lah and draw lots."

"I don't think we can do better," said the Colonel, and his three
companions nodded their assent.

It was the Moolah who approached them with four splinters of palm-bark
protruding from between his fingers.

"He says that he who draws the longest has the camel," said Mansoor.

"We must agree to abide absolutely by this," said Cochrane, and again
his companions nodded.

The Dervishes had formed a semicircle in front of them, with a fringe of
the oscillating heads of the camels. Before them was a cooking fire,
which threw its red light over the group. The Emir was standing with
his back to it, and his fierce face towards the prisoners. Behind the
four men was a line of guards, and behind them again the three women,
who looked down from their camels upon this tragedy. With a malicious
smile, the fat, one-eyed Moolah advanced with his fist closed, and the
four little brown spicules protruding from between his fingers.

It was to Belmont that he held them first. The Irishman gave an
involuntary groan, and his wife gasped behind him, for the splinter came
away in his hand. Then it was the Frenchman's turn, and his was half an
inch longer than Belmont's. Then came Colonel Cochrane, whose piece was
longer than the two others put together. Stephens' was no bigger than
Belmont's. The Colonel was the winner of this terrible lottery.

"You're welcome to my place, Belmont," said he. "I've neither wife nor
child, and hardly a friend in the world. Go with your wife, and I'll
stay."

"No, indeed! An agreement is an agreement. It's all fair play, and the
prize to the luckiest."

"The Emir says that you are to mount at once," said Mansoor, and an Arab
dragged the Colonel by his wrist-rope to the waiting camel.

"He will stay with the rearguard," said the Emir to his lieutenant.
"You can keep the women with you also."

"And this dragoman dog?"

"Put him with the others."

"And they?"

"Put them all to death."

CHAPTER IX.

As none of the three could understand Arabic, the order of the Emir
would have been unintelligible to them had it not been for the conduct
of Mansoor. The unfortunate dragoman, after all his treachery and all
his subservience and apostasy, found his worst fears realised when the
Dervish leader gave his curt command. With a shriek of fear the poor
wretch threw himself forward upon his face, and clutched at the edge of
the Arab's jibbeh, clawing with his bro