i56 



The National Geographic Magazine 



from prison — a delay due in part to the 

 difficulty of bringing with him, in addi- 

 tion to other impedimenta, a huge mule 

 litter to carry me, should I not be able to 

 endure so many hours in the saddle. 



In the meantime we waited amid a 

 solemn silence, except when some much- 

 required food was served, and as we sat 

 there it might have seemed more as 

 though we were in some house of mourn- 

 ing" rather than in one so shortly to be- 

 come the scene of our eagerly desired 

 liberation. 



THE ARRIVAL OF THE RANSOM 



At last the mules bearing the silver 

 dollars, carefully packed in boxes, ar- 

 rived; but now luncheon was again 

 served in honor of Mulai Ahmed, and 

 must be partaken of, after which the bul- 

 lion was counted in another room. 



Here I was presently summoned, and 

 invited to seat myself between Raisuli and 

 Mulai Ahmed, while a group of the more 

 important natives, including El Zellal, as 

 well as men from other localities, were 

 ranged around the room. 



"The silver," said Raisuli, addressing 

 me, "has been counted — twenty thousand 

 dollars, as stipulated, in Spanish dollars ; 

 but these letters," showing me as he 

 spoke a check book containing certified 

 checks on the Comptoir d'Escompte, the 

 French bank at Tangier, "of the value of 

 these, which are supposed to represent 

 fifty thousand dollars, I know nothing. 

 However, I will accept them on your 

 personal guarantee, but on that condition 

 only." 



When I had examined the checks certi- 

 fied by Torres and by El Gannam, the 

 Sultan's delegate minister of finance, I 

 gave the required assurance verbally, and 

 Raisuli, leading me to the door, where I 

 found my horse waiting for me, bade me 

 adieu, saying that he had learned to look 

 upon me as a friend, and that he hoped I 

 cherished no ill feeling on account of my 

 detention. He furthermore assured me 

 that should any danger menace me in the 

 future, that not only he himself, but any 



of the men of the three tribes under his 

 orders, would hasten to my relief. 



Thus I left him, and pushing on as 

 rapidly as we could we were soon in the 

 midst of the large armed escort which 

 had come from Tangier to see us safely 

 home. It seems there had been some 

 rumor of an intention on the part of other 

 tribes to secure our persons after we 

 should have left Raisuli and to hold us 

 for further ransom. 



Fortunately our further journey suf- 

 fered no delay other than that caused by 

 the transport of the litter, of which I was 

 most thankful to avail myself, since I had 

 twice suffered while at Tsarradan from 

 severe nervous prostration. 



This reminds me to mention with a 

 grateful heart that my wife having ap- 

 plied to Admiral Chadwick, when she 

 learned of my second attack, to inquire 

 whether a surgeon could be detached 

 from one of the vessels under his com- 

 mand, every medical officer in the fleet at 

 once volunteered to go and attend me, 

 even though warned that they might be 

 themselves detained by Raisuli. 



We did not reach Tangier until long 

 after dark. As we were pushing for- 

 ward in the gloom of evening a company 

 of native cavalry, which had been sent 

 out to report our arrival, galloped up, 

 and so soon as they discovered we were 

 of the party, turned and hastened back to 

 announce our coming, as to which there 

 was even yet grave anxiety. An hour 

 later and we could see the town lights, 

 and also those on the mastheads of the 

 vessels in the bay, and we could even 

 make out that these were answering sig- 

 nals from the United States consulate in 

 the town. Yes, our friends now at last 

 knew that we were near at hand. 



I struggled out of my litter and onto 

 my horse and presently galloped through 

 the gateway of my home, amid the ac- 

 clamations of friends and neighbors. As 

 I descended from my horse Admiral 

 Chadwick himself, who had with Minis- 

 ter Gummere awaited my arrival even 

 until this late hour, for it was now nearly 



