“Well—yes—they certainly are,” admitted Dick. “But—Hebrews! Where the dickens can they have come from?”
“Goodness knows!” returned Grosvenor; “unless—and by Jove there may be something in the idea—who is to say that they are not one or more of the lost tribes—eh, what?”
“Well, of course they may be,” agreed Dick. “That is rather a brilliant idea of yours, old chap, and may be worth following up—if they give us the chance. But not just now; there are more pressing matters claiming our attention at this moment—these bonds of ours, for instance. I don’t know how yours are, but mine have been drawn quite unnecessarily tight; my fingers already feel as though they are about to burst. Do you think you could make that fellow understand that there is no need at all to bind us, and that if he will release us we ask nothing better than to accompany him whithersoever he may be pleased to take us?”
“Yes, I think I can,” replied Grosvenor. “At all events I’ll try; my lashings are quite as uncomfortable as yours can be, I fancy.”
And forthwith he shouted to the officer a lengthy if somewhat halting communication in the best Hebrew at his command, the result being that, after a long colloquy, the amazed officer, after considerable hesitation, somewhat reluctantly gave the order for the prisoners’ bonds to be loosed, after cautioning them that the slightest sign of any attempt at escape would result in the instant death of the entire party. Then, having scored one success, Grosvenor attempted another by suggesting that Jantje and ’Nkuku should be entrusted with the inspanning and driving of the wagon, which could be accomplished with much greater facility if the oxen were handled by those to whom they were accustomed. This also the officer eventually conceded, after carefully considering the matter for about a quarter of an hour, meanwhile the oxen were driven very nearly mad by the vain efforts of the soldiers to round them up and drive them towards the wagon.
Chapter Fourteen.
Prisoners.
At length, after a tremendous amount of unnecessary confusion and trouble, the oxen were inspanned, and with the usual unearthly yells and loud cracking of the long whip by Jantje, mounted upon the wagon box, the creaking, lumbering vehicle was got under way, Ramoo Samee following close behind and leading the horses, while the dogs and Leo came to heel and trotted along close behind Grosvenor and Dick, as was their wont when their masters chose to walk, which was not very often. As for the soldiers, they arranged themselves as a cordon round the entire cortege, the officer in command leading the way.