e of time the procession was formed,
or rather formed itself. The slight camping arrangements had
disappeared as if by magic, and that which one hour had been a swarming
ant-hill of humanity, apparently all in confusion, was the next a long,
trailing line of men, horses, and camels, headed by a barbaric band,
moving steadily towards the entrance to the city, while the scene of the
night's encampment was the barren plain once more, dotted with the grey
ashes of so many fires.

Onward they went in a course which meant a meeting with the horsemen
coming from the city, and a passage through the increasing crowd, the
Emir's warriors passing on till the head of the guard galloped up as if
in a state of wild excitement, shouting "The Hakim!--the Hakim!"

The Hakim was already mounted upon his sleek camel, in the whitest and
most voluminous of turbans and robes, and sat with his followers,
waiting till the last of the main body of horsemen had passed.

Then came a little knot surrounding the camel litter in which lay the
Emir's son, and at a sign from the officer, the Hakim's camel was led
close behind the litter; Frank and the professor on their camels next;
Sam, looking as dignified as his master, followed; with him the Sheikh,
leading his men with the Hakim's sleek camels, of which he looked as
proud as any member of the procession.

Following close behind came the Emir himself, a swarthy, noble-looking
savage warrior, his brother chief by his side; and then in a long line
were the trophies of their swords and spears, the heavily laden camels
for the most part carrying a heterogeneous collection of objects dear to
the hearts of the raiding band, but many bearing dull, heavy-eyed women,
several with their children, slaves of their new masters, torn from
their homes, and for the most part seeming apathetic and taking it all
as a matter of course--kismet (fate)--which they must patiently bear
till the next change in their condition came to pass; one which they
knew might be at any hour, for their careers had taught them that a
stronger force might at any moment appear in the mysterious desert and
come down like a tempest, to reverse their state, the conquerors of
to-day becoming the fugitives of to-morrow.

The last of the heavily laden, murmuring and groaning camels was
followed by another troop of some fifty mounted men, whose horses
pranced and caracoled to the faintly heard blaring of trumpet and
beating of drum in fr