into the sea? They are bidding Hassan say that the French built that,
and garrisoned it with the help of the Dey; but there fell out a war, and
these fellows, or their fathers, surprised it, sacked it, and carried off
four hundred prisoners into slavery. Holy Mother defend us! Here are
all the rogues coming to see what they will do with us!'

For the open space in front of the huts, whence all the animals had now
been driven, was becoming thronged with figures with the haik laid over
their heads, spear or blunderbuss in hand, fine bearing, and sometimes
truculent, though handsome, browse countenances. They gazed at the
captives, and uttered what sounded like loud hurrahs or shouts; but after
listening to Hassan, Lanty turned round trembling. 'The miserables! Some
are for sacrificing us outright on the spot, but this decent man declares
that he will make them sensible that their prophet was not out-and-out as
bad as that. Never you fear, Mademoiselle.'

'I am not afraid,' said Estelle, drawing up her head. 'We shall be
martyrs.'

Lanty was engaged in listening to a moan from his foster-brother for
food, and Hebert joined in observing that they might as well be
sacrificed as starved to death; whereupon the Irishman's words and
gesticulations induced the Moor to make representations which resulted in
some dry pieces of _samh_ cake, a few dates, and a gourd of water being
brought by one of the women; a scanty amount for the number, even though
poor Victorine was too ill to touch anything but the water; while the
Abbe seemed unable to understand that the servants durst not demand
anything better, and devoured her share and a quarter of Lanty's as well
as his own. Meantime the Cabeleyzes had all ranged themselves in rows,
cross-legged on the ground, opposite to the five unfortunate captives, to
sit in judgment on them. As they kept together in one group, happily in
the shade of a hut, Victorine, too faint and sick fully to know what was
going on, lay with her head on the lap of her young mistress, who sat
with her bright and strangely fearless eyes confronting the wild figures
opposite.

Her uncle, frightened, though not comprehending the extent of his danger,
crouched behind Lanty, who with Hebert stood somewhat in advance, the
would-be guardians of the more helpless ones.

There was an immense amount of deafening shrieking and gesticulating
among the Arabs. Hassan was responding, and finally turned to Lanty