Gerald Breckenridge

“ Man after man disappeared without opposition, passing across the fallen and vanishing into the pass beyond the bend. Then for some time the sound of firing continued, growing ever more distant, until it no longer came back to those below.
Once more stillness descended in the hot desert and the narrow pass, now lying in shadow as the sun wheeled to the west and the steep western wall of rock cut off its rays. Only the horses, the Arabs on camel back circling slowly about them, Captain Amanassar, Jepthah and Mr. Hampton, three tiny figures afoot at the base of the pass, and the dead, remained. ”

“ Here was their first permanent settlement, and Korakum was a flourishing capital before we dreamed of entering Egypt. History?” said he. “Wait until the world receives the translations of the stories in the Library of Athensi. It is the history of the world before the Flood submerged Atlantis, giving rise to all the legendary stories of the Flood which persist in the literature of all people. It is the history of a mightier civilization, extending farther back into the years, than your wildest dreamers ever conjured out of their imaginations.” ”

“ As Bob rode along on camel-back in the lee of the sand dunes, there was never a thought of danger in his mind. The Sahara is not like the great grassy steppes of Siberia or the plains of western America, which are flat and level as a table top and across which one can see for miles in every direction. On the contrary, this great African desert is filled with shifting sand dunes, low hills of sand, which are whipped away when the strong winds blow and change their position, piling up in new drifts. ”

“ Hampton and Ali, when the ringing sound of horses’ hoofs, echoing between high walls, announced the near approach of a considerable body of horsemen.
Then around the next bend above them came the leaders of the troop, riding four abreast, with loose rein, and followed by rank on rank, until a full hundred men appeared. In the lead rode the captain on a splendid black horse, not large, but beautifully built, a perfect thoroughbred. This captain was a young man, still in his thirties, beardless, bronzed, with the same hawklike nose of Amrath. ”

“ It was of stone, oval in shape, and in it were held the annual Sacrificial Games.
“Under those tiers of seats are the gladiators’ quarters,” explained Amrath, dabbing at the map with a forefinger.
“Then to get Bob, we’ve got to alight in the Coliseum?” asked Jack, drawing in a long breath as he realized the difficulties. “Whew.”
Mr. Hampton’s face was grave. Should he give his consent to such a procedure? Would it not be merely to throw away the lives of whoever made the attempt without effecting the rescue of Bob? It began to appear so. ”

“ Although Roy Stone had assured him in advance that the gas was not fatal in its effects, the spectacle caused Frank to experience a sickish feeling. How terrible it was, he thought, that men should thus be struck down in masses. Even the fact that the Janissaries were atrociously brutal, and richly deserved the worst of fates, was no comfort.
Abruptly, he turned and started to mount into the air, heading for the desert. As they passed high above the barricade, Amrath through his glasses could see the defenders busied closing the breach and preparing for a last desperate stand. ”

“ Ali gave a quick nod, more eloquent than words, said something in Arabic to his four companions, whose eyes gleamed with satisfaction at the prospect of a fight, and without more ado the five set out in pursuit of the revolutionists.
Only Jack, Mr. Hampton and Jepthah were left in the little grove. Even the camels were missing, having been taken to the valley of Korakum to graze. Hardly had the last Arab disappeared up the Great Road than the clatter of hoofs was heard approaching, and a man on horseback dashed by making for the desert at a break-neck pace. ”

“ Turning, he addressed the Arabs in their own tongue. On each face came a gleam of determination. These were men who could be depended upon, men, moreover, not only ready but eager, in all likelihood, for a fight.
Those whose only knowledge of camels has been gleaned from circus or zoo cannot appreciate the speed of which these desert travellers are capable under urging. A clatter of grunts, punches and camel cries succeeded Ali’s command to his men, and then the caravan was under way. ”

“ Thus, as the young Athensian was hurled from his saddle by the force of the blow, Bob was dragged along. He fell on top of his victim, knocking all the fight out of him. The other lay still and inert.
65
A bit dazed himself, but with his wits still about him, Bob scrambled to his feet as the frightened horse of the Athensian leader dashed wildly into a rider approaching from the left. In a twinkling there was a pretty mix-up of horsemen, shouts and shrill screams. But in his primary object, which was to possess himself of the leader’s rifle, Bob had failed. ”

“ Rank on rank this troop rode past the plateau without conversation in the ranks, each man sitting easily in the saddle, grim faced or thoughtful. On every face was a look of fine intelligence, and quite evidently the force was composed of superior men.
123
Jack and Frank were in a daze, lying with eyes glued to the strange sight, unable to puzzle out the meaning. Was this a troop of Athensian cavalry? Then why the ragged dress of the riders? As for Mr. Hampton, he, too, wondered, recalling that Amrath had said the common people of Athensi were steeped in ignorance. ”

“ On arrival, so gradually did the great stone road rise out of the sand and pierce the mountain pass, with bare steep walls on either side, devoid of verdure, that Mr. Hampton believed it was safe enough to push ahead. On those great rocky slopes, where the levelling process of Nature had been assisted by man in that dim age when the road first was built, by no possibility could men lie hidden. At this point they could neither ambush nor be ambushed.
Before proceeding, however, the sand was inspected by Arabs afoot for any signs that would indicate the recent entrance of horsemen into the pass. ”

“ Bob is worth dying for,” added Ali. “Every man loves him. If there is a fight and they die, well, you know, sir, Paradise awaits the Arab who falls in battle.”
Mr. Hampton nodded, unable to trust himself to speak for a moment, as he thought of Bob and the devotion of these Arabs to him. Then when he found his voice he added huskily:
“If any man dies, I’ll provide for his family, Ali, if he has a family. And to all I’ll give double wages for the entire trip should we get safely back to civilization. ”

“ Jack stubbornly objected, “yet it does seem nothing short of miraculous that a city such as Athensi should exist unknown to the rest of the world.”
“Well, but, Jack,” interrupted Bob, while Mr. Hampton approvingly nodded, “look at Llassa, the Secret City of Thibet. Only one white man has ever penetrated it and lived to tell the tale. And that is in the heart of Asia, the oldest continent known to civilization, while here is Athensi in the heart of a continent which is still in many parts unexplored.” ”

“ He will not go in alone. Akmet,” said Ali, in a tone of scorn, “does not fear to find men, but he is afraid of spirits. He wants the Master to accompany him because he is a great wizard.”
In the darkness, unseen by Ali, Mr. Hampton smiled. This child-like fear of djinn or spirits he had noted among the men on other occasions. Early in their association, whiling away hours in camp as they crossed the Great Desert toward the oasis, he had performed some intricate tricks of magic which had made a great impression on the men. ”

“ Except for the gray shape of an occasional jackal scuttling off through the bush into his sand burrow, or a herd of ostrich seen at a distance, nothing alive appeared in that vast waste of sand dunes and stunted bush. No trees broke the horizon, once the oasis of Aiz-Or had been left behind. ”

“ No matter what turn the adventure should take, they were firmly determined not to leave the desert alive without Bob. Each felt in his heart that he would never dare face life if he deserted their comrade in his hour of peril. Despite his more buoyant spirits, Jack realized the difficulties of effecting a rescue should Bob ever get inside Athensi as well as did Frank. ”

“ I am an exile from Athensi, monsieur. How I come to speak French is easily explained. I am of the priest clan, and our young men for ages have been sent into the outside world for a certain period of study. Always this has been so. We made our way into Egypt under the Pharaohs. When Carthage rose, we were represented there. At the height of Rome’s power, our young men were at her court, learning the secrets of her civilization and power. Through each succeeding age, we have gone out across the desert and entered the halls of learning of the dominant races of civilization. ”

“ As they leaped to obey, he ordered Ali to summon the Arabs. The men who already had received from Ali a brief account of what had occurred on the ostrich hunt, quickly assembled. Their swarthy determined faces formed a group at which Mr. Hampton looked with approval. Picked men all, he could not ask for better support at his back. Nevertheless, he felt it was only fair that they should be appraised fully of the dangers attendant upon the proposed expedition, and should be allowed to exercise their own choice as to whether to accompany him or not. ”

“ So, too, would be the Janissaries of the priest clan. Yet these men, stern and grim-faced all, looking like fighters, yet also had an appearance of great intelligence which he could not reconcile with his preconceived opinion of what the soldiers would be like.
Bathed in the sunlight which fell into the canyon from almost directly overhead, so that the windless air was close and languid, the troop passed quickly, and the last rank came in sight. ”

“ Then we return after a certain time, not to give the benefit of our acquired knowledge to our people, who are steeped in ignorance, being little better than the Kabyles of Northern Africa, who, as monsieur doubtless knows, are a semi-savage white race living in the mountain. No, we exercise this knowledge to retain our power. Some day there will come a revolution. I was one of those not contented with this abuse of power. I felt our country should be developed, and opened to civilization, surrounded though it is on every side by the desert. For this, I was an exile to Korakum. ”

“ As the light of the torches fell through the massive bars of the great door set in the solid stone of the wall, and penetrated the interior of the single great room where all the alien gladiators were quartered and where Bob, too, had lived, the poor fellows crowded forward. ”

“ For the great bird which Ali had been pursuing had turned in wild fury and was dashing headlong for the fallen man, literally skimming the earth, seeming to touch it only at long intervals. Jack knew the ostrich cannot use its wings to fly, and employs them only to aid to pivot and make sharp turnings or to bring its body to a sudden halt. ”

“ Outside of our own country, the existence of which is not even suspected by the great mass of humanity, although a few savants like Professor Souchard and a few adventurers and slave traders have some knowledge of it, what portions of all this vast continent retain their freedom today? Egypt? Morocco? Algiers? Tunis? Tripoli? All ruled by interlopers. South Africa, Central Africa, the West Coast, the East Coast, all are subservient to one or other of the Powers. Only Abyssinia of the ancient states retains its independence. ”

“ Truly, he thought, gazing out through the trees of the oasis across the vast reaches of the desert toward the mountains on the far northern horizon, truly, they were well named the mountains of Satan.
Had he had any premonition of the reception with which they would meet at the hands of the Athensians, Mr. Hampton never would have financed nor launched the expedition. But he realized the futility of vain regrets. Now was not the time to devote to such thoughts. One thing must be done, one thing alone, and done at once; that was, to start swift pursuit for the purpose of rescuing Bob. ”

“ All will be eager to have your aid, and equally eager to aid your son if possible. We heartily detest the holding of the Sacrificial Games, which is a part of the detestable religious practices kept alive by the Oligarchs. Come, then, at once. Leave your equipment here.”
“Quick, Jack,” cried Frank.
His comrade nodded. They were first of the troop to mount, and soon were flying down the Great Road with the four Athensians, their camels moving at a pace that astonished the horsemen. Not far behind them came Mr. Hampton, Ali and the Arabs. ”

“ I thought the only ones left in Africa were the domesticated ones on South African farms.”
Ali smiled.
“They run wild in the waste places and on the desert,” he said.
“Great Scott,” cried Bob, in high excitement, a sudden thought striking him. “Can’t we break the monotony by having an ostrich hunt? Even if we don’t catch any, it’ll be fun.”
“To hunt those birds we should have horses,” said Ali, dubiously. “They run very swift. With horses, the hunters pursue them in a great circle, relays of horsemen relieving the tired ones.” ”

“ Hampton had said, “Besides,” added Shilluk, “this is my brother, Shedrach”—pointing to the fourth. “We be all true men. What sayeth Amrath?”
“Come forth that we may see you,” said Amonasis. “Be not afraid.”
“What of the others who have gone before?” asked Mr. Hampton, with difficulty mastering all this Athensian.
“They be true men, too,” said Jepthah, in a tone of satisfaction. “Amrath should have been with us these last two days. There was a great hunting out of spies and informers in Korakum. Now all are hanged.” ”