himself again now that the hour for action had arrived. "I wish to
Heaven I could see Tippy Tilly or any of his friends. Now is the time
for them to help us." He watched the mad stream of fugitives as they
flew past upon their shambling, squattering, loose-jointed beasts, but
the black face of the Egyptian gunner was not among them.

And now it really did seem as if the whole body of them, in their
haste to get clear of the ravine, had not a thought to spend upon the
prisoners. The rush was past, and only stragglers were running the
gauntlet of the fierce fire which poured upon them from above. The
last of all, a young Baggara with a black moustache and pointed beard,
looked up as he passed and shook his sword in impotent passion at the
Egyptian riflemen. At the same instant a bullet struck his camel, and
the creature collapsed, all neck and legs, upon the ground. The young
Arab sprang off its back, and, seizing its nose-ring, he beat it
savagely with the flat of his sword to make it stand up. But the dim,
glazing eye told its own tale, and in desert warfare the death of the
beast is the death of the rider. The Baggara glared round like a lion
at bay, his dark eyes flashing murderously from under his red turban.
A crimson spot, and then another, sprang out upon his dark skin, but he
never winced at the bullet wounds. His fierce gaze had fallen upon the
prisoners, and with an exultant shout he was dashing towards them, his
broad-bladed sword gleaming above his head. Miss Adams was the nearest
to him, but at the sight of the rushing figure and the maniac face she
threw herself off the camel upon the far side. The Arab bounded on to
a rock and aimed a thrust at Mrs. Belmont, but before the point could
reach her the Colonel leaned forward with his pistol and blew the man's
head in. Yet with a concentrated rage, which was superior even to the
agony of death, the fellow lay kicking and striking, bounding about
among the loose stones like a fish upon the shingle.

[Illustration: The Colonel leaned forward with his pistol p247]

"Don't be frightened, ladies," cried the Colonel. "He is quite dead, I
assure you. I am so sorry to have done this in your presence, but the
fellow was dangerous. I had a little score of my own to settle with him,
for he was the man who tried to break my ribs with his Remington. I hope
you are not hurt, Miss Adams! One instant, and I will come down to you."

But the old Boston lady was by no means hu