And, while these words are being whispered, he feels the cloth about
his head, and that he can utter no cry or word; he also becomes
aware that his hands and feet are securely bound.
"And to this I have come!" thinks he. "Thus am I to die, an object
of ridicule to the world and to myself!"
And, strange to say, his thoughts suddenly revert to the past. Thus
bound and gagged, had he once lain in another place. And he who
perpetrated the horrible outrage, lives in splendor, and Mohammed
has lived in vain, and must die unavenged! It is again Cousrouf
Pacha who causes him to be bound and borne out. "Whither? whither? I
ask! Do I not already know? Out to the Nile that glittered in the
sunlight before me a few hours since. Oh, had I but known that it
was to be my grave, and that Cousrouf had read and understood my
thoughts! He felt that it was he or I, that one must go down; and
now he stands secure on the heights, and I must sink down, down!"
Such are the thoughts that harrow his soul as he is lifted up by two
strong arms and borne out into the night. He feels the quick
breathing of him in whose arms he is borne; he is no light burden
even for Sheik Arnhyn's strong arms.
"How heavy you are, sarechsme!" murmurs he, smiling. "How light the
viceroy's army will be, when the heavy and distinguished sarechsme,
Mohammed Ali, is wanting!"
All is still about them.
Pages:
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472