CHAPTER II.

A CRY FOR HELP.

The long rays of the setting sun, which almost touched the horizon, were flung across the desert, turning it into dazzling gold, as Mr. Hampton and Ali pushed their camels close to where the three boys had come together. The camels stood with feet spread apart, seemingly asleep. Jack and Bob, who also had drawn close, were bombarding Frank with questions and, almost inarticulate at first, he had just begun to answer when Mr. Hampton and Ali arrived.

In the background crowded the half dozen Arab guards, sensing something amiss.

“A cry for help,” Mr. Hampton heard Frank say. “The Professor was sending out an appeal to us.” Frank looked wildly around at the group. “Great Scott, can’t we do something?” he appealed.

“Calm down, Frank,” said Mr. Hampton. “Tell us about it, and then we can decide what to do.”

Frank nodded as he got a grip on his emotions.

“Well, maybe, I was a little inarticulate,” he said, with a rueful smile. “But, just think. Here I was, bumping along on my camel, and half asleep. I had the headpiece on, the phones to my ears. But I hadn’t any real idea I’d hear anything. What’s there to hear, way out here, away from all the world? The only chance was that Professor Souchard would take a notion to broadcast something for our benefit.

“Then it happened.”

He paused and looked at the others, before swallowing and resuming, with his face still pale.

“Suddenly I heard the Professor’s voice, just as if he were right out there on the desert.”

Frank pointed off into the sunset, and involuntarily, so strong was the impression created by his words, the others stared, too. All, however, in a moment restored their gaze to Frank’s face—that is, all except Ali. He continued to stare through the sun wrinkles about his sharp, dark eyes. He even raised a strong brown hand to shield his eyes from the sun. The others, however, paid him no attention. They had eyes only for Frank.

“Yes, sir,” re-iterated Frank, “it sounded as if the Professor were right out there on the desert. His voice was agonized, he was stammering as if in a frenzy of terror.

“‘If you hear me, my friends, come. This is Souchard. I have run fast to get to this little instrument. It is a raid. I think they are white. I think they are Athensians, and——’”

Dramatically, sensing the breathless interest of his auditors, Frank paused.

“And,” he said slowly, “that was all. No, not really all, for there was a sudden sharp crash that almost broke my ear drums. Then silence.”

He stopped. They continued to gaze at him. Nobody spoke for a long minute. Every face was pale. Every one of Frank’s three white auditors breathed faster. Even the Arab guards, bunched in the background, unable to understand Frank’s rapid narrative in English, still understood something was amiss. Only Ali paid no attention.

“This is terrible, Frank,” said Mr. Hampton, breaking the weighty silence. “You’re sure you could not have been mistaken?”

Frank shrugged his shoulders under the flowing burnoose such as they all wore, finding it more effectual to keep out the heat and wind-whipped sand than any European costume.

“Just as I told you, Mr. Hampton,” he said. “The Professor’s voice might have been coming from no farther than you.”

“Ah, I thought so.”

The interruption came from Ali, whose command of English was fluent. Ali was a cosmopolitan from the teeming streets of Cairo, a man of many languages.

Now he turned to Mr. Hampton, pointing off to the west, straight into the eye of the sinking sun, which now was half below the horizon.

“See,” he said.

Faintly limned against the shining disk of the sun, yet as clear as an etching, could be seen a tracery of lines that might, by active stretch of the imagination, be considered palm trees.

“The Oasis of Aiz-Or,” said Ali.

“What. That close,” cried Mr. Hampton. “Come, perhaps, we can still be in time to help. That cannot be far.”

“Five miles at least,” said Ali. “But we shall hurry.”

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.

Lurching this way and that, clinging for dear life, the boys and Mr. Hampton managed not only to retain their seats, but also to keep up with the others. On galloped the camels, every moment exhorted to further efforts. For a few minutes, while the sun still held, the trees of the oasis outlined against it seemed literally to hurl themselves forward, so rapid was the pace of the approaching party. Then the sun dropped out of sight, literally fell away, and was succeeded at once by darkness.

Still the party kept on without abating its pace, the long legs of the camels eating up the miles at an unbelievably rapid rate. Jack, Bob and Frank had no time for thought. They were wracked in every limb. They felt as if they were being torn apart on a torture machine. Still they clung, while their camels surged forward with the rest.

Then Ali’s voice was raised in a sharp command, and at once the other Arabs repeated certain cries to their camels which slowed them down. The boys had the good sense to realize what was wanted, and they, too, emitted the necessary grunts which seemed to constitute the language of camels.

What was the explanation of this maneuvre? Simply that Ali saw looming ahead the shadowy outlines of the tall feathered palm trees constituting the little oasis, and had no desire to charge blindly without preparation or plan.

Mr. Hampton urged his camel alongside that of Ali, and the boys also approached. Although twenty-five years older than his son, Mr. Hampton had an iron frame inured to fatigue through years of roughing it in the out-of-the-way places of the world. He was less blown as a result of the wild ride than the young fellows.

Long since he had given up any idea of keeping the boys out of danger. All were strong and cool-headed in emergencies, and he had received plenty of evidence during recent years that they could take care of themselves.

Rapidly he outlined what was to be done. Let all dismount, hobble the camels and leave them in charge of two of Ali’s men, and the balance of the party, consisting of Ali, four Arabs, the three boys and himself, nine in all, would advance afoot. In this way, the noise of their approach could be minimized. Besides, so far as four of their number were concerned, they would be better able to render a good account of themselves than if on camel back.

Ali acquiesced, the necessary commands were given, and all caused their camels to kneel while they dismounted. Then two of the number were left adjusting hobbles and guarding the animals, while the others spread out a yard apart, and began to steal forward.