Chapter Forty Five.
Sailor Bill’s Experiment.
The afternoon of this day was very warm, yet Golah rode on at such a quick pace, that it required the utmost exertion of the slaves to keep up with him.
This manner of travelling, under the circumstances in which he was required to pursue it, proved too severe for Sailor Bill to endure with any degree of patience.
He became unable, as he thought, to walk any farther; or, if not wholly unable, he was certainly unwilling, and he therefore sat down.
A heavy shower of blows produced no effect in moving him from the spot where he had seated himself; and the two young men who acted as guards, not knowing what else to do, and having exhausted all their arguments, accompanied by a series of kicks at length appealed to Golah.
The sheik instantly turned his maherry and rode back.
Before he had reached the place, however, the three mids had used all their influence in an endeavour to get their old companion to move on. In this they had been joined by the Krooman, who entreated Bill, if he placed any value on his life, to get up before Golah should arrive, for he declared the monster would show him no mercy.
“For God’s sake,” exclaimed Harry Blount, “if it is possible for you to get up and go a little way farther, do so.”
“Try to move on, man,” said Terence, “and we will help you. Come, Bill, for the sake of your friends try to get up. Golah is close by.”