eir example, not from any dislike to the dress, but because he thought
that the sheik would prefer rejoining his followers, with the whole
party dressed in Arab costume.

There was no doubting the genuineness of the welcome that the Beni Ouafy
gave their chief. Until Ali had arrived with news of their escape, they,
like his wife, had deemed that he and his son had fallen, and there was
deep emotion in their faces as they circled round and round the little
party, discharging their guns, tossing their spears in the air, catching
them as they fell, and shouting their welcome. The sheik and those with
him fired off their guns as the party came up, and the sheik, in spite
of his efforts to maintain the impassive expression of his face, was
evidently much moved. As soon as the demonstration ceased he started
again without a word. The others followed his example, and they rode in
a body until they reached the Pyramids, when he dismounted. In an
instant all were off their horses and gathered round him.

"My brothers," he said, "I thank you for my welcome. It gladdens my
heart to be among you again, but I cannot forget that many saddles have
been emptied, that many of our women are widows and their children
fatherless. I rode away with fifty men. I hear that but ten, and they
all wounded, returned to your tents. Two, Ali and Hassan, remained with
the horses; the rest met their death with their face to the foe, dying
as a Moslem should do in defence of his faith and his country. But the
loss to us is a grievous one; half of our fighting strength is gone. You
have heard from Ali that had it not been for this brave young friend,
whom you regard as one of yourselves, since he is my son's adopted
brother, both I and my son would have died. Later I will tell you how he
sought for and carried me senseless from among the dead upon the field
of battle, and how he ventured into the council of the Franks and by
stratagem persuaded them to free my son, who was one of the Arab
prisoners.

"It will be a tale to tell your children how this English lad, himself
wounded, saved the lives of the sheik of your tribe and his son. But
this is no time for telling it to you in full now. See, there is a great
dust rising by the river; it is probably the cavalry of the Franks, with
perhaps some guns. They are far away yet, but it will not be long before
they are here. I have resolved to journey quietly back to our home. I
feel that it will be some time