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Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #59012.
The opening · free to read
Author of “Young Jack Harkaway in Arabia,” “Young Jack Harkaway in the Wilds of Siberia,” “Young Jack Harkaway in Armenia,” “Young Jack Harkaway Fighting the Slave Traders of the Soudan,” “Young Jack Harkaway in Cuba,” etc., etc.
CHAPTER I. YOUNG JACK HARKAWAY’S FRIENDS BECOME ANXIOUS ABOUT HIM--A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE--HARRY GIRDWOOD MEETS HUNSTON.
Harry Girdwood, Young Jack Harkaway’s old and particular chum, Mrs. Harkaway and Mole, the great professor, and Monday, the ex-prince of Limbi, were in the City of Mecca.
Young Jack had been missing for some days.
They were greatly concerned about him.
All their inquiries had failed to elicit any information respecting him.
When last seen Jack had been on his way to the holy kaiaba in Mecca, which contains the coffin and the remains of the prophet Mahomet.
Harry had been there.
He had interviews with the chief priests.
They were named Feroze and Mordecai, but both denied having seen or heard of Harkaway.
Neither did they know the name of Hunston.
They were non-communicative.
What could have become of him? The more they thought of it the more perplexed they grew.
Harry Girdwood went to the consuls, and to the Sultan. In no direction could they learn anything.
Clara, Young Jack’s wife, became quite sick, and fretted extremely.
Professor Mole and Monday made various suggestions about Young Jack’s absence.
But they did nothing to find him.
“If the truth is known,” remarked Mole, in the smoking room one evening after dinner, to Monday, Clara and Harry being up-stairs, “Young Jack has been cornered by Hunston.”
“That’s not at all unlikely, sah!” answered Monday. “It is the fate of all of us to get de push sometimes.”
“What are we going to do about it?”
“Sit still and look on. Massa Jack know his business. He come out all right.”
“That’s what you say.”
“I’se sure.”
A messenger boy attached to the caravanserai came in, and holding up a letter, spoke.
“Harkaway’s friend, Girdwood!” he exclaimed.
“That is me,” replied Harry, who had come down to smoke a cigar.
“The letter is addressed that way.”
“I’ll take it.”
“No time to write much, but they tortured and imprisoned me. A slave got me out of the temple, and took me to the ship, Catamaran, Captain Koosh. They are all pirates.
“My life is in danger every day. I am a prisoner on the pirate ship.
“You will wonder how I send this letter.
“I had concealed my diamond ring. An Arab who waited on me was going to Mecca. I bribed him with the ring to see that you had my letter. Take a ship and come after me. The pirates will kill me soon if I don’t pay the sum they demand for ransom, and you know my obstinate disposition.
“Come to me. You, Mole, Monday and my dear wife, Clara. We are not far up the coast.
“Look out for the Catamaran, Captain Koosh, Pirate ship.”
Harry read the letter aloud.
Mole and Monday were deeply impressed.
The mystery was solved now.
“Well,” exclaimed Harry Girdwood, “we shall have to do as we are told. Jack is the leader, and we will have to follow him.”
“The first thing to do is to charter a ship,” remarked Mole.
“That’s easy done, sah,” replied Monday. “The man we go fishing with has one to hire.”
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