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

"We'll give the poor beasts a breather now," said Jim, dropping to the ground and going to his father's side. "We have put a good ten miles between us and the enemy, and I fancy we can say 'good-bye' to them."

"But there must be no delaying," burst in John Margetson. "Though we have prevented immediate pursuit, there will be other horses in the village, and by now these are tearing in this direction. I advise that when we have waited for some ten minutes we select the best of these animals, and then press them forward. They are fine and wiry beasts, and will make little of the forty miles if ridden fairly. We will loosen the girths, and throw away all but the saddle and bridle, so as to relieve them of any unnecessary weight. Then, by changing from animal to animal, say every half-hour, we shall be able to reach the zareba without more than an occasional halt."

Acting upon his words, the little band at once set about discarding those of the ponies which seemed to be in bad condition. Twenty of the finest were kept, and having been relieved of all forage-bags and other impediments, were driven ahead of the others.

"The tracks will be plain to the enemy," said Jim, looking at the wide trail of trampled grass which the troop had left behind it; "so it will be useless to hide these remaining animals by driving them into a ravine. After all, till someone can escort them back, or the Mullah's men can run as far as this, the horses will be of no service to them. Are we all ready? Then on we go."

Leaving the bulk of the horses panting upon the road, they set off again, and did not draw rein save to change from one animal to another, or to give the beasts a few moments' rest. By evening they were cantering over the sandy stretch of desert, and ere long they were in sight of the oasis where Tom and the remainder of the expedition had been quartered.

"Now what shall we find?" said Jim, coming to a halt, and shading his eyes. "The falling sun makes it difficult to see, but everything seems quiet over there, and I can catch sight of none of the enemy."

"An ominous sign," whispered John Margetson. "What if these fanatics have butchered every one of those who accompanied you from the coast?"

"Then we must act alone and for ourselves," said the colonel.

"There will be no need, my masters," came a voice at their elbows at this moment. "Your servant, Ali Kumar, is used to these desert sunsets, and can see where others are blinded by the glare. A flag flies from the summit of one of those trees, and men are coming out to greet us. They are friends. Yes, our comrades are safe and well."

"Then forward to meet them," cried Jim. "I can place full reliance on what Ali says."

Riding on again, it was not long before the fugitives met Tom and the native followers. Shouts and cries of welcome greeted them, and they were at once escorted back to the zareba.

"And now tell us the news," said Jim quickly. "We have little time to rest, and if the enemy are not near at hand, we shall push ahead at once."

"Then you have nothing to fear," answered Tom, with assurance. "The Mullah's followers have left us, and I have just been able to ascertain that they had had news of the approach of the English forces, and had been withdrawn to repel them. Meanwhile, I am glad to say that we have given an excellent account of ourselves. Thanks to the preparations made, when the enemy advanced we beat them back with ease. Time and again they rushed to the attack, but the barbed wire kept them at a distance, and our rifles mowed them down. How many we accounted for I cannot say, but large numbers were killed. In fact, they soon began to lose heart, and I fancy they were glad when the order suddenly reached them that they were to withdraw. And what of you?"

"That you shall hear later," said Jim. "The order now is to retire. Strike camp at once. Load the beasts, and prepare to march in an hour at most."

So rapidly were the orders carried out, and so eagerly did the natives fly to obey them, that within the time mentioned the whole of the expedition was marching north, en route to the coast. Camels staggered along with tanks of sweet water upon their backs; others carried fresh-cut grass; while the remainder were laden with ammunition and food for the men. Ten days later all arrived at Berbera, where they attracted a great deal of attention. Having rewarded the followers with gifts of camels, and having taken farewell of Tom and of Ali Kumar, Jim, his father, and John Margetson took ship for England, where they arrived in due time.

"Back, and alive!" gasped Mr. George Hubbard, when the colonel and Jim put in an appearance at his house. "It is astounding! I had expected to hear nothing more of you, and your arrival lifts a weight from my heart. How could it be otherwise when the news just comes to hand that a portion of the British expedition was hemmed in a few days ago by the Mullah, and, falling short of ammunition, suffered very heavy losses? However, though this reverse has put a stop to the campaign for a moment, it is certain to be renewed again, and then this Mullah will be crushed. Indeed, the cables have told us that, since the disaster to our own troops, the Abyssinians have come in contact with this host of Somali plunderers and have inflicted severe losses upon them. But sit down and let me have the yarn. Dear, dear! I declare that Jim is as brown as a berry, and looks quite a man."

That the colonel was of the same opinion was evident, for very few days had passed ere he paid a visit to those in authority, and returned with smiling face and a big blue official envelope.

"Open it," he said, handing it to Jim. "It is your commission in my old regiment, given you for the information which you were able to gather in Somaliland. In two months you and I will be on our way to India, there to join our brother officers."

To say that our hero was delighted is to express the matter mildly. He was almost more excited than he had been when planning his father's rescue. From that moment all was bustle, for his uniform and many other things had to be obtained. In due time, however, the two set sail for India, and entered the Suez Canal. At Aden they left the ship for a few hours to find Tom and have a chat with him. As for John Margetson, he soon settled down to the routine of life in charge of a ship. Neither he nor the colonel, however, will ever forget those days when they were in the grip of the Mullah.

THE END