"look upon this knife in the hands
of Mohammed Beyd! Look well, unbeliever, for it is the last thing in
life that you shall see or feel. With it Mohammed Beyd will cut out
your black heart. If you have a God pray to him now--in a minute more
you shall be dead," and with that he rushed viciously upon the Belgian,
his knife raised high above his head.

Werper was still dragging futilely at his weapon. The Arab was almost
upon him. In desperation the European waited until Mohammed Beyd was
all but against him, then he threw himself to one side to the floor of
the tent, leaving a leg extended in the path of the Arab.

The trick succeeded. Mohammed Beyd, carried on by the momentum of his
charge, stumbled over the projecting obstacle and crashed to the
ground. Instantly he was up again and wheeling to renew the battle;
but Werper was on foot ahead of him, and now his revolver, loosened
from its holster, flashed in his hand.

The Arab dove headfirst to grapple with him, there was a sharp report,
a lurid gleam of flame in the darkness, and Mohammed Beyd rolled over
and over upon the floor to come to a final rest beside the bed of the
woman he had sought to dishonor.

Almost immediately following the report came the sound of excited
voices in the camp without. Men were calling back and forth to one
another asking the meaning of the shot. Werper could hear them running
hither and thither, investigating.

Jane Clayton had risen to her feet as the Arab died, and now she came
forward with outstretched hands toward Werper.

"How can I ever thank you, my friend?" she asked. "And to think that
only today I had almost believed the infamous story which this beast
told me of your perfidy and of your past. Forgive me, M. Frecoult. I
might have known that a white man and a gentleman could be naught else
than the protector of a woman of his own race amid the dangers of this
savage land."

Werper's hands dropped limply at his sides. He stood looking at the
girl; but he could find no words to reply to her. Her innocent
arraignment of his true purposes was unanswerable.

Outside, the Arabs were searching for the author of the disturbing
shot. The two sentries who had been relieved and sent to their
blankets by Mohammed Beyd were the first to suggest going to the tent
of the prisoner. It occurred to them that possibly the woman had
successfully defended herself against their leader.

Werper heard the men approaching.