress must be slow."

We made the long distance back to the palace at a weary pace, but we reached it at last. I was so enraged at the escape of that pious old hypocrite, the fakir, and the "muza'bir" that I could hardly appreciate my own happy delivery. I made up my mind to capture them if they were above ground, and for this reason to leave Siout by the second day.

Ben Nil sought me in the morning. "May your day be blessed, and all your ways be peaceful, O my lord and deliverer," he said, dropping off his shoes in the doorway and bowing low. "Is it true that you are going to Khartum?"

"Yes."

"Effendi, do you need a servant?" he cried. "Take me with you! I am poor, but I will not ask for wages. If you will give me food it will be enough."

"Yes, I will take you; I like you, and, as you are a sailor, I may be able to get you a good position."

"I shall be glad of one, and you shall not find me unworthy."

The young man made an extraordinarily good impression on me; he spoke frankly and respectfully, and his expression was honest; knowing, as he did, every foot of the river, he could easily be of great service to me. But scarcely had I arranged to take him with me when Selim came to the door, and looked at me appealingly. "Effendi," he said, "will you send me back to Murad Nassyr, as the steward says you mean to do?"

"Yes, for I am going into the Sudan."

"I cannot return; it goes to my heart to part with you. You are a wise man, and know the hidden secrets of all things, but you need a servant; let me be he, for I will not return to Cairo."

"But your fierce courage will get me into trouble; besides, I already have a servant."

"Ben Nil? What use is that young man? He has fought no battles, and won no victories. Effendi, my heart cleaves to you; take me with you!"

There were actually tears in the eyes of this extraordinary being, and though I had been tried almost past endurance by his stupidity and boasting, I had not the heart to refuse him. So I promised to let him go with me, and sent him on his way rejoicing with a joy I could hardly share; yet he was an honest, kind-hearted, and, as this proved, an affectionate old gas-bag!

All my little preparations were made by night, and I was to start, early in the morning. Just after evening prayer, as the Master of Horse, the big steward and I were smoking our farewell pipe, a small train of camels came swinging down the narrow street, and as they drew near

to the palace we saw that the rider of the foremost animal was the lieutenant of the Reis Effendina.

I was glad again to see this young officer, who had done all he could to make my trip to Siout on the "Falcon" pleasant. He greeted me most cordially, and immediately asked for a room in which he could see me alone. Having been shown to one, and made sure no one could overhear us, he said: "Effendi, the Reis Effendina has certain information that a caravan of slave-women is now on its way across the desert. The tribe of Fessarah Arabs were keeping a festival not many weeks ago. All the men had gone to Oschebel Modjaf, and the women were left at home. When the men returned the old women and children lay dead among the ruins of their homes, and the young women and girls had been carried away to slavery."

"Horrible!" I exclaimed. "I have heard that the Fessarah women are famous for their beauty. Has no trace of them been found?"

"No; yet the Reis Effendina is convinced that the caravan which he knows is now crossing the desert is theirs. He had commissioned me to capture it, and send the women back to their homes. But he bade me seek you out and beg you to help me in this task, feeling sure it will thus succeed. If you consent, you are to hold superior rank to mine, and I will obey you in all things. On my own part, I beg you not to refuse, Effendi, for I would gladly avail myself of the pleasure of your companionship, and the benefit of your wisdom, courage, and strength."

This was a wonderful invitation from the officer of the Viceroy to a young Christian traveler, and far too tempting to my love of adventure to be refused. After brief consideration, I held out my hand and said as I rose: "I accept with pleasure, and due appreciation of the compliment.

We will rescue these women, and I am ready to ride with you at any moment."

"Good! The Reis Effendina has sent you the finest camel in his possession," said the lieutenant, rising also. "We will start with the sun in the morning."

And thus ended the first of my adventures in Egypt, the land of mystery, and saying farewell to the town for a time, I turned my face toward the outstretched desert.

Contents

Introduction