Jack Hildreth on the Nile | Page 8

permission. Listen to me."
He gave me a glance full of the bitterest hatred, folded his arms and said: "I hear you."
"First of all, you shall renounce all right to the Negro children I rescued."
"I renounce it," he said, with a movement of the hand as if it were of no interest to him.
"You will do so in writing, that there shall be no question about it."
"Very well, I will."
"You shall also give me a letter of credit recommending me to the protection of all the brethren of your society, the Kadis."
"I will write it." He answered as promptly as before; so promptly that I mistrusted him.
"And, finally, you shall confess in writing the part you have played here, and acknowledge how you were captured. We will draw this up, and you shall sign it."
"By the life of the Prophet, I never will," he cried.
"Swear not by Mohamed; you cannot keep your oath."
"I will keep it. What would you do with this paper?"
"If you do nothing to injure us, we will show it to no one, but if you should prove treacherous, we will know how to use it. It shall be published abroad, and your piety shall be known in its true aspect."
I had played my highest trump and waited its effect on Abd el Barak. He asked permission to rise, and paced the floor for several minutes. At last he paused before me, and asked: "If I do this thing shall we leave here unharmed?"
"Yes."
"And the writing never be shown till you know I have done you an injury?"
"Never."
"By my soul, and the souls of my fathers, you are a man to be feared! The day of your birth was an evil day for me. Write, and I will sign."
Seating myself at a table, I drew up the confession, and then beckoned Abd el Barak to come and sign it. He signed, and handed it back to me with a heavy sigh. "So then we are through. Unbind this man and let us go."
We freed Ghost Number Two, and conducted them to the door, where Selim stood ready to draw the bolt. As Abd el Barak set his foot over the threshold he turned back to us, and, addressing me, said in a derisive tone: "God protect you, God deliver you; I hope to see you again in a short time."
Then with his companion ghost he disappeared.
CHAPTER III.
A BOATLOAD OF SCAMPS.
THE children were now definitely in my hands, and the first steps I had to take was to arrange for their well-being. The only course possible to me, since I meant to push on into Egypt, was to leave the boy and girl in the hands of the kind Sisters of Charity, who, happily, are to be found everywhere. It was not without many tears that the unfortunate little creatures parted from me, whom they regarded as a sort of visible providence, their only friend. But I left them in hands better able than I was to care for them and make them happy, and turned to the preparations for my departure from Cairo, perfectly satisfied that their welfare was assured.
Murad Nassyr engaged passage for me on a "dahabijeh" going up the Nile, called the "Semek," or fish, because of its speed.
"Selim," I said to the long steward, as I made my preparations for sailing; "Selim, while you were left alone with Abd el Barak last night, did you tell him that I should sail on the 'Semek' to-day?"
"No, I did not say a word," he replied.
"Be honest; more depends on it than you think."
He laid both hands on his heart and said, with the greatest appearance of frankness: "Effendi; do not insult my pious soul by thinking I would lie to you. Why should I have chattered? I was born the son of silence, and only such words as are pleasing to Allah and the holy caliphs proceed from my lips. I swear I have not said a word of your going."
"Good," I said, though I felt doubtful still. "When does the 'dahabijeh' start?"
"At three; you know that is the hour of departure for all faithful Moslems."
"And where does she lie? Is there a coffee house near by from which she can be seen?"
"Yes, there is a coffee house near her landing, from which the deck can be easily overlooked. I will show it to you."
"No, that was not what I was thinking of. I hope you have told me the truth, and remember, it is hard for a liar to get confidence a second time."
"Right, most right," he said, bowing so low that the brim of his turban swept the floor as he left the room.
Murad Nassyr conducted me to the "dahabijeh" with much ceremony. He thought there would be no more trouble with Abdel Barak, because