Blue Lights: Hot Work in the Soudan

by R. M. Ballantyne

  CHAPTER NINE.

  OUR HERO MEETS A FRIEND UNEXPECTEDLY IN PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND HASA VERY STRANGE ENCOUNTER.

  Miles Milton's first experience in Alexandria was rather curious, and,like most surprising things, quite unlooked for.

  The troops were not permitted to land immediately on arrival, but ofcourse no such prohibition lay on the passengers, who went offimmediately. In the hurry of doing so, the clergyman and his familymissed saying good-bye to Miles, who happened to be on duty in someremote part of the vessel at the time, and the shore-boat could not bedelayed. This caused Mr and Mrs Drew much regret, but we cannot addthat it caused the same to Miss Drew, because that young lady possessedconsiderable command of feature, and revealed no feeling at all on theoccasion.

  Miles was greatly disappointed when he found that they had gone, butconsoled himself with the hope that he could make use of his first day'sleave to find them out in the town and say good-bye.

  "But why encourage hope?" thought Miles to himself, with bitterness inhis heart; "I'm only a private. Marion will never condescend to thinkof _me_. What have I to offer her except my worthless self?" (you seeMiles was beginning to see through himself faintly.) "Even if my fatherwere a rich man, able to buy me out of the army and leave me a fortune--which he is not--what right have I to expect that a girl like Marionwould risk her happiness with a fellow who has no profession, no meansof subsistence, and who has left home without money and without leave?Bah! Miles, you are about the greatest goose that ever put on a redcoat!"

  He was getting on, you see! If he had put "sinner" for "goose," hisshot would have been nearer the mark; as it was, all things considered,it was not a miss. He smarted considerably under the self-condemnation.If a comrade had said as much he would have resented it hotly, but aman is wonderfully lenient to himself!

  Under the impulse of these feelings he sought and obtained leave to gointo the town. He wished to see how the new Soldiers' Institute beingset up there was getting along. He had promised Miss Robinson to pay ita visit. That was his plea. He did not feel called upon to inform hisofficer of his intention to visit the Drews! That was quite a privatematter--yet it was the main matter; for, on landing, instead ofinquiring for the spot where the new Institute was being erected, hebegan a search among the various hotels where English visitors were wontto put up. The search was successful. He found the hotel, but thefamily had gone out, he was told, and were not expected back tillevening.

  Disappointment, of course, was the result; but he would wait. It isamazing what an amount of patience even impatient men will exercise whenunder the influence of hope! There was plenty of time to run down andsee the Institute, but he might miss his friends if they should chanceto come in and go out again during his absence. What should he do?

  "Bother the Institute!" he muttered to himself. "It's only bricks an'mortar after all, and I don't know a soul there."

  He was wrong on both of these points, as we shall see.

  "What's the use of my going?" he murmured, after a reflective pause.

  "You promised the ladies of the Portsmouth Institute that you'd go tosee it, and report progress," said that extraordinary Something insideof him, which had a most uncomfortable way of starting up and whisperingwhen least expected to do so.

  "And," added Something, "every gentleman should keep his word."

  "True," replied Miles, almost angrily, though inaudibly; "but I'm _not_a gentleman, I'm only a private!"

  "Goose!" retorted that pertinacious Something; "is not every private agentleman who acts like one? And is not every gentleman a blackguardwho behaves as such?"

  Miles was silenced. He gave in, and went off at once to visit theInstitute.

  As he walked down the long straight street leading to the Grand Square,which had been almost destroyed by the bombardment, he passed numerousdirty drinking-shops, and wondered that English soldiers wouldcondescend to enter such disgusting places. He was but a young soldier,and had yet to learn that, to men who have been fairly overcome by thepower of the fiend Strong Drink, no place is too disgusting, and noaction too mean, so that it but leads to the gratification of theirintolerable craving. It is said that in two streets only there were 500of these disreputable drinking-shops.

  All sorts and conditions of men passed him as he went along: Turks,Greeks, Arabs, Negroes, Frenchmen, Italians, and Englishmen, the gaycolours of whose picturesque costumes lent additional brilliancy to thesunny scene. The sight of the dark-skinned men and veiled women of theArab quarter did more, however, than anything else to convince our herothat he had at last really reached the "East"--the land of the ancientPharaohs, the Pyramids, the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, and ofmodern contention!

  Presently he came upon the piece of waste ground which had been chosenas the site of the new Institute. It was covered with the ruins--shattered cement, glass, tiles, and general wreckage--of the buildingsthat had stood there before the bombardment, and on three sides it wassurrounded by heaps of stones, shattered walls, and rubbish, some acresin extent. But the place had the great advantage of being close to theold harbour, not far from the spot where ancient Alexandria stood, andwas open to the fresh, cooling breezes that came in from the sea.

  Arab workmen were busily employed at the time on the foundations of thebuilding, under the superintendence of an unmistakable andsoldierly-looking Englishman, whose broad back was presented to Miles ashe approached. Turning suddenly round, Mr Tufnell, the manager of thePortsmouth Institute, confronted the visitor with a stern but perspiringvisage, which instantly became illuminated with a beaming smile.

  "What! Tufnell!" exclaimed our hero, in amazement.

  "Ay, Miles; as large as life."

  "Larger than life, if anything," said Miles, grasping the profferedhand, and shaking it warmly. "Why, man, the air of Egypt seems tomagnify you."

  "More likely that the heat of Egypt is making me grow. What are yourubbing your eyes for?"

  "To make sure that they do not deceive," answered Miles. "Did I notleave you behind me at Portsmouth?"

  "So you did, friend; but the voyage in a troop-ship is not the fastestmethod of reaching Egypt. As you see, I've overshot you in the race. Ihave come to put up the new building. But come to my palace here andhave a talk and a cup of coffee. Glad to see that the voyage has agreedwith you."

  They reached the palace to which the manager referred, and found it tobe a cottage of corrugated iron amidst the rubbish.

  "Here," said Tufnell, offering his friend a chair, "I spend all my timeand reign supreme--monarch of all I survey. These are my subjects," headded, pointing to the Arab workmen; "that wilderness of rubbish is mykingdom; and yon heap of iron and stone, is the material out of which wemean to construct our Alexandria Institute. To save time, (the mostvaluable article in the world, if you'll believe me), Miss Robinson, as,perhaps, you may have heard, bought an old iron edifice in London, knownas the Brompton Oratory, and sent it out here--like a convict--atGovernment expense. You see, not only the public, but Government, havenow come to recognise the value of her work for soldiers."

  "And your subjects, the Arabs--are they obedient and loyal?" askedMiles.

  "Pretty well; but they give me some trouble now and then. The otherday, for instance, we had a sad accident, which at one time I fearedwould land us in serious difficulties. It is necessary, you must know,in laying foundations here, to dig through the sand some twelve tofifteen feet till water is reached, and then we lay a solid stonefoundation about nine feet wide. Well, while digging this foundation,the sand fell in on one of the workmen. I off coat at once and set towork with a shovel, shouting to the fellows to help me. Instead ofhelping, they rushed at me in a body to prevent my interfering in thematter. Then they quarrelled among themselves as to the best way ofgetting the man out, and the result was that the poor fellow wassuffocated, though he might easily have been rescued by prompt action.But that was not the end of it! The relations and friends of the
mancame down, made Eastern howling and lamentation over him, and laid hiscorpse at the door of my cottage, holding me responsible for his life,and demanding compensation! And it was not till I had paid a few francsto every brother and cousin and relative belonging to him that theirgrief was appeased and the dead body carried away.

  "Still the matter did not end here, for next day the workmen said theaccident was owing to the omission of a sacrifice at the commencement ofthe work, and they must have a lamb to kill on the ground, or more liveswould certainly be lost. So I bought them a lamb, which they dulykilled, cooked, and ate, after sprinkling its blood on the four cornersof the foundation and on the walls. I had the skin of this lamb dressedand sent home as a curiosity." See note 1.

  "You appear to have pretty rough times of it then, on the whole," saidMiles.

  "I never counted on smooth times," returned Tufnell; "besides, beingused to roughing it, I am always glad to do so in a good cause. Mypalace, as you see, is not a bad one, though small. It is pretty hottoo, as you seem to feel; and they tell me there will be someinteresting variety in my experiences when the rainy season sets in! Iwouldn't mind it so much if I could only be left to sleep in peace atnights. I stay here, you see, night and day, and what wi' the Arabsprowling around, whispering and trying to get in, and the wild dogsmakin' the neighbourhood a place o' public meeting--barking, howling,and quarrelling over their sorrows like human bein's, they don't give memuch rest."

  "I have read of these dogs before," said Miles. "Are they really aswild and dangerous as they get credit for?"

  "If you'd seen the fight I had wi' them the other night you'd have nodoubt on that point. Why, a gang of 'em made a regular attack on me,and if it hadn't been that I was pretty active with my sword-stick,they'd have torn me in bits. Let me advise you never to go out afternightfall without one. Is that one in your hand?"

  "No, it is merely a cane."

  "Well, exchange with me. There's no saying when you may want it."

  Tufnell took a light sword-stick which lay on the table and handed it toMiles, who accepted it laughingly, and without the slightest belief thathe should ever have occasion to use it.

  In chatting about the plans of the building and the prospects ofsuccess, our hero became at last so deeply interested--partly, no doubt,because of his friend's enthusiasm--that he forgot the flight of time,and the evening was advancing before he rose to leave.

  "Now, Tufnell," he said suddenly, "I must be off, I have another call ofimportance to make."

  "What! won't you stop and have a cup of coffee with me?"

  "Impossible. My business is urgent. I want to see friends whom I maynot have the chance of seeing again. Good-night."

  "Good-night, then, and have a care of the dogs, specially afternightfall."

  On returning to the hotel shortly after sunset, Miles came to theconclusion that his love must certainly be "true," for its course wasnot running "smooth." His friends had not yet returned. Mrs Drew hadindeed come back, alone in a cab, but she had "von headik an' vas go tothe bed."

  Waiting about in front of the hotel for an hoar or two proved to be toomuch for our hero's nerves; he therefore made up his mind to exhaust hisnervous system by means of a smart walk. Soon he found himself in alonely place, half-way between the Grand Square and the Ramleh Gate,with a deliciously cool breeze playing on his brow, and a full moonsailing overhead.

  No one was moving about on the road along which he walked. He had itall to himself at first, and the evening would have been quiet as wellas beautiful but for the yelping dogs which had, by that time, come outof their day-dens to search and fight for food and hold their nightlyrevels.

  All round him were the heaps of rubbish caused by bombardment, and theruined houses which war had rendered tenantless, though here and therethe uprising of new buildings proved that the indomitable energy of manwas not to be quelled by war or anything else. A flickering oil-lampplaced here and there at intervals threw a sickly yellow light into darkrecesses which the moonbeams failed to reach. Intermingled with thesewere a few date-palms and bananas. After a time he observed a couple offigures in advance of him--a man and woman--walking slowly in the samedirection.

  Not wishing to have his thoughts disturbed, he pushed on, intending topass the wayfarers. He had got to within a hundred paces of them whenhe became aware of a violent pattering sound behind him. Stopping andlooking back he saw a pack of eight or nine of the wild, half-famisheddogs of the place coming along the road at full gallop. He was quiteaware that they were the savage, masterless creatures which keep closein hiding during the day, and come out at night to search for somethingto devour, but he could not bring himself to believe that any sort ofdog was a dangerous animal. He therefore merely looked at them withinterest as being natives of the place!

  They passed without taking notice of him--as ugly and wolfish a pack asone could wish to see--led by a big fellow like a ragged disreputablecollie. They also passed, with apparent indifference, the wayfarers inadvance, who had stopped to look at them.

  Suddenly, and without a note of warning, the whole pack turned andrushed back, yelling fiercely, towards the man and woman. The latterclung to the left arm of the former, who raised his stick, and broughtit down with such good-will on the skull of the foremost dog that itreeled back with an angry howl. It was not cowed, however, for it cameon again, but the man, instead of striking it, thrust the end of hisstick down its throat and checked it a second time. Still unsubdued,the fierce animal flew at him once more, and would certainly haveovercome him if Miles had not run to the rescue at the first sign ofattack. Coming up quickly, he brought his cane down on the dog's headwith all his might, having quite forgotten the sword in the excitementof the moment! The blow did nothing to the dog, but it shattered thecane, leaving the sword exposed! This was fortunate. A quick thrustsent the dog flying away with yells of pain and fear, followed by allhis companions, who seemed to take their cue entirely from their leader.

  Turning to congratulate the wayfarers on their escape, Miles confrontedMr Drew and his daughter Marion!

  If he had encountered the glare of the great sea-serpent he couldscarcely have been taken more completely aback.

  "My dear young friend," said the clergyman, recovering himself andgrasping the passive hand of the young soldier with enthusiasm, thoughhe could not help smiling at his obvious embarrassment, "you seem tohave been raised up to be our rescuer!"

  "I hope I have been raised up for something even more satisfactory thanthat," thought Miles, but he did not say so! What he did say--in astammering fashion--was to the effect that he hoped he might be calledon to--to--render many more such trifling services--no--he did not quitemean that, but _if_ they should ever again be in danger, he hoped theywould call on him to--to--that is--

  "But I hope sincerely," he added, changing the subject abruptly, "thatyou are not hurt, Miss Drew?"

  "Oh dear no; only a little frightened. But, father, are you sure that_you_ are not hurt?"

  "Quite sure; only a little sprain, I think, or twist in my right ankle.The attack was so sudden, you see, that in the hurry to meet it my footturned over. Give me your arm, my young friend. There; it will be allright in a few minutes. How you tremble, Marion! Your nerves havereceived a greater shock than you imagine, and a lame man is but a poorsupport. Give her your other arm, Mr Miles. You are stout enough tosupport us both."

  Stout enough to support them both! Ay, at that moment Miles felt stoutenough to support the entire world, like Atlas, on his own broadshoulders! With a blush, that the moon generously refused to reveal,Marion laid her hand lightly on the soldier's arm. It was much toolight a touch, and did not distribute with fairness the weight of hisburden, for the old gentleman hung heavily on the other arm. Mr Drewwalked very slowly, and with evident pain, for the twist of the anklehad been much more severe than he at first imagined.

  "You will come in and sup with us," said Mr Drew, on at last reachingthe hotel door.


  "Impossible. I am exceedingly sorry, but my time has almost expired.Indeed, I fear it has expired already, and duty comes before everythingelse. Your daughter taught me that lesson, sir, on board ship!"

  "Oh you hypocrite!" remarked his familiar and plain-spoken internalfriend; "where was this grand sense of duty when you left home in a ragewithout `by your leave' to father or mother?" Miles could make noreply. He had a tendency to silence when this friend spoke, andreturned to barracks in a pensive mood, just in time, as Armstrong said,to save his bacon.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Note 1. This fleece is now, among other curiosities, at the PortsmouthInstitute.