t
no great distance, in a variety of most unmusical sounds,--comprising
the bark of the dog, the neigh of the horse, the snorting scream of the
dromedary, the bleat of the sheep, and the sharper cry of its near
kindred the goat,--along with the equally wild and scarce more
articulate utterances of savage men, women, and children.

Colin was convinced that he heard all these sounds, and declared that
they could only proceed from some encampment. His companions, knowing
that the young Scotchman was sharp-eared, made no attempt to question
his belief; but, on the contrary, gave ready credence to it.

Under any circumstances it seemed of no use to remain where they were.
If Bill did not return, they were bound in honor to go after him; and,
if possible, find out what had become of him. If, on the other hand, he
should be coming back, they must meet him somewhere in the
pass,--through which the camel had carried him off--since there was no
other by which he might conveniently get back to them.

This point determined, the three mids, setting their faces for the
interior of the country, started off towards the break between the
sand-hills.

CHAPTER XXV.

BILL TO BE ABANDONED.

They proceeded with caution,--Colin even more than his companions. The
young Englishman was not so distrustful of the "natives," whoever they
might be, as the son of Scotia; and as for O'Connor, he still persisted
in the belief that there would be little, if any, danger in meeting with
men, and, in his arguments, still continued to urge seeking such an
encounter as the best course they could pursue.

"Besides," said Terence, "Coly says he hears the voices of women and
children. Sure no human creature that's got a woman and child in his
company would be such a cruel brute as you make out this desert
Ethiopian to be? Sailors' stories, to gratify the melodramatic ears of
Moll and Poll and Sue! Bah! if there be an encampment, let's go straight
into it, and demand hospitality of them. Sure they must be Arabs; and
sure you've heard enough of Arab hospitality?"

"More than's true, Terry," rejoined the young Englishman. "More than's
true, I fear."

"You may well say that," said Colin, confirmingly. "From what I've heard
and read,--ay, and from something I've seen while up the
Mediterranean,--a more beggarly hospitality than that called Arab don't
exist on the face of the earth. It's all well enough, so long as you are
one of themselves, and,