In the grip of the Mullah: A tale of adventure in Somaliland

by F. S. Brereton

  CHAPTER XI

  A MARCH INTO THE DESERT

  "And so you have been behaving like a young hero?" said Tom Dixon, onthe following morning, surveying Jim as he rose from his blanket. "Youwere tired out, so I allowed you to sleep on undisturbed while Ali and Ihad a long chat. Seriously, though, old chap, you have done nobly, andhave again risen high in the estimation of our following. After thisthey will do anything for you, and will be just as keen as you are tobring the expedition to a successful issue. But tell me about the fight.I can only get a garbled account from Ali, who tells me that youdefeated the whole tribe, and caused them enormous loss. But that cannotbe the case. He must have been romancing, though I am bound to confessthat we heard very heavy firing, which might easily have accounted forlarge numbers of killed and wounded."

  "Ali Kumar was quite right," replied Jim quietly. "We did defeat thewhole lot of the tribesmen, and I believe they will only be too glad toleave us alone in the future. You see, it was like this----"

  Then Jim set to work to give his companion the details, leaving out hisown share in the matter, for he was not a boastful lad.

  "And now tell me how things went with you," he continued. "I was so doneup when we got back to the zareba last night that I felt I could notlisten. It was sufficient for me to find that you were safe, and thatyou had lost none of the beasts or baggage."

  "We did not even see an enemy," said Tom with disgust. "Though we kept avery bright look-out, and even on one occasion blazed into the darkness,thinking that the sheik and his men were upon us, not a soul really camenear the place. But we heard the firing from the gorge, and it made mefeel so anxious that I very nearly came up to join you. If it hadn'tbeen that our safety depends to such an extent upon our camels andfood-supply, I should certainly have done so, and you would not haveblamed me, for it is clear that you had a desperate time of it. However,all's well that ends well. And now for our next move. Will you go ahead,or will you retire for a time, till this fight has blown over?"

  "I shall push on without a pause," answered Jim. "You see, news of thisrow is certain to fly to the Mullah's ears, and if we were to retire hewould prevent any attempt in the future, by setting a watch at theravine, and forbidding us to pass through. Then we should have to waittill the troops come this way, and by then anything may have happened tofather. No, I mean to go right on, and my first act will be to ride tothe camp from which these tribesmen came, and order them to give me anynews they may have. Then I shall tell them that they are to keep quietabout their fight with us, or we will punish them on our return. Ofcourse it will be a piece of bounce on my part, but now is the time topractise that sort of thing."

  "You are right not to allow this quarrel to frighten you," answered Tomheartily, "and I think it quite likely that you may get importantinformation from our enemies. Then, too, now is the time to takeadvantage of your victory. While the tribesmen are humbled, you will getmore from them than at any other time, for they will hope to allay youranger by helping you. But we shall never be able to trust them, and fromthis moment our precautions against surprise at night must be doubled."

  Long did Jim and his friend talk the matter over, and then Tom went toone of the bales which was carried upon the back of a camel, and,opening it, produced a bundle of surgical dressings and a fewinstruments. With these and a tin pannikin of cool water he proceeded todress Jim's wound, and ended by placing the arm in a sling.

  "There," he said, when he had finished, "you bore it like a Briton, andwill soon be well. Luckily it is only a flesh-wound. Had the slug struckthe bone on its way through, it might have been a case of amputation,and then where would have been your expedition? And now, if you feelcapable of the exertion, we shall break up the camp and get through thepass. Best do it now, before the sheik and his following pluck up theircourage again."

  Accordingly, the zareba was soon astir, and the men bustling about theiranimals. Then, with a dozen of the best shots riding well in advance,and the remainder hovering in rear and on the flanks, the column set outfor the pass, and went trailing up the steep slope of the hill. In duetime they entered the ravine. Here they found but few traces of theconflict, for the tribesmen had taken advantage of the permissionextended to them, and had removed their dead.

  An hour later they were in the plain, and that night they halted at somewells distant about ten miles. Here Ali Kumar came to Jim to announcethat a messenger wished to have speech with him.

  "He comes from the tribe who suffered defeat at our hands," he said,"and has news of importance."

  "Bring him along, then," said Jim, "and tell off a man to keep an eyeupon him. He might become unpleasant."

  A few moments later Ali ushered forward a native, whose head-gearproclaimed him to be one of the tribe who had received such a defeat onthe previous evening. Coming up to Jim, he salaamed deeply and mosthumbly, and even trembled, so great was his fear.

  "What do you want?" asked Jim sharply, Tom interpreting his words. "Haveyou been told to ask for mercy from us?"

  "That is the case," answered the man. "The sheik bade me come hither andsay that he regrets deeply that his men attacked you, and that theywould never have done so had it not been for the words of one who was inyour service, and who has now fled. He asks for forgiveness, and willpromise never to molest you again."

  "That is not enough," replied Jim sternly. "Why should we not march onhis camp and loot it?"

  "We are in your hands," the man said trembling; "but if you willoverlook our fault, we shall give you news which will help you."

  "What is it, then?"

  "The man who betrayed you told us that you were in search of a whiteprisoner of the Mullah's. I am charged to tell you that he is now somethirty miles to the south of the Hoad, and that if you press through,you may rescue him, for many of the fighting men are away."

  "Can we trust the fellow?" asked Jim doubtfully, turning to Tom."Perhaps it is a trap, into which they hope we shall walk blindly."

  "I hardly think so, old chap. You have given these beggars such alicking that they are in terror of their lives, and I believe they aretelling you the truth. I should instruct him to say to the sheik thatyou will harm him no further at present, but that if you find he hasbeen playing with you, you will punish him on your return."

  "That is good advice, Tom, and I'll leave it to you to speak to him.Then let us talk over the preparations to be made before entering uponthis desert march."

  Accordingly, Tom repeated his words to the tribesman, warning him instern tones that the slightest treachery would be severely punished.

  "Now return to your sheik," he continued, "and be careful that in futureyou remain peaceful, for the British troops will be this way before verylong, and will treat you far more severely than we have done, unless youcan prove that you are friendly."

  With many salaams and repeated thanks, the man withdrew; and then Tomand Jim called Ali Kumar to join them in consultation.

  "The question of water seems to me to be the most important," said Jim,opening the conversation. "How are we to contrive to carry sufficient tolast for one hundred and fifty miles?"

  "We'll ask Ali," replied Tom. "You see, I've never been in this partbefore, and, though I have done a deal of spying in Aden, I've neverjoined in one of these expeditions. This is, in fact, all strange tome."

  "I have crossed the Hoad on several occasions, master," interposed Ali,"and can give you my help. Once beyond the desert, I can do nothing, forI shall then be in strange country. Indeed, no caravan has everpenetrated so far, for the land beyond belongs to the Mullah. As towater, you have tanks with you, which should prove sufficient. But aguard must be set upon their contents, and the allowance for man andbeast strictly dealt out. Again, five days is said to be the shortesttime in which the march can be accomplished, but I think that we shalldo well to press on more hastily. The camels are all in the best ofcondition, and can well stand the fatigue. Then again, the following andbaggage are comparatively small, so that our movements
should becorrespondingly rapid. When we reach the other side, we can rest for atime, while we send out scouts to gather news."

  "Excellent!" exclaimed Jim. "And now, when should we start?"

  "I vote that we march on at once to the very edge of the desert," saidTom. "If we find wells there, we can fill our tanks, and get a goodstart."

  "Bohotle is an advance post held by troops in the pay of the Sirkal,"remarked Ali Kumar, "and it is situated on the fringe of the sandy wastewhich stretches into the interior up to the pasture country ruled overby the Mullah. There is water in plenty there, and also at a spotdirectly before us. I therefore counsel you to keep straight on. Sevenhours' marching will bring you to the place of which I speak, and thenall preparations can be made for the crossing."

  Following the advice given by the native headman, Jim at once gaveorders for the camp to be broken up, and by nightfall had thesatisfaction of finding himself amidst a clump of palms and mimosa,which marked the position of the wells, and from which one looked outdirectly upon a wide-spreading sea of sand, a dreary waste, which wenton and on to the horizon without a break, and without so much as a patchof green to relieve it. And here, as the caravan halted, and the menbegan to make a zareba, Jim had the pleasure of watching the mostgorgeous sunset he had ever seen.

  "It is a wonderful sight," said Tom, as he stood by his side. "It seemsas if these parts, where nature appears to come to a sudden end, weregiven something out of the way to make up for their loss; for the sunrises and falls over the desert with such beautiful effect, that peoplewho have travelled the world over declare it is the finest sight of all.Then, too, mirages are not infrequent, though what is their cause ismore than I can say. But come along. Watching that beautiful sky doesnot relieve one's hunger, and I can tell you I am sharp set."

  Returning to their camp, Jim and his friend were soon seated in front ofa fire of thorn-wood, which blazed and crackled brightly, sending out aheat which was grateful, for the nights at this season of the year weredecidedly cold. A native follower then appeared with a pan and some fat,and ten minutes later Jim was busily frying some juicy slices of meatcut from a deer which Tom had shot during the day. When they werefinished to his satisfaction, Jim removed them to a plate by means of afork, which, with a spoon and a knife, he carried in the form of anordinary pocket-knife, as every sensible campaigner does. Meanwhile Tomhad had the tea in hand, and before many minutes had passed both wereseated at an excellent repast, which they enjoyed all the more for thefact that it was partaken of while squatting upon the bare earth, andfrom dishes and mugs of common enamelled tin.

  "And now for bed," said Jim, two hours later, when Tom had finished hissmoke and they had had a chat. "Let us hope for a fine day, and a goodstart."

  "And luck on the other side, old chap. Good-night. It's my first watch.Turn in now, and I'll wake you in good time."

  Soon the camp was hushed in sleep, save for the crisp, low sound of asandalled foot plodding up and down upon the sand. A few hours later thesentries were relieved, and Jim took his turn, it having been arrangedthat he and Tom, together with Ali Kumar, should help one another tokeep an eye upon their following during the hours of darkness.

  Early on the following day the camp was astir, and an hour later theyset out upon their long and hazardous march. Four days of hot and tiringwork took them in safety to the farther side, where, worn out with theirexertions, they formed a zareba, and called a long halt, to rest bothanimals and men. And now began the most difficult and dangerous part ofJim's undertaking.

  "Thirty miles from here the Mullah and his men are said to be encamped,"he remarked thoughtfully to Tom, as the two stood looking towards theinterior of the fertile country which they had just reached. "I keepwondering whether we should push straight on, or remain where we are. Imean, whether we should post our men at this spot and go forward alone."

  "But surely you will want every follower," cried Tom. "Careful as wehave been to keep our movements a secret, it is almost impossible toexpect that the Mullah will remain for long in ignorance. Then, as soonas he hears of us, out will come his cut-throats to visit us and eat upthe whole convoy, if they are able."

  "Exactly so, Tom, and it is because his men will come, and in largenumbers, too, that I suggest that we should find a spot for ourfollowers, and make a raid into the country alone. If we werediscovered, we should make a bolt for it, and trust to rejoin our campbefore we were caught. On the other hand, suppose we push on in a body.Unless we have the fortune to come upon another spot like the ravine,certain defeat will stare us in the face, for the Mullah has thousandsof men."

  "What a long-headed beggar you are to be sure!" exclaimed Tom, smackinghim heartily upon the back. "You seem to get to the bottom of all thesedifficulties at once, and what you have said is, I feel sure, as wise acourse as we could carry out. But what about a spot in which to make thecamp? It must be a strong one, or it will be useless. Again, it must bewithin reasonable distance, for otherwise we should never reach it."

  "The difficulty is great, but it is not beyond our powers," said a voiceat his elbow, as Ali Kumar joined them. "I have already told you that Ihave once before crossed the Hoad, but that I have never penetrated thecountry beyond. I will now explain for what reason. It happened that I,with my father and my father's tribe, had suffered much at the hands ofsome neighbours of ours, who were far stronger than we were. For yearsthey had harried our flocks, slain our men, and carried off the womenand children. So that at last we decided to migrate and to place thedesert between ourselves and our enemies. Carefully did we make ourpreparations, and then we set out upon the journey. Alas, master, itproved disastrous, for our beasts were in poor condition, and few innumbers. Then fortune was against us, for we stumbled into a storm ofsand, which lasted for a day, and left us well-nigh dead. But westruggled on, hoping for the best. One by one our camels fell by theway, and soon men, too, joined them. At last, to make our troubles morethan we could bear, the beasts, in their mad desire for water, tore openthe sacks of goat-skin in which we carried our precious supply, and letthe contents rush out upon the sand, where it disappeared at once,licked up by the parched land. From that moment all order was lost, andwithin a very few hours we had scattered, some in their madnessreturning, and all wandering from their path, their tongues lolling fromtheir blackened lips, and their limbs staggering beneath them.

  "With three of my comrades I struggled forward till I saw a patch ofgreen before me. At first I thought that it was a mirage, risen to cheatme into hope. But it was real--a glorious sight!--and, together withthose who were with me, I ran towards it. There was water there, master,and food, and when, after resting, we searched the place, we found thatit bore no traces of a camp, and that in all probability none but wildbeasts had ever visited it. Three days later we pushed on to the fertileland of the Mullah, but there my comrades were killed, I alone escaping.In fear and terror I returned to the oasis, and from there Allah helpedme to trudge across the desert and reach that portion of the land whichskirts the sea. My journeying may be of use to you now, master, for thegreen spot of which I speak lies some ten miles only within the Hoad,and it is wide enough to give grazing to all your beasts. Of food youhave enough in store of the kind that is sealed in tins, and thereforecannot fear starvation, while of water there is abundance. Moreover, itoccurs to me that a strong zareba might be made in the heart of thetrees, for there is wood to be had, and do we not carry ample wire withhooks upon it to surround the whole place?"

  "It sounds the very thing," cried Jim excitedly, having listened withgreat interest to all that Ali had to say. "If it is so close to theedge of the Mullah's country, it should prove an excellent base fromwhich to set out on small spying expeditions. Then, if we do as yousuggest, we ought to make it so strong that we could safely retreat toit when things become warm, and even defy the Mullah and his men. Yes,it is a good thing, I am sure, and I vote that we make for it at once."

  Having discussed the matter with Tom--for, though nominally in
charge ofthe expedition, he never neglected to call upon his friend for help--Jimdecided to wait till the following morning, and then to raise the campand search for the oasis of which Ali had spoken. Accordingly, at thefirst sign of dawn, all were afoot and marching to the west, in whichdirection the wells were situated. At length they sighted a grove ofshady trees, and hailed it with a shout of joy. An hour later theirzareba was formed, and Jim and his friend were closely inspecting thesurroundings.

  "It will be even more suitable than I had hoped," said Jim in delight."Look at those trees, and see how they will help us."

  "Yes--er--well, I confess that I cannot follow you," was the puzzledresponse. "We might hide in the trees--perhaps that's what you mean?"

  "Partly, Tom; but I thought that they were placed in just the positionto be of service to us. Look at the outside row. By cutting down a fewwe could have a square formed by the trunks, and giving a large clearingin the centre where the water is. Then we have only to connect the treesby means of barbed wire, and we have a fort into which the Mullah's menwould find it a job to rush. Once our entanglement was completed, wecould rig up some kind of a blockhouse inside, so that we should haveplenty of cover, while as for the camels and horses, they of course musttake their chance, though the long range of our rifles should make itpossible to keep the enemy at a respectful distance, from which theirold muzzle-loaders could not reach us."

  "You're a wonder!" gasped Tom. "It seems to me that you are a bornsoldier."

  "Not a bit of it," was the modest reply. "But, you see, my father wasalways telling me about the fights in which he had taken part. They wereusually against natives, in some part of this continent, and there wasalways a ruse of this sort, some dodge by which he and his men held thelarger numbers of the enemy at bay. That's how it is that I have an eyewhich seems to take in the possibilities of a place, and I put it downto my father and his yarns that I was able to make defence practicableaway back at the ravine. But, seriously, what do you think of thedodge?"

  "It is the best thing you have yet thought out, Jim, and should prove ofenormous advantage to us; for, knowing that we have a haven to retreatto, we shall go about our work of tracking the Mullah far morefearlessly, though I tell you that, in any case, it is going to be arisky game."

  Pacing backwards and forwards amongst the trees, Jim and his companionsoon marked out the site of their fort. Then they called for an axe, andcut a wide slit at the base of each trunk which they had decided was tobe removed, giving orders that the men were to set to at the work on thefollowing morning. That done, they went well beyond the trees, butfinding nothing but a weary sandy waste, and no cover that could be ofthe slightest use to an enemy, they returned to the zareba, and selecteda site close beside the well, and almost in the centre of the squarewhich they had marked off for the fort. On this a rough circle wasdrawn, and calling Ali to his side, Jim gave directions that the trees,when felled on the morrow, were to be dragged there, and arranged to asto form a blockhouse.

  "We want a raised platform," he said, as he walked over the spot oncemore, and deepened the line in the earth by means of his toe. "If we setour fellows to throw up a mound round the edge of this circle, and thenpile the logs there, morticing them roughly together, we shall have afine blockhouse, from which we shall be able to command the surroundingdesert for many yards. I reckon that our rifles carry a good mile, andvery likely even more than that; so that in the daytime we can make itimpossible for the enemy to approach, unless in overwhelming numbers. Ifthey come in a huge army, we shall lie behind our cover and blaze atthem from a position of safety, and as we have been careful to bring alarge store of ammunition, we need have no fears that it will becomesuddenly expended. I should think, too, that a watch-tower of some sortwould be useful."

  "Then why not make one of these trees serve the purpose?" asked Tom,staring aloft at the green top of a palm which overhung the party. "Ithappens to occupy the very centre of your circle, and can easily bepegged so as to make ascent possible."

  "A grand idea!" exclaimed Jim, "and that, too, shall be carried out. Butnow about the camels and ponies. We want a zareba into which we candrive them at night, and in case of attack."

  "Then do the same for them as for ourselves," said Tom. "Look here, oldboy, you ought to take particular pains to keep them well away from thewater, or our supply may be fouled and rendered unfit for ourconsumption. Why not dig out a place for them, throwing the earthremoved into a wall, which will protect them? Then, if you place thezareba over there, a trench from the wells will carry the water to them,so that their wants can be supplied."

  Tom pointed to a spot within thirty yards, where the ground fellslightly, and where numerous big palms grew, offering shade for theanimals.

  "It would be an easy matter to do as suggested," interposed Ali Kumar,interrupting his masters. "I have seen such an arrangement before, andwill see that the trench is dug, and a small wooden gate put at thehead, so that a certain quantity can be allowed to run through at anytime. Otherwise you would have the zareba filled with water, and theanimals would quickly die. As to our being able to do all this, I canpromise that the end of the week shall see the work completed, for themen will have little to do now that we are in camp, and when the beastsare driven out to graze, and sentries posted, the others will have theirhours free, and will devote them to getting the camp into a state ofdefence."

  "And while they are at work we shall make excursions into the Mullah'scountry," remarked Jim. "We'll just wait until the wire is stretched andthe blockhouse begun, for it would not do to have the enemy coming downupon us before we were ready. Then we'll take the best camels and setout. Who knows but that we may have the luck to rescue my father withoutmuch trouble, and in a week we may even be marching for the coast oncemore?"

  He spoke in the most hopeful manner, for the good fortune with whichthey had hitherto met had raised his spirits to the highest, so much sothat complete success seemed even now in sight. But Jim had not yetencountered the terrible Mullah, he whose name was a byword in NorthernAfrica, and whose cruelties and whose cunning were talked about in everypart of the civilized world. Had he had personal experience of him, hisideas would have undergone a change, for this leader of the Somalifanatics was not likely to sit down tamely and submit to the theft of aslave. Why should he indeed, when he openly boasted that he was ready tomeet all the troops which the British Government could bring againsthim? It was out of the question to imagine for a moment that he who hadso recently defeated a British column would dream of allowing this smallexpedition to escape his clutches, if he obtained news of its coming.Why, the guns and ammunition Jim and his following possessed would alonehave been a prize, while the death of all who took part in thisaudacious enterprise would elevate the Mullah still higher in theestimation of the savage tribesmen who lived in these parts. Yes, hadJim been able to see into this matter as clearly as he was able toobserve the strongest position for defence, he might have been lesssanguine, indeed he might have trembled at the thought of all the dangerbefore him. But he was blissfully ignorant, and went on with his plansof rescue, without allowing his mind to dwell unduly upon the prospectof difficulties which might yet have to be encountered. Would hisdetermination have been altered had he known that at that very momentthe Mullah was listening to the tale of a scout who had witnessed themarch of the column on the previous day? We doubt it, for Jim was notthe lad to give in till convinced that he was beaten. But, as it was, heknew nothing, and went on with his preparations with a mind which wasfree from uneasiness.

  "We have all had a hard day," he said, "so I propose we turn in earlyto-night. Then we can be up with the lark, and set to at the work wehave before us."

  Scarcely had day dawned when all were awake, and guards having beenposted to watch the grazing beasts, the remainder took spades and axes,which had been included in the baggage of the column, and, stripping tothe waist, began to cut down the trees which Jim and Tom had marked onthe previous day. Then, while some dragged the l
ogs to the centre,others unrolled the barbed wire, and began to form an entanglement. Atiny doorway was left, so that the garrison could enter at will, but itwas protected inside by a semicircle of the wire, so that should one ofthe enemy happen to rush in, he would still have an impenetrable barrierbefore him.

  When the entanglement was completed to his satisfaction, Jim set the mento work to throw up the platform for the blockhouse, and, beforedarkness fell, saw it completed.

  "And now for a zareba for the animals," he cried gaily, on the followingmorning. "Not till that is done can I leave the camp."

  With Tom beside him to aid him with his advice, he directed the men howto proceed with the work, and, by way of encouraging them, seized aspade himself, and began to delve with all his might. For hours togetherall laboured, but, thanks to the fact that the soil was light and easilyturned, the task proved easier than it might have been. Indeed, bynightfall the animals were safely enclosed, and an entanglement of wiresurrounded them, so that even if the enemy managed to rush up to them,they could not cause them to stampede. A trench had been cut from thewells to this zareba, within which a long trough had been constructed ofmud, so arranged that it could be filled to the brim at the will ofthose who lived in the blockhouse, while the contents would drain slowlyaway and soak into the soil outside. Standing in the centre of theminiature fort which he had caused to be erected, Jim looked about himon that evening with feelings of pride and satisfaction.

  "I never could have thought it possible," he murmured to himself. "Whenwe started from the farther side of the Hoad, it often troubled me tothink what we should do to protect ourselves once we reached theMullah's country, but I never dreamt that we should have the luck tofall in with this oasis. Why, we could live here for a month, or longer,and stand a siege without much fear; for, with these logs to protect us,we ought to be able to keep the plain outside clear of the enemy duringthe daytime, while our animals could graze in the large square of barbedwire which we have made. Then, as soon as they had eaten the grassthere, we could send our fellows out to cut more during the night. Yes,we are in clover here, and can now take measures to rescue father. Tom,I want to ask you a question," he continued to his friend.

  "Well, what is it, old boy?"

  "How about leaving the camp? Will it be sufficient if Ali remains incharge?"

  "I think not," Tom answered with decision. "Now that we are so close tothe Mullah, we must take it for granted that an attack, sooner or later,is inevitable. That being the case, it would be fatal to leave ournatives to themselves, for, if deprived of a leader, they would be likesheep, and would quickly be overcome. I know what you are worryingabout. You want to know who is to stay behind?"

  "That is it," responded Jim. "You see, I have had the best of it up tothis, and it seems unfair to ask you to sit down here while I have allthe excitement and adventure."

  "Not a bit of it!" exclaimed Tom eagerly. "You must remember that thisis your expedition, and that the rescue of your father is of the utmostimportance. If we are successful in that, we shall have obtained plentyof information concerning the Mullah, so that we shall both besatisfied. There! Don't consider me any more, but just act as you thinkbest."

  "I'm glad to know that you think in that way, Tom," answered Jim. "Andnow, as you are agreeable to the arrangement, I will ask you to takecharge of the camp while I go off on a scouting expedition. I propose totake Ali Kumar alone, and to strike at once for the enemy's country."