[Transcriber's note: Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916), _In Desert and Wilderness_ (1910), 1917 edition. The original title is: W pustyni i w puszczy. There was also a French edition: Le gouffre noir.] IN DESERT AND WILDERNESS BY HENRYK SIENKIEWICZ AUTHOR OF "WITH FIRE AND SWORD," "QUO VADIS," "WHIRLPOOLS," ETC. _TRANSLATED FROM THE POLISH BY_ MAX A. DREZMAL BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1917 _Copyright_, 1912, BY LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY. _All rights reserved_ Printers S. J. PARKBILL & Co., BOSTON, U.S.A. PART FIRST IN DESERT AND WILDERNESS I "Do you know, Nell," said Stas Tarkowski to his friend, a little English girl, "that yesterday the police came and arrested the wife of Smain, the overseer, and her three children,--that Fatma who several times called at the office to see your father and mine." And little Nell, resembling a beautiful picture, raised her greenish eyes to Stas and asked with mingled surprise and fright: "Did they take her to prison?" "No, but they will not let her go to the Sudân and an official has arrived who will see that she does not move a step out of Port Said." "Why?" Stas, who was fourteen years old and who loved his eight-year-old companion very much, but looked upon her as a mere child, said with a conceited air: "When you reach my age, you will know everything which happens, not only along the Canal from Port Said to Suez, but in all Egypt. Have you ever heard of the Mahdi?" "I heard that he is ugly and naughty." The boy smiled compassionately. "I do not know whether he is ugly. The Sudânese claim that he is handsome. But the word 'naughty' about a man who has murdered so many people, could be used only by a little girl, eight years old, in dresses--oh--reaching the knees." "Papa told me so and papa knows best." "He told you so because otherwise you would not understand. He would not express himself to me in that way. The Mahdi is worse than a whole shoal of crocodiles. Do you understand? That is a nice expression for me. 'Naughty!' They talk that way to babes." But, observing the little girl's clouded face, he became silent and afterwards said: "Nell, you know I did not want to cause you any unpleasantness. The time will come when you will be fourteen. I certainly promise you that." "Aha!" she replied with a worried look, "but if before that time the Mahdi should dash into Port Said and eat me." "The Mahdi is not a cannibal, so he does not eat people. He only kills them. He will not dash into Port Said, but even if he did and wanted to murder you, he would first have to do with me." This declaration with the sniff with which Stas inhaled the air through his nose, did not bode any good for the Mahdi and considerably quieted Nell as to her own person. "I know," she answered, "you would not let him harm me. But why do they not allow Fatma to leave Port Said?"