The Adventures of Captain Mago

"Stop your oaths, liar!" I exclaimed impatiently. "Lucky for you I pledged you your life; but be on your guard, or, by Ashtoreth, another time – "

"It may be," said Hannibal, "the villains have been lurking about, and, having discovered your approach, have decamped. The eunuch may have told the truth. Anyhow, nothing can be done. I am dead-beat."

Himilco and Hamilcar both declared that they, too, were quite knocked up, so that I determined to make our way back, and seek the repose of which we were so much in need.

CHAPTER XV

JUDGE GEBAL DISTINGUISHES HIMSELF

On arriving within a comparatively few paces of our encampment, we were challenged by the sentinels, who were keeping a sharp look-out. As soon as we had entered the lines, Aminocles came running towards us with excited gestures, and, hardly allowing me time to inquire what had occurred, told me in broken Phœnician that during our absence "the little man" had been and gone, and was now in a clump of trees hard by.

For the moment I was puzzled; but Bichri, comprehending more quickly what the man meant, exclaimed, "Gebal! Judge Gebal!" and dashing off in the direction indicated, began to whistle his accustomed call-note. In a few minutes he returned, his countenance beaming with glee. The monkey was seated on his shoulder, and greeted us with hideous yells and grimaces. Ugly as the creature was, I confess I was glad to have it again amongst us; nearly every one came to look at it, and although it pulled Hannibal's beard, scratched Himilco's face, and bit Gisgo's nose, nothing was set down to spitefulness, but all was taken in good part, until the beast tried to claw Chamai's hand, upon which Chamai, never very patient either with man or brute, struck it a violent blow which sent it howling back to Bichri. As it sprang away it dropped something that looked like the strap of a sandal. After picking it up and examining it by the light of a torch, Chamai exclaimed:

"By all that's good, there is something written here! it is written in Phœnician."

I snatched the strap away from him in my eagerness, and discerned in a moment that it was covered with characters apparently traced in blood. Without waiting to read it all, I cried out:

"Hanno is alive! old Gebal has brought us the news. Hanno has written to us himself."

After I had deciphered the writing carefully, I said:

"Now, listen, my friends – this is what he says: 'We are prisoners, alive and well: Jonah's trumpet saved us; savages would not give us up to Bodmilcar; their chief wanted a Phœnician trumpeter. Another chief wants a trumpeter before he will give his daughter in marriage to this chief. I am spared as well. We are to be sent off at once to the northern chief. Keep up your spirits. We will soon escape. Beware of Bodmilcar; he is laying an ambush. He means to cut you off from the river.' There, my men, that's what he says. We will hope to see him yet."

As I ceased to read, Chryseis threw herself into Abigail's arms, and wept for joy; Gisgo flung his cap into the air; Himilco took a liberal draught from his goat-skin; and Hannibal manifested his emotion by sneezing seven times in succession. As for Bichri, he took the monkey in his arms, and fairly hugged it, a piece of attention which Gebal acknowledged by plucking out a handful of his hair.

"O, Gebal, shame upon you! would you be pulling out my hair when you know how much I love you? Brave old Gebal! I was only congratulating you on distinguishing yourself so well."

The others were all equally anxious to pet the creature, and gave it quantities of almonds and raisins, which it took without leaving its perch upon Bichri's shoulder.

"Come, come!" I said, "no time for this trifling. Our water is gone; we must get to the river; we must be beforehand with Bodmilcar. But there is one piece of business that we must settle first. Bring Hazael here."

The eunuch was brought before me, and addressing him very sternly, I said:

"Hazael, you have heard this letter. It proves you a liar and a traitor. Your villainy has cost us much trouble; there is no reprieve this time; you must be sent forthwith to another tribunal. Menath, Hokk, and Rhadamath must be your judges. You must die."

Flinging himself prostrate at my feet, the abject wretch broke out into the most piteous supplications; he implored for mercy, but I was inexorable. Two sailors raised him to his feet, and Himilco having made a running noose in his rope, slipped it round the Syrian's neck.

"Choose your own tree, my good man," said Himilco; "for my part I should recommend a sturdy holm."

Hazael made no reply, but struggled so violently that he had to be dragged forcibly along.

"Don't be a fool!" cried Gisgo. "What objection can you have to be hanged? it will save your shoe-leather."

"Now then," said Himilco, as soon as they had placed the eunuch under the tree, "haul away, tackle him up to the standing-rigging; there! his navigation has come to an end!"

And almost as he spoke, Hazael was dangling in the moonlight.

"One traitor gone to his last account," I said.

"And the other, I hope, soon to follow," Hannibal replied.

Brief and scanty was our rest that night; and when in the morning the sun rose in a cloudless sky, so unrefreshed were we after our fighting and toiling, that it was with the utmost difficulty that we could drag ourselves across the hot and dusty plain. My own throat was parched, and my stomach cramped with those terrible sensations known only too well by those who have suffered the tortures of excessive thirst. Himilco had drained his last drop of wine, and went feebly along through lack of stimulant; Hannibal removed his helmet, and carried it slung from his girdle; and all were too worn and weary to utter a syllable as we marched. Bichri was the only one of us who exhibited no symptom of fatigue, his wiry frame being capable of unlimited endurance.

About the middle of the afternoon a light mist, indicating the course of the river, revived our flagging energies by making us aware that fresh water was not far off. I took Bichri and a number of men carrying gourds and goat-skins, and hurried on to obtain, without loss of time, some drink for my thirsty host; but when I had got within half a stadium of the river-bank I was seized with such violent pain and nausea that I could hardly stand. I persevered, however, till we were hardly more than twenty paces from the water's edge, when suddenly there was a rustling in the bushes, and a score or more of lances came whizzing about us, and we were startled by the shrill war-cry of the Iberians. Surprised, but not intimidated by the attack, we kept steadily on our way, and were close upon the river-bank, when some thirty or forty savages emerged from the rushes and confronted us with their lances, whilst as many again, with hideous yells, ran to assail the flank of our main body. Hannibal and Chamai soon dispersed their adversaries, but I with my party in advance did not fare so well, for notwithstanding that Bichri struck down more than one of the foremost of the barbarians, they succeeded in entirely surrounding us. One of the sailors had his arm pierced by a javelin. Bichri had a cut in the calf of his leg, and my own movements were completely paralysed by a lance having got tightly fixed in my shield and shoulder-belt. I confess I thought it was all up with us, but at the critical moment the well-known sound of the Phœnician trumpet broke upon us, followed by the animating cry, "Courage, courage, we are here!" and a change passed upon the scene. Like a flock of startled birds the savages were off in scared retreat; an advancing troop, doubtless Bodmilcar's own, wheeled rapidly about and took to flight; they had descried Hasdrubal who, from the river-bank, was bringing up a company to our rescue. Never did a friend receive a warmer welcome. To my inquiry how it was that he had arrived so opportunely, he told me he had been watching the enemy's movements all the morning; they had been too engrossed with their own schemes to observe him, but he was so convinced they were designing mischief that he lowered the mast of the Cabiros and brought her up to the side-arm of the river, whence he had led his men forward just in time to render us good service.

Thus happily relieved from the threatened peril, our force hastened onwards to slake their thirst, and I think it was for the first time in my life that I saw Himilco gulp down (and that with evident satisfaction) a draught of pure water. Another hour and we were descending the Bœtis, and joyously recounting our adventures.

That night, which was spent on board the Cabiros, was a night of well-earned rest. Next morning we started early for the spot where the Dagon and the Ashtoreth had been moored.

I gave my sailors five shekels apiece, and a triple ration of wine, and conscious that they had been overworked, I granted them twenty-four hours' release from labour before finally recommencing our voyage. They spent their holiday according to their own taste; they drank, they shouted, they sang, they danced, and occasionally they diversified their amusement by a little fighting; yet, notwithstanding the obstreperousness of their proceedings, when evening came they calmed down quietly enough to their ordinary discipline.

The next day found us once more on the open sea, and for myself I felt an indescribable satisfaction in again looking upon its green and restless face, and in hearing its waves plash against the sides of my ship.

In two days we had reached Gades, and I settled all the business I had to transact with Ziba.

And now the time had come for me to announce to my officers and crew a purpose that I had long been contemplating. Accordingly I invited them all to an entertainment in a tent at some public gardens beyond the town, and when the repast was over I rose and told them why I had gathered them together.

"My friends," I began, "our mission is accomplished. King David's demands are met; King Hiram's orders are fulfilled. King David's subjects are at liberty to return to Palestine, and I have brought them here to bid them all farewell."

Chamai started to his feet impatiently, and looking at me with a keen and earnest scrutiny, asked what I meant.

"What I mean," I continued, "is soon told. I propose to put all my silver on board the Dagon, and to place her under the command of Hasdrubal. In the Dagon you, too, can return. Hasdrubal shall have orders to land you and Abigail and Hannibal, and whoever else may choose to accompany you, at Joppa."

Upon hearing this, Hannibal, in a voice agitated with emotion, called out:

"And you? What about yourself? And are not Himilco, Hamilcar, and Gisgo to go back with us?"

"Not one of them," I answered; "we have other work to do."

A blank silence fell upon them all. Hannibal gazed at me in bewilderment, big tears gathering in his eyes; Chamai broke his reverie by bringing his fist down so violently upon a chair that it broke under the blow; and after a space, Bichri began softly to whistle one of the melodies of his tribe, his usual way of trying to exhibit a contemptuous indifference.

Chamai was the first to speak.

"By our holy God! captain, I could never have believed you capable of this," he blurted out.

"Yes, indeed, by all that's holy!" said Hannibal, finding his voice, "what have we done that merits treatment of this kind?"

"I am doing you no wrong," I answered; "friends we have been hitherto; friends let us part. You can surely ask no more than that I should remit you to your homes to pass the rest of your lives in ease and affluence."

"But why not return yourself?" they asked.

"I have invited you here, to tell you why. It is the resolve of myself and of the Sidonians that are with me to make a voyage of discovery. I have set my heart on finding out what lands there are, whether they be isles or continents, lying to the north. I am determined, if I can, to settle whether it be possible, by sailing round Tarshish to the west, to reach the Celtic shores. These are the problems that I seek to solve."

"And do you think," said Chamai, "that we shall be content to enjoy our repose while you are braving all the perils of the unknown sea? No, no; not quite so ungrateful as that!"

"Desert our colours in the middle of the fight? nay, that will never do," cried Hannibal: "return home, who will; my post is with you, captain."

Chamai echoed his words, and Abigail averred her intention of not being parted from her lover.