r, and he might again be
permitted to rejoin them.

After communicating this hope to one another, all three turned their
faces shoreward, determined to put as much space between themselves and
the Arab encampment as night and circumstances would permit.

CHAPTER XXVI.

A CAUTIOUS RETREAT.

The ravine, up which the maherry had carried the old man-o'-war's-man,
ran perpendicularly to the trending of the seashore, and almost in a
direct line from the beach to the valley, in which was the Arab
encampment. It could not, however, be said to debouch into this valley.
Across its mouth the sand-drift had formed a barrier, like a huge
"snow-wreath," uniting the two parallel ridges that formed the sides of
the ravine itself. This "mouth-piece" was not so high as either of the
flanking ridges; though it was nearly a hundred feet above the level of
the beach on one side, and the valley on the other. Its crest, viewed
_en profile_, exhibited a saddle-shaped curve, the concavity turned
upward.

Through the centre of this saddle of sand, and transversely, the camel
had carried Bill; and over the same track the three midshipmen had gone
in search of him.

They had seen the Arab tents from the summit of the "pass"; and had it
been daylight, need have gone no nearer to note what was being there
done. Even by the moonlight, they had been able to make out the forms of
the horses, camels, men, and women; but not with sufficient distinctness
to satisfy them as to what was going on.

For this reason had they descended into the valley,--creeping cautiously
down the slope of the sand-wreath, and with equal caution advancing from
boulder to bush, and bush to boulder.

On taking the back track to regain the beach, they still observed
caution,--though perhaps not to such a degree as when approaching the
camp. Their desire to put space between themselves and the barbarous
denizens of the Desert,--of whose barbarity they had now obtained both
ocular and auricular proof,--had very naturally deprived them of that
prudent coolness which the occasion required. For all that, they did not
retreat with reckless rashness; and all three arrived at the bottom of
the sloping sand-ridge, without having any reason to think they had been
observed.

But the most perilous point was yet to be passed. Against the face of
the acclivity, there was not much danger of their being seen. The moon
was shining on the other side. That which they had to asce