In Desert and Wilderness

Set against the Mahdist War in late 19th‑century Egypt, the story centers on Staś Tarkowski, Adam Fidusiewicz, a 14‑year‑old Polish boy, and Nell Rawlison, Karolina Sawka, an 8‑year‑old English girl, who are raised by their engineer fathers in the port town of Port Said as they grow up amid the operations to maintain the Suez Canal.

When conflict erupts in Sudan, a group of Arabs capture the children with the cruel plan to exchange them for Fatma Smain, Mahdi’s distant relative who has been arrested by the British. The pair are forced to trek across the Sahara toward Khartoum, a grueling journey that tests their endurance and courage. Staś stands as Nell’s shield against the cruelties of the abductors, even as beatings and punishments mount and escape attempts repeatedly fail. Hope wanes as the soldiers’ campaign progresses, especially after the Fall of Khartoum and the death of General Gordon.

Upon reaching Khartoum, the Arabs’ anger flares when Mahdi, preoccupied with leading the revolt, refuses their request. A European captive, a Greek who chose to convert to Islam to save his family, warns Staś that such a conversion cannot save him if it is forced, saying the line that haunts him: “God sees what is inside your heart.” Staś’s resolve hardens in the face of pressure and the possibility that Nell’s fate might be sealed by his obedience or defiance.

The children endure days of heat, thirst, hunger, and neglect as they are moved to the war‑scarred city of Omdurman. After a brutal stretch, a new direction takes them toward Fashoda, where Dinah, Nell’s servant, succumbs to disease on the way. In a moment of peril, the group is attacked by a lion. Staś, armed with his gun, shoots the beast and, driven by despair and a sense of betrayal, also shoots the Arabs who threaten the children.

Free of their captors, Staś and Nell begin a perilous, sprawling trek deeper into Africa, accompanied by two enslaved youths they had freed—Kali, a boy who becomes a prince among his people, and Mea—along with their growing band of allies. The voyage brims with wonders and dangers, including a notorious night in a treehouse that the group nicknames “Cracow.” Nell’s health falters again when malaria strikes, and Staś, overwhelmed by grief, improvises a desperate quest for quinine and discovers a Swiss explorer named Linde, a man whose own life has been ravaged by wounds and illness.

Heinrich Linde helps Staś with food, gunpowder, and medicine, and he shares pragmatic wisdom about escape routes and survival. Though Nell recovers, Linde’s aid comes at a price, for the journey grows harsher as he dies and his African servants fall one by one to illness. Following Linde’s advice, Staś and Nell press on toward a hidden mountain, Mount Linde, where they pause, find renewed strength, and convert Kali, Mea, and Nasibu to Christianity. They fashion kites that carry messages of rescue, hoping a signal will reach Europeans.

As the trio journey through villages, they are received with reverence and awe. Kali, by birthright the Wa‑Hima prince, earns respect as Staś and Nell are celebrated as Good Mzimu—spirit guardians who bring hope. The Wa‑Hima join forces with Kali’s people to defend a fort against incursions by the Samburu, and the group fights to secure peace rather than bloodshed. With Staś’s leadership and Nell’s courage, the allied tribes prevail, and the mission shifts toward uniting the scattered bands rather than tearing them apart.

Their odyssey then pushes east into unmapped territory, a daunting expedition that involves 100 Samburu and Wa‑Hima warriors alike, all armed with Staś’s guns. They carry two witch doctors, M’Kunje and M’Pua, who fear losing their influence and attempt to seize provisions, only to vanish from the quest as their schemes unravel. The march becomes a test of endurance: water runs dry, and the desert presses in on every side. In their darkest hour, two familiar British officers—drawn to the children by kites Staś and Nell had sent—arrive just in time to rescue them, and the two families are finally reunited.

Back in safety, Nell returns to England, and Kali and his people return to their cradle by Lake Rudolf, where they begin a slow process of Christianization and civilization in their own homeland. A decade passes; Staś completes university studies and travels to Switzerland before returning to England to marry Nell. A year after their reunion, George Rawlison’s passing prompts Staś and Nell to revisit the memories of their journey, now framed by the broader victory over the Mahdi and the eventual protection of Kali’s people by the British. The couple ultimately settles in Poland with Staś’s father, closing a circle that began in Port Said and traveled across a continent in upheaval and wonder.

This epic tale blends adventure with resilience and steadfast friendship, portraying how two children endure extraordinary trials and, with help from a cast of guardians—both European and African—transform fear into hope, loss into memory, and survival into a shared, enduring faith.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 16:40