THE PAGAN SPIRIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22094, 27 April 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

THE PAGAN SPIRIT

By H. C. MAYDON

- CHAPTER VI. HOW THE SYNDICATE WAS EARLY WRECKED AND DESTINY INTRODUCES A QUEER CHARACTER But we were fated never to reach ! Adua. '■ The second night up from the Valley of the Mareb, after a short march, we had encamped on a narrow plateau, beset with trees and undergrowth. Wo had climbed so high that it was chilly at night, and after supper round the campfire we were willing enough to seek our respective tents. For some reason unknown I could not sleep that night, and after an hour or two's fruitless rollings and turnings I crept out and crouched over the red-hot embers of our fire. It was ci glorious night with an almost full moon. All about me huge cliffs and pinnacles stood out bathed in soft light, merging into deep shadow. All the world was at rest. Even our camp followers' chatter had at last dwindled to silence. Now and again a mule bit, kicked or squealed, or the far-away voice of a marauding jackal broke the stillness. I sat for: an hour or so considering our plans. We were all agreed that it were best to make for Axum first, after Adua, and' there to try to pick up the trail. To make a friend of one of the big men there and, if possible, to get an introduction or escort to the Ras of Debrochar; but it would be madness to thrust our heads into the lion's mouth without guarantee. Well, we should eee.

Chilly and restless, I had risen to my feet when*! became aware of some disturbance over at the mule lines. I seized my shotgun and bolt of cartridges and hastened over. But on the instant ' pandemonium broke forth. There was a chorus of yells, a scream, and from, the enclosing bush a crowd of naked figures swept over, the camp. There were several shots and the glitter of spears. A group of our muleteers and servants fled past me, yelling, and melted into the scrub and down the hillside.

Then a wave of marauders swept up toward our tents. I yelled for Everard, emptied both barrels of my 12-bore into the brown, and the wave swept over me. I felt a violent stab of pain in my thigh, following by a bang on the head and all was black. When I came to my senses dawn was just breaking and I evidently lay where I had fallen in a patch of low scrub ten yards, from the tents. Dead silence reigned and my heart went numb when I thought of Joan. I stirred a yard or two and my worst fears were realised—the camp had been looted and destroyed and now lay deserted save for three or four dead men. I dared not shout, but in pain a:nd with great difficulty I crept over to the tents had been. Now they lay flat and spear-rent amid a raffle of wreckage. In an agony of mind I peered under the wreck of Joan's tent. Empty—-thank-.-God J->~and- not a • sign,--' Thejr~'J searched the ruin of Everard's and my own/late shelter. Two dead and naked savages lay near by, smashed by shotgun cartridges at point-blank range, but of Everard himself there was no trace. '

Then 1 went carefully through the camp, after a wash up and a long drink at the neighbouring stream. My head was throbbing and aching, but my leg was worse where a jagged spear wound had laid open my thigh. I had bled a good deal and I was very weak, but'l manage to. bandage it after a fashion and the hemorrhage had stopped. In the looted camp was little to help me to unfold the catastrophe. The mules were gone. Most of our kit and equipment werj gone. Store boxes had been broken open and either looted or their contents strewn haphazard. What had not been taken had been smashed or speared wantonly. The bodies of one of our muleteers and of one of our servants lay full of Bpear wounds, while three of the raiders had paid the full penalty. Then, faint and ill and mad with anxiety, I seized a discarded waterbottle and tin of milk and crept up into the bush to rest. Th 9 problem that racked my mind was whether Joan and Frank had escaped or been taken prisoners. Of our enemies, I felt certain from their appearance and nakedness that they were Dankalis and, therefore, probably a raiding party from the Eastern lowlands And then I must have fainted and lain unconscious through the heat of the day. I awoke at sundown feeling very weak and helpless and took a few sips of tinned milk. The looted camp, a quarter-mile away, still lay silent and deserted. There was not a soul to be seen or a sound to hear/ A few vultures hovered and stooped. I would have shouted now. The sight of anyone, friend or foe, would have been welcome, for 1 did not expect to last the night, and I craved for news and company. What had happened to Joan? The uncertainty was maddening. But my voice had dwindled to a husky whisper, and I could barely move. By dark I was feverish and delirious. It must have been about midnight that I came to again, freshened by the night air. I could hear faint noises and voices. I tried vainly to shout. Then there was a rustling, and next moment a ghostly shape leapt upon me and Bongo was licking my face. A voice whispered. " Bongo, Bongo, where are you?" and then, " Why, why it's John B. Oh, John, John, at last I've found you." Joan threw herself down on her knees beside me, and gentle hands lifted my bursting head. " Oh, John, dear, speak—speak. Say you're not badly hurt, John, John!" I managed a whisper. " No, Joan, I'm all right. Thank God you've come." Then 'she burst into a fit of tears, hut nursing my head all the time and crooning over me. In the background stood Fadla Mulla, holding a mule. And thus my senses faded again, but this time my heart was content. When I awoke at dawn I felt a trifle better. They had made me comfortable between them, and I was covered up by a saddle blanket. At my feeble call Joan appeared. She had just been making her toilet by the stream and looked—well—the best thing I have ever seen.

" Please, lie quiet, John. I'm just making your breakfast, while Fadla . Mulla is away looking for a cave or something for us to hide and rest." " But, Joan, please tell me what happened ? How did you escape ? Where is Everard?"

" Oh, he's all right. Probably back • in Adi Ugri by now—gone to get help from the Italians." " Afid he let you come back alone to look for me?" She laughed and flushed. " Well,/ not exactly. He wouldn't come back until he had seen me to eafetv He said it was madness, and just throwing away all our lives. He niust eet me safe to Asmara and get «elp. Then he'd come back at the head

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of an army. So Fadla Mulhi and T gave him the slip and came back to look for you—and lucky we did." " Lucky, indeed, lor me. Thank you, Joan, you're a brick. But you did quite wrong. Now I don't know what on earth we can do, unless Evcrard comes back himself with help." " He can't do that, now. The whole vfdley down there is full of savages. Fadla Mulla and I broke through just in time yesterday evening. We gave Frank the slip about midday when we had been going for hours and were half-way up the Eritrean side. Frank had given us two hours rest. He was dead beat and fell asleep at once. Then Fadla Mulla and I took one of the only two nudes wc had saved and came back."

" And you've been going all that time?"

" Oh, me? I'm as strong as a horse, and I had a good sleep when we found you."

" Joan, how can 1 thank you?" " Don't try. It's Fadla Mulla and Bongo you have to thank. Fadla Mulla guided me back, and Bongo smelt you out. And now, John 8., shut up and rest, while I bring you your breakfast."

" One question, Joan, only one. Howdid you escape that night?" " Oh, your shouts or the shooting ,vroke us. Frank and I rushed out together. He seized me in his arms at once, and rushed off int.o the bush. He's very strong," she added ruefully. " There we met Fadla Mulla with two saddled mules, though how he got away with them I've never asked. Well, anyhow, Frank would not wait for anything but immediately hustled us back toward Eritrea. We picked up some of the servants, but we couldn't save any of the kit. Directly 1 suggested to Fadla Mulla that wo should come back to look for you, he agreed at once. He has a great scorn of the Habislies." "But these weren't Habishes, Joan." " Oh, weren't they? W 7 ho were they, then?"

" Dankalis, I think. Probably a raiding party."

" Well, I don't see that it matters much. Nasty people, anyhow. And now, will you kindly rest?" She bustled off. Soon she reappeared bearing some eggy mess and a precious cup of tea. " JJow did you manage this, Joan?" My wave included the breakfast. " Oh, scratching about the ruins. But our larder won't last long 1 fear. Plenty of tinned milk. A little tea in an old tin, three eggs, a little native flour and the contents of our lunch haversack, which the raiders missed in the confusion. You must buck up and get well or we shall be in a fix. It's lucky it was too cold to undress that night, or we should still be in our pyjamas." After breakfast, which we shared, Fadla Mulla turned up. He had found a cave well hidden in the bush, less than half a mile away. There was water near by, and we must remain hidden until I'was fit to travel. The raiders in the • valley _ might have disappeared by then.

But my leg refused to heal quickly By nightfall I was delirious again.

Of the next two or three days I have but the haziest recollections. Of what happened I only know that each time that I woke there was a ministering hand to comfort me and to offer a cooling draught of milk and water. When I began to sit up and take notice I found that I was not the only invalid. Poor old Fadla Mulla had gone down with fever and rolled and groaned in the far corner. Joan had two crocks fco nurse; "

" Ah, that's better, John," said Joan's cheerful voice. I've been very worried, but now we'll have you fit and well in no time."

" How long has Fadla Mulla been sick, Joan?" " Oh, two or three days. You're a nice pair." " But how on earth have you managed? What about food?" "Oh, I told you there was plenty of milk, and that's all you two have been fit for. As for me and Bongo we've been keeping our hand in with the wily francolin.: It's a good job you saved your shot-gun and belt of cartridges. I'm very expert now. Bongo trees the birds and 1 never shoot till I can get one for certain, and very often two or three with one shot. I've only used seven cartridges, so we've twenty left. Enough for ages." And so slie chattered on, as pleased as Punch with herself and the world in general, while I lay and marvelled. Here wqs a civilised English girl, who had never been out of England before in her life, taking charge and running things as well or better than old hands like Everard and myself could ever have done. And no grousing either She seemed to enjoy it.

I lay and watched her. And then anxieties began to creep in. How were we going to get back? Why hadn't Everard turned up? Was the valley still full of Dankli raiders? If so, how was it we hadn't been discovered. Where were our mules? Was it safe for Joan to make fires, and, worse still, to g.i wandering about shooting for the pot? Worst of all was the feeling of helplessness. We could do nothing. We must keep together. How long would it be before Fadla Mulla and I were fit to travel? I would have sent Joan off by herself —but that was madness— beside, would she go? and I laughed to myself. " Well, John 8., what's the .joke?" said .Joan, who had just returned from ministering to Fadla Mulla. " Well, if you want the honest truth, you arc. One of the (iucst I've ever struck." " Is that meant to lie ;i compliment. John B.?" " More. Much more. You make me laugh with sheer amazement."' Oh. thanks. That sounds flattering." " No, bar rotting. 1 think you're wonderful."

" Oli, if von must talk nonsense, I'm going." But she didn't go, and once more we discussed our plans. For the umpteenth time we reviewed the situation and wondered what, had happened to poor old Georges. Neither Joan nor I had seen him since he said good-night before the raid. I'm afraid we had rather forgotten him, but now conscience pricked us, for we liked the old man. We felt hopeful that he had escaped unhurt, but whether he had been taken prisoner by the Dankalis or had escaped iwith the escort, we had no idea. As to the escort they had nroved about as valuable and as formidable as they had fooled. The only doubt was whether they had not been in league with the raiders. Joan said that in Iter prowls she had thoroughly investigated the valley below ns with her field glasses (another salvage of the wreck) and that it was still full of Dankalis. To go on ahead up the ravine wall toward Adua sounded the most hopeful plan, only we had 110 wish to trust ourselves to •the Habishes wihout kit. escort or passport. Everard should have our only passport in his pocket. No, for choice, we would rather break back across the Mareb and rejoin Kverard inside Italian territory

And thus it was decided that as soon as we invalids were fit to travel we would try and work along the cliffs a few miles parallel with the river bed, and then drop down to it and try and find a way up the other side. Joan thought the raiders were probably only watching the main thoroughfare. For nearly a week longer we lingered in the Cave Camp, while liny log slowly healed and Fadla Mulla recovered his strength.