Driftwood Spars | Page 8

the kimmish, my brother leapt down

and entering the shop asked questions. Returning and mounting he said
to me: ''Tis as I thought. Hither he came last night, and, saying he was
science-knowing failed B.Sc., demanded certain acids, that, being
mixed, will eat up even gold--which no other acid can digest, nor even
assail....'"
[30] Tracker.
"Aqua Regia, or vitriol, I believe," I murmured, still marvelling ...
Ross-Ellison!
"Doubtless, if your honour is pleased to say so. 'He must have poured
these acids into the bottle while we were abroad last night,' continued
my brother. 'Oh, the dog! The treacherous dreadful dog!... 'Twas in a
good hour that I saved Moussa Isa,' and indeed I too blessed that
Somali, so mysteriously moved by Allah to dash the bottle from my
brother's hand.
"'Think you that Ibrahim Mahmud bribed Moussa and that he repented
as he saw you about to anoint your eyes with the acid?' I asked of my
brother.
"'Nay--Moussa was with me until I returned,' replied he, 'and returning,
I put the bottle beneath my pillow. Besides, Ibrahim had fled ere we
returned to the bungalow. Moreover, Moussa would lose his tongue ere
he would tell me a lie, his eyes ere he would see me suffer, his hand ere
he would take a bribe against me. No--Allah moved his
heart--rewarding me for saving his life at the risk of mine own, when
he lay beneath a lion,--or else it is that the black dog hath the instincts
of a dog and knows when evil threatens what it loves.' And indeed it is
a wonderful thing and true; and Moussa Isa never knew how he knew,
but said his arm moved of itself and that he wondered at himself as he
struck the bottle from his master's hand. And, in time, we left the city
and followed the road and found that Ibrahim was fleeing to Mekran
Kot, doubtless to be far away when the thing happened, and also to get
counsel and money from his father and my mother, should suspicion
fall on him and flight be necessary. And anon even untrained eyes
could see where he had left the Caravan Road and taken the shorter

route whereby camels bearing no heavy load could come by steeper
passes and dangerous tracks in shorter time to Mekran Kot, provided
the rider bore water sufficient--for there was no oasis nor well. 'Enough,
Moussa Isa, thou mayest return, I can track the camel of Ibrahim now
that he hath left the road,' quoth my brother, breaking a long silence;
but Moussa Isa, panting as he ran before, replied: 'I come, Mir Saheb. I
shall not fall until mine eyes have beheld thy vengeance--in which
perchance, I may take a part. He called me "Hubshi".'
"'He hath many hours' start, Moussa,' said my brother, 'and his camel is
a good one. He will not halt and sleep for many hours even though he
suppose me dead!'
"'I can run for a day; for a day and a night I can run,' replied the Somali,
'and I can run until the hour of thy vengeance cometh. He called me
"Hubshi"' ... and he ran on.
"Sahib, for the whole of that day he ran beside the fast camel, my
brother drawing rein for no single minute, and when, at dawn, I awoke
from broken slumber in the saddle, Moussa Isa was running yet! And
then we heard the cry of the partridge and knew that our luck was good.
"'He may have left the track,' quoth my brother soon after dawn, 'but I
think he is making for Mekran Kot, to get money and documents and to
escape again ere news of his deed--or the suspicion of him--reaches the
Jam Saheb. We may have missed him, but I could not halt and wait for
daylight. He cannot be far ahead of us now. This camel shall live on
milk and meal and wheaten bread, finest bhoosa[31] and chosen young
green shoots, and buds, and leaves--and he shall have a collar of gold
with golden bells, and reins of silk, and hanging silken tassels, and he
shall----" and then Moussa Isa gave a hoarse scream and pointed to the
sky-line above which rose a wisp of smoke.
[31] Bran.
"'It is he,' said my brother, and within the hour we beheld the little
bush-tent of Ibrahim Mahmud (made with cloths thrown over a bent
bush) and his camel, near to which, his oont-wallah Suleiman Abdulla

had kindled a fire and prepared food. (Later this liar swore that he made
the fire smoke with green twigs to guide the pursuit,--a foolish lie, for
he knew not what Ibrahim had done, nor anything but that his master
hastened.)
"Moussa Isa staggered to where Ibrahim Mahmud lay asleep, looked