“Come with us, Yussuf.” Helen laid her hand on the blind man’s arm as she spoke. “You and ‘Your Eyes.’” She laid her other hand on the dumb youth’s arm, standing linked to them in a friendship that was to endure a lifetime.
“Excellencies,” replied Yussuf, “before Allah I would rather pass my life in prison than miss the tiger-cat’s rage when she finds you gone. Behold, the calmness of the white people when in the midst of danger has won our hearts and will pass as history down the generations. Not by word or sign have you shown fear or anger, thereby, with the mercy of Allah, winning your way to freedom. Nor,” he added with a smile, “do the white people waste overmuch time in rejoicing or protestations of affection.”
“Have a little patience, Yussuf,” said Helen, as she righted herself after having swayed backwards and forwards and bent this way and that in answer to the movement of the camel as it lurched to its feet with considerable lamentation and sounds of wrath. “Wait until we come out to Damascus to visit you, then we will all rejoice together, won’t we, Ra?”
“Rather!” said Ralph Trenchard, as he leant over and took Helen’s hand and kissed it, then let it go as Yussuf led her camel forward, having found his direction by turning his face to the night wind as he touched the spear.
“Not a word, Excellencies,” he said when the three camels stood in a line upon the narrow path, upon each side of which lay a terrible death. “The wind plays strange tricks with sound from this spot, carrying at times the spoken word from the quicksands to the rocks, which increase it a hundredfold, until the camp is filled with whispering. Allah grant that the dogs do not bark and waken the tiger-cat until dawn, and that my brothers cease not their games until I am seated once more without the empty hut.”
Helen turned and smiled at her lover, and leant sideways and waved her hand to the devoted body-woman, who, in her placidity, looked as though she were embarking upon a picnic instead of a dash for liberty across the desert. The mountains towered behind them, grim and menacing, the desert stretched, silvery and peaceful under the stars, the quicksands lay on each side of their hidden path, still and treacherous.
Yussuf walked ahead, leading Helen’s camel, “His Eyes” followed, Namlah came last, looking as must have looked Ruth or Naomi or any other woman of the Scriptures.
The great beasts, as they stepped off the hidden path on to the safety of the desert sands, were urged into line with Namlah between Helen and her lover.
“Namlah will ride three paces in front, Excellency,” said Yussuf. “Ride at fullest speed until the first ray of the sun breaks through the clouds of night, keeping the great star behind the right shoulder; then guide yourself by the sun as I have instructed you, and may Allah have you and yours in His keeping. I and ‘Mine Eyes’ will overtake you if it is the will of Allah, whose Prophet is Mohammed.”
The camels moved forward slowly; then, gathering speed, sped across the desert.