CHAPTER XXXIV
ACCOMPLICES
OLD RELIABLE continued to stare upon the Dongalawi, who kept smiling at the success of his gin-burning. "Put money—there."
"I ain't gwine to put money nowhar. I'm gwine right straight and tell de white folks."
Zack rose up, shook himself free from the clinging Said, and started directly for headquarters. The bewildered Arab sat flat upon the earth, his Egyptian imagination failing to conceive of such treachery. Like a rubber man Said bounded to his feet; he could no nothing, his Shilluk spear was too far away; so was the jungle. Two long swift leaps and Said clutched Old Reliable's coat tails, dragging him back within the shanty. The Dongalawi's voice would have been a shrill scream, but it came so low and tense as to reach no farther than the ear of one man: "You tell? No, no. By the justice of Allah. Let not Shaitan move thee to this abomination! Said Wad Darho is no fool."
"You is a fool ef you 'specs me to give you a hundred dollars"—Zack stopped short when the Arab stood before him man to man, desperately upright, no longer a cringing slave, and there was a menace in the sheen of Said Wad Darho's eyes which compelled Zack to listen. Placing his lips close to the other's ear, Said whispered maliciously, "Effendi lose his hat which he wear by night."
"Dat's so. I dunno what is come o' dat little ole blue hat."
"One friend of Said Wad Darho find Effendi's hat beside gin factory. Friend of Said be kind to conceal Effendi's hat. If friend of Said be angry, he go tell El Bimb McDonald."
Zack gasped. Previously he might have been talking to hear his tongue rattle; now he could keep quiet and hear his teeth rattle. "What you mean, Side? I never lef no hat at no gin. I warn't nowhar's nigh dat gin when it cotch fire."
Craftily Said spread his palms apart and smiled, "Allah he knows." Then Said talked, talked rapidly with a low shrill-and-hiss of the excited, yet cautious, Arab. "El Bimb McDonald remember Effendi say gin factory must burn. El Bimb and Engleezi Lyttleton talk much angry each with other, say Black Effendi set fire to gin. They tell it not, because Excellency Spotwood he sorry. Excellency Spotwood much Great One."
It took very little of this talk to limber the stiffening out of Old Reliable's backbone until his dictatorial voice became conciliatory. "Side, you an' me is been good friends. You ain't gwine to rig up no sech tale on me as dat?"
Victory lay so deep in the Dongalawi's eyes that no ripple of its elation disturbed their surface. Gently he led the wilted Effendi back to his seat upon the bench. Again Said crouched at the other's feet, and again Said scooped a hole in the sand. "Excellency, put money—there—walk off."
"Side, you done out-talked me 'bout dis here money."
So Zack performed at the crack of the whip, dropped his sovereigns in the hole and walked.
"May Allah accept your doings. You have placed Said's heart at peace." Saying which the Dongalawi hid the gold within his girdle.
When Zack had shuffled as far as the last palm tree, he wheeled and fired back a retort, "You needn't ack so biggety. I wouldn't give you nary cent 'thout I wanted to. Money ain't nothin' to me. I spends a heap more'n dat, ev'y day o' de worl', on ginger snaps and sardines."
As Said made no answer Zack ventured to return a part of the way, yet still maintaining a prudent distance: "I ain't gwine to leave you here neither; you's entirely too handy wid fire. Fust thing I know you'll burn sumpin' fer somebody what's mean enough to tell."
For answer Said nodded amiably, as the mastiff wags his tail when the poodle barks.
"Now lissen to me, Side. You march yo'self right straight to dat friend o' your'n an' git my hat. De Cunnel gimme dat hat."
With fathomless gravity Said produced a tightly rolled wad from underneath his jibba, and passed it to the Illustrious Effendi, who received his creased and wrinkled hat. Zack took his seat, unfolded the hat, smoothed it out upon his knee, and pondered deeply before committing himself to the remark: "Side, you sho' is one big liar!"
Once more the Dongalawi outspread his palms and smiled inscrutably: "Allah hath given me understanding. It is not wise for the lame to travel without a crutch"—upon which pearl of wisdom the Illustrious Effendi meditated in extenso. Serenely Said regarded his master until Zack sprang up with sudden violence. Taken utterly by surprise, the Dongalawi bolted into the river, but stopped knee-deep, when Old Zack just as suddenly stopped and began to shout, "Cunnel, oh, Cunnel! Steamboat's a comin'. She's a comin'; she's a comin'."