the work of pacification had gone on steadily. it was on thursday evening, the 13th of july, the boys had returned to the town. on the 15th captain fisher, who was in command of the naval party on shore, marched through the streets disarming the egyptian soldiers, of whom there were large numbers still in the place, and had a skirmish with a strong party of them at the rosetta gate. lord charles beresford was in charge of the police arrangements, and with a force of marines and three hundred disarmed egyptian soldiers was occupied in stamping out the fires and in arresting marauders. a large number of arabs were also enlisted in the service.
the population now began to return to the city. many of the lower class of greeks and italians landed from the vessels, and were a source of continual trouble, as they at once took to plundering what the natives had left.
on monday morning the 38th regiment and the[144] third battalion of the 60th rifles arrived in the harbour, and were at once landed. general sir archibald alison also arrived and assumed the command on shore, and the following day a body of troops marched along the line of railway to ramleh, six miles distant. ramleh stands at the point where a narrow neck of land connects the peninsula on which alexandria stands with the mainland. along this narrow isthmus run the road, the railway, and the sweet-water canal, and here there is a pumping-station, by which water is raised to a higher level for the supply of alexandria.
the khedive has a summer palace at ramleh, and here are a large number of pretty villas, the summer abodes of the merchants of alexandria. it was an important position, for here any advance upon the city from the east could be readily checked.
thursday was a busy day for the police and troops in alexandria, for a high wind got up and fanned the masses of embers into flames again, and serious fires broke out in several places. the boys were busily engaged all day. they acted now as aides-de-camp to lord charles beresford, carrying his orders to the various working parties, and making themselves generally useful.
lord charles had established himself with his officers in an empty house, and the three boys had a room assigned to them here. the party all messed together. in the evening lord charles said to the officers, "i hear that the khedive's people have got news that arabi is damming up the sweet-water canal. we shall have a deal of trouble if he does. there is very bad news, too, from the country. they[145] say that everywhere except at cairo the natives have risen and massacred the europeans. arabi has ordered all the able-bodied men in the country to join the army."
"i don't call the last part bad news," captain archer said. "we shall have ten thousand men here in a short time, and the more of these scoundrels that are gathered together the better, so that we can end it at one blow. if arabi does but stand there is no doubt as to the result. the thing that would puzzle us would be for him and his troops to march away into upper egypt and lead us a long dance there. in this tremendous heat our fellows would not be able to march far, and it would be like a tortoise trying to catch a hare, hunting them all over the country. the more men arabi gets together the more likely he is to make a stand and fight it out."
"there is no doubt that is the case," lord charles agreed. "we shall make short work of them directly lord wolseley and the troops arrive. however, i hope we sha'n't be idle in the meantime. there are two more regiments expected to-morrow or next day, and i expect we shall see some fighting then. the soldiers are furious at the frightful destruction that has taken place, and they will make it hot for these fellows if they get a chance of going at them. they say that they are throwing up tremendous fortifications across the isthmus."
on sunday night the 46th regiment arrived. the water in the canal was now sinking fast. a dam had been erected at its mouth to keep in what water it contained. order had now been restored in[146] the town, and the plundering had been almost put a stop to. the next morning a wing of the 60th and a squadron of mounted infantry went out beyond ramleh. the enemy's cavalry were driven off, and there was an exchange of artillery fire between some heavy guns that had been sent out by rail and placed into position there, and arabi's battery.
the next week was a quiet one, but on friday the 28th a reconnaissance was made by a railway train, which captain fisher of the navy had plated with iron. it was manned by sailors, and carried a heavy gun and several gatlings. the enemy on seeing it approaching came out in force, but were driven back by the guns of the train and those in the batteries at ramleh. the reconnaissance showed that the egyptians had erected a number of strong works across the end of the isthmus.
as the work of the bands of hired natives was now only clearing up rubbish and litter, the boys agreed that as there was no more fun to be had in the way of putting out fires, they might as well give up what they called slave-driving, and enjoy themselves until the wild wave arrived. they had only undertaken the work as an alternative to going on board one of the crowded ships in the harbour, and as the population were now returning and the shops opening again there was no occasion for their further stay as overlookers of the scavengers. several temporary inns had been opened by enterprising italians for the benefit of those who on landing from the ships found their houses burned, sacked, or uninhabitable.
"i vote," jack said the first morning that they[147] were free to do exactly as they liked, "that we go up and have a look at our prison."
"a bright idea!" jim tucker said. "but that is an out-of-the-way part, jack, and there may be some of those skulking thieves hanging about there."
"they won't catch us napping this time, jim."
the boys had, in fact, armed themselves from the store of weapons that had been taken from the natives or found scattered about in the streets and houses. these weapons had been piled up in a shed, and as they had no owners the boys concluded that it would be as well to pick some out for themselves, having previously asked their officer to allow them to do so, as they were entirely without arms. he at once gave them permission to take what they liked, and each had taken two revolvers—a full-sized one which they wore openly in their belts, and a small one in their jacket-pockets. the precaution was by no means a useless one, as on carrying messages for their commander from one part of the town to the other they had often to pass through narrow streets. so armed the boys had no fear of being attacked when together, and after breakfast they started on their trip of exploration.
as they knew nothing of the road by which they had been taken to the house, and had again left it after nightfall, they were by no means sure as to its exact position, the only indication being the view they had obtained of the sea from its garden. when once beyond the town they found almost all the houses entirely deserted; for bands of plunderers were still pillaging everywhere beyond the range of the parties of british troops, and even after ramleh[148] was occupied they made their way along the shore from the direction of the aboukir forts, and broke into the houses and carried away their contents.
"i think this must be just about the position," jim said at last. "i should say from the other side of that house there must be just the same view we had."
the gate was locked and closed, but the boys soon found a place where they could enter the grounds. upon going round to the north side of the house they found that they had judged correctly, for they at once recognized the appearance of the building and the various objects in the garden.
"here is the bank from which we watched the bombardment," arthur hill said. "well, we have got better out of it than seemed likely then."
"that we have," jack agreed. "now, jim, i suppose we may as well get into the house and have a look at it. i should like to get something to carry away. i don't want anything valuable, but something as a sort of memento of our prison."
"it would serve the beggar right," jim said, "if we were to set fire to his place and burn it down."
"it might serve him right if someone else were to do it," jack said; "but not for us, jim. he saved our lives, you see. if it had not been for him we should never have come alive out of that street."
"that is so," jim agreed; "but you know when we talked it over we were all of opinion that he carried us off only to act as hostages for himself."
"well, i know we agreed that that was it, jim; but after all we cannot be sure about it. it may have been that, but on the other hand he may really have wanted to save our lives. he would not dare[149] treat us kindly, and was obliged to keep us imprisoned because of the fellows round him. for you know he really did treat us well. we may be sure that black fellow of his did not bring us down fruit and other things each meal without his knowledge."
"it may have been that," jim assented, "though i doubt it. i am convinced he only carried us off and treated us well in order to get good terms for himself if things went wrong."
"perhaps so, jim; but whatever the reason he did save our lives, and he did treat us well, and i feel obliged to him. now, let us look at the house. i wonder whether it is empty?"
"oh, of course it is empty. why, we saw all his fellows coming away with us."
"yes, but that is no reason why it should be empty, jim. there are lots of these plundering fellows about. we know they do not come back into the town because we have got guards at the gates, and i expect they hide up during the day in some of these deserted houses. anyhow we may as well keep our eyes open till we know the place is clear."
jim agreed to the prudence of the suggestion, and they went up to the house. the door opening into the garden was fastened, but the wooden shutters outside one of the windows about four feet from the ground were unfastened, and swung open as they touched them. the window inside was closed.
"just give me a back, arthur," jack said. "i have no doubt i can open the fastenings."[150]
standing on arthur's shoulders jack took out his knife, and had no difficulty in inserting the blade between the frames of the window, which opened inwards, and in pushing back the slight and simple fastening. he pushed the window open, and had his foot on the sill ready to enter when he paused.
"what is it, jack?" jim asked impatiently.
"there is somebody in the house," jack said in a low voice. "i can hear talking." he stepped very quietly down into the room, and a minute later the others stood beside him.
it was as jack had said, there was a loud sound of talking somewhere in the house.
"what shall we do, jim?" jack whispered.
"we will go and have a look at them," jim replied. "we have got two revolvers apiece, and are a match for a dozen egyptians anyway; and besides, if they haven't seen us, and i don't suppose they have, as we came round at the back of the house, they will think we are officers and have got a lot of men behind us."
with their pistols drawn and cocked the boys moved quietly across the room and into a passage. the voices came from a room in the front of the house. the door was open. they crept up to it and then suddenly rushed in.
"surrender," jim shouted, "or we fire!"
the lads were astonished at the sight that met their eyes. they had expected to see a group of natives; instead of that they saw a party of eight or ten greeks and italians sitting on the ground [151]playing cards. the room was piled with goods of all sorts—silk curtains, females' dresses, clocks, rich ornaments, choice carpets, and other articles. the fellows uttered a shout of astonishment and dismay at seeing, as they believed, three english officers suddenly appear before them; for by this time the boys had been able to rig themselves out in naval costume again. their appearance and that of the six levelled revolvers completely paralyzed the party at cards.
"throw down all your weapons in the centre," jack said peremptorily. "not a moment's delay, or we will call our men in and string you up!"
two or three of the party understood english, and at once threw their pistols and knives into the centre of the circle; the others understanding the order from their action did the same.
"just collect them, arthur, and take them into the next room," jim tucker said, "before they have time to think about it."
arthur stepped forward, gathered up the weapons, and carried them into the next room.
"we are all right now," jim said in a low tone.
"now, arthur, you run down to the town as hard as you can and tell the first officer you meet we have got a gang of plunderers here, and ask him to bring up a guard and capture them; we will stand sentry till you come back."
arthur without question obeyed jim's orders: went to the front door, opened it, and ran off at the top of his speed. the prisoners now began to recover from the first panic, and to guess the true state of the case. angry oaths were uttered, and they began to talk to each other in rapid tones.[152]
"you had better sit still!" jim shouted. "the first man that makes a move i will blow his brains out. jack, you stand on one side of the circle and i will stand on the other. the first man who moves in the slightest, shoot him."
jack moved round to the other side of the circle. the marauders, with a foe behind and another in front armed with revolvers, and themselves without weapons, did not dare to move, knowing that they would be shot down before they could gain their feet. half an hour passed and then there was a tramp of feet heard outside, and a moment later a naval officer accompanied by arthur and followed by a party of ten blue-jackets entered the room. in a couple of minutes the men's hands were all tied behind them, and they were led outside the house.
"you have made a fine haul, young gentlemen," the officer said as he walked from room to room. everywhere articles of value were piled up, and it was evident that the gang must for the last fortnight have been engaged in looting all the villas and houses along the road to ramleh. "i expect we have got the whole gang, but i will leave four men here in charge with orders to make prisoners of anyone that enters. we will lodge these scoundrels in jail, and then make our report. there is an immense lot of valuable property here, and i should think it had better be taken down into the town and kept there until claimed by its rightful owners."
leaving the four sailors on guard, the party with the prisoners in their midst marched down again to the town, and the latter were speedily lodged in jail. on the affair being reported to lord charles[153] beresford a party of marines and natives with hand-carts were sent up to the house, and the whole of its contents brought down to an empty house in the town. here the articles were inspected by many merchants and other owners of villas at ramleh and near the town, and many of the articles were at once identified by them. the next day the band of plunderers were brought up before the court, presided over by one of the khedive's judges; and the boys having given their evidence, and the owners of many of the plundered villas swearing to their property, the whole band were sentenced to receive three dozen lashes apiece and to be imprisoned for two years.
the lads gained much credit by the capture, and were each presented with a handsome gold watch and chain, subscribed for by those whose property they had been the means of recovering.
