thousand.
A hundred of my men will ride with them as a guard, and to drive the
animals.

"With the others I shall, if the Franks do damage here, harass them on
their retreat, and by dashing among them at night will do them such harm
that they may regret the day that they came hither. Sidi will start in
the morning with the women and camels of his father's branch of the
tribe. I shall send in the morning two horsemen with a white flag to
meet the Franks, and to tell them, in my name, that none of my followers
have aught to do with the affair in Cairo, and that I desire to live in
peace with them. Upon their return I shall know what to do."

An Arab woman now brought in refreshments, consisting of a pillau and
sherbet, after which coffee was handed round, and Sidi and Edgar threw
themselves down on heaps of blankets for a few hours' sleep. As soon as
day broke, the encampment was a scene of bustle and confusion. The women
pulled down the tents, rolled up the blankets composing them, and
fastened the poles in bundles. Numbers of men scattered to cut bunches
of dates, and of these huge piles were collected. Three hours later the
camels were brought up, and men and women alike employed in loading
them. This occupied over an hour. As soon as it was completed, the women
and children took their places on the top of the burdens, and the camels
at once filed off, three abreast.

A party with the sheep, goats, and spare horses had started as soon as
it was light. The rest of the escort scattered themselves along on each
side of the long column of camels. Sidi's party left at the same hour.
The sheik up to that time had been engaged in superintending the
arrangements for shifting camp, and asked Sidi and Edgar to stop behind
for an hour or two in order that he might hear a full account of the
events at Cairo. When the story was finished they partook of a meal, and
then, after saying adieu, mounted and rode off, and in an hour's time
overtook the slow-moving cavalcade. Six days' travel took them to their
old camping-ground, where the sheik, with his little party, had arrived
three days previously.

CHAPTER IX.

SIR SIDNEY SMITH.

The first intimation that Napoleon received that the Sultan had declared
war with France, was the news that an army from Syria had advanced and
established itself at a fort in the desert half-way between the frontier
of that country and Egypt. He had, in the interval, endeavoured to make
hi