I did not know of this bargain being concluded, when I was one day struck all at once with surprise and joy. I had returned with my master from giving the camels drink (for the third time in three months), and his wife had ordered me to go and carry into the neighbouring tent a leathern bucket which she had borrowed. Sidy Sellem, whom I have just mentioned, was there; he called me, and ordered me to prepare to go with him the next day to Mogador. I had been so often flattered with this hope, and had so often been disappointed in my expectation, that I could not persuade myself that what he said was truth. However, some persons who heard what the Arab said to me, assured me that it was no deception. The old man himself again protested this to me. I threw myself at his feet, I wept, I sobbed, I laughed, I did not know where I was. Alas! who can estimate the value of liberty? or form an idea of what I felt, when I understood that my fetters were indeed broken?
My first master called me, and told me I was no longer his property. "I have fulfilled my promise," added he, "you shall again see your native country." I forgot in that moment all my resentment, and gave myself up to unbounded joy. It was no small addition to my satisfaction, when I understood I was to have a companion on the journey. "We are to meet with some others at a little distance," added he. How little did I expect to find the unhappy baker there. I asked at him, when I saw him, by what miracle he had been raised from the dead. "Alas!" he answered me, "I know not how it comes to pass that I am not indeed dead. Sidy Mahammet surprised me one day sucking a she-camel. He ran up to me, gave me several blows, and grasped me so hard by the neck, that I fell down almost lifeless at his feet. I was greatly surprised, on recovering from my trance, to find myself alone. I found my neck was all bloody, and you may see the marks of his nails at this hour. I crept upon my hands into a hole in a rock. The echo frequently caused the voice of my barbarous master to resound in my ears; he had come again a little after in quest of me, or at least to see what was become of me. Not having fallen upon the place where he thought he left me expiring, he called upon me on all sides; but I would not answer him. I had resolved with myself, either to perish with hunger, or to reach the borders of the sea, in hopes of seeing some ship. I arrived at length, after ten days travel, having nothing to support me but snails, and urine for my drink. The sight of a little fishing smack, which had anchored near the land, redoubled my strength. I ran as fast as I could by the water's edge, endeavouring to make them observe me by signs, and to get the captain to send a boat for me. But I had scarcely entered upon the rocks which border on the sea, when I was seized by two young Arabs,[28] who dragged me to some distance from the sea-coast. The fright occasioned by having fallen into their hands, disappointment in having failed in my enterprise, and particularly hunger, had altogether reduced me to such an extremity, that I would certainly have expired, had not they very quickly given me some support. They took very great care of me, and from that day became my masters. I had the charge of keeping their goats, for they have no other flocks, nor any other livelihood but what they procure by means of their fish. They appeared to be a much more pleasant people than those who inhabit the inland part of the country; they are more industrious. About fifteen days afterwards, they informed me they were to conduct me to the Sultan; and if they carried me thither, I believed they would meet with your master at the rendezvous, and inform him that they had arrested me. I much wished, Sir," added he, "that you had been with me, well convinced that you would have been happier, for I found no cause to be displeased with these people. They often spoke to me about you; it appeared that they all had known of you.[29] But at last we have met. What are they to do with us? Are they to conduct us to the Emperor of Morocco?"
[28] The Arabs who dwell along that coast live upon their fish. They are exceedingly poor, but of much milder manners than the inhabitants of the interior parts, by whom they are greatly despised.
[29] The jewels which I had given Sidy Mahammet had made so much noise through all the country, that the travelling Arabs who passed through our districts asked frequently at my companions in misfortune, when they met me—Es Brisson?
After having heard the baker's history, I answered his inquiries to this purpose, that we were to set out to Morocco, but that we had a very long journey to make. "We have much to suffer," added I, "as we must follow the track of the camels; I know not, besides, on what we are to subsist, for we have no she-camels, and of consequence can have no milk. I am persuaded we will be obliged to beg our way from village to village, which will greatly retard our journey."
The next day the inhabitants of the tribe of Trarge assembled around Sidy Sellem, and made a long prayer; after which they brought both to him and us a kettle full of broth, prepared with meal of a wild grain, of which I believe I had formerly heard them speak. They added to this mess a large portion of milk, and their best wishes for a good journey to us.
Sidy Mahammet bade me a very affecting adieu. "Adieu, Brisson," said he to me, "you are about to undertake a very long and troublesome journey. You may easily conceive what reasons I have to fear the exposing myself to it. I wish you may have a safe journey, and that your sea-voyage may be more fortunate than the last; adieu, forget not to send a piece of scarlet cloth to my wife. You will give it in charge to Sidy Sellem. Adieu, my friend Brisson." The tears which accompanied these last words would certainly have imposed upon me, if I had not known how capable he was to deceive. However, the pleasure I felt in getting away from him, enabled me to express some gratitude. I engaged to send what he wanted for his wife. He assisted me in mounting a stout camel which was appointed for me and the baker, but we were obliged to leave it a few days after; we were not the only persons who did so. These animals not finding pasturage, were not in a condition to continue the journey; besides, the camels in this country are not able to endure so much fatigue. On the other hand, we were not able to keep our seats very long, as they had no saddles. We were therefore obliged to walk on foot the rest of our journey. Judge what I suffered, when the sand penetrated into the wounds of my feet, and when the thistles opened these wounds again afresh. I frequently fell down without expecting I would be able to rise again. At the same time I had frequently to turn, sometimes to the right, and sometimes to the left, to reassemble the camels which fell behind; and we were often obliged to make counter marches to avoid these hordes of Arabs, whom we had reason to fear might pursue us.
One day,—Alas! the recollection of that unhappy day will long be imprinted on my memory!—we descended into a valley which was covered with verdure by the rains which had lately fallen. My master therefore made a halt here, in order that the famished camels might get a little nourishment. He ascended to an eminence, upon a high mountain which surrounded part of the valley. He sat down a little there, while his own beast and the other camels should feed, as he meant to carry them to the city and sell them. I passed on before him to reach the summit of the mountain, supposing that to be the road which we were to follow. What confirmed me in my opinion was, that the old man permitted me to continue my journey, and I also observed the path which I took was a beaten one. At length, having reached the top, I went to a little distance from the road, to shake my long beard, which was constantly filled with vermin, notwithstanding all my care. Having lain near an hour quiet behind a bush, without seeing any of the travellers appear, I returned again to the edge of the hill. My God, what was my astonishment when I could see no person! Where are they? Which way have they gone? What road shall I take? As the hordes which encamped in this neighbourhood came thither to feed their flocks, a great number of different roads met here. I could not think of any other way, than to cry aloud different times on Sidy Sellem. At length I observed at a distance four or five Arabs, who were coming up towards me. I ran to meet them, supposing them to belong to our company. I soon discovered my mistake; a great dog, and one of the stoutest of the barbarians, made up to me at the same time. The Arab aimed a blow at me with the back of the blade of his sabre, which struck me on the head. The others coming up, drew me among the rocks, where they had an asylum, and there prepared to place me in a frightful situation.
See then the hope of recovering my liberty entirely lost! My slavery promised to be harder now than ever. I was absorbed in these reflections, when the assassins conducted me to a declivity, which led to a place, where they expected to hide me from the sight of their companions. Suddenly I observed our flocks, and our little caravan, to the number of twenty persons, in a valley which surrounded the mountains. I luckily escaped out of the hands of my plunderers, and found as much strength, as enabled me to reach to my old man. The vagabonds affrighted, took to their heels.
My master reprimanded me severely, and charged me never to separate from him again. I complained on my part, that he had not stopped me, when he observed that the road which I pursued, was not that which he himself was to take, and by his silence, I supposed I was right; in a word, that he had gone off without calling me back, and that he had not sent any person in search of me. He gave me for answer, that he had not stopped me in the road I had taken, because he intended to follow me immediately; but he had been under the necessity of going after the camels, who had strayed through the valley, eating the green herbs, of which they had been long deprived. "I was preparing to overtake you," said he, "at the very moment, when the sound of your voice reached me, and apprised me both of your danger, and of that to which I would have been exposed in following you. But I durst not risk my camels, nor hazard my own life, to preserve yours; we have, besides, no time to lose; let us escape as quickly as possible, from a place, in which I am in as great danger as yourself." In consequence, we doubled our pace, for the following six hours, and made a cross-march, in order to deceive those who might be disposed to follow us. We eat no food the next and following day, until the evening. I had taken nothing for my support for two days, but a few handfuls of wild succory, which I had gathered in the fatal valley.