from us, but off the road which was occupied by a body of
horsemen in white robes. Orme issued a brief order to the effect that we
were to follow the camels with which the Professor might be. We started
to obey, but before we had covered twenty yards of the cornfield or
whatever it was in which we were standing, heard voices ahead that were
not those of Abati. Evidently the flash which showed the Fung to us had
done them a like service, and they were now advancing to kill or capture
us.

There was only one thing to do--turn and fly--and this we did, heading
whither we knew not, but managing to keep touch of each other.

About a quarter of an hour later, just as we were entering a grove of
palms or other trees which hid everything in front of us, the lightning
blazed again, though much more faintly, for by this time the storm had
passed over the Mountains of Mur, leaving heavy rain behind it. By the
flash I, who was riding last and, as it chanced, looking back over my
shoulder, saw that the Fung horsemen were not fifty yards behind, and
hunting for us everywhere, their line being extended over a long front.
I was, however, sure that they had not yet caught sight of us in the
dense shadow of the trees.

"Get on," I said to the others; "they will be here presently," and heard
Quick add:

"Give your camel his head, Captain; he can see in the dark, and perhaps
will take us back to the road."

Orme acted on this suggestion, which, as the blackness round us was
pitchy, seemed a good one. At any rate it answered, for off we went at a
fair pace, the three camels marching in line, first over soft ground
and afterwards on a road. Presently I thought that the rain had stopped,
since for a few seconds none fell on us, but concluded from the echo of
the camels' feet and its recommencement that we had passed under some
archway. On we went, and at length even through the gloom and rain I saw
objects that looked like houses, though if so there were no lights in
them, perhaps because the night drew toward morning. A dreadful idea
struck me: we might be in Harmac! I passed it up for what it was worth.

"Very likely," whispered Orme back. "Perhaps these camels were bred
here, and are looking for their stables. Well, there is only one thing
to do--go on."

So we went on for a long while, only interfered with by the occasional
attentions of some barking dog. Luckily of these Pharaoh, in his basket,
took no heed, probably because it