of Christians, which made the blood of the Cabeleyzes run cold.
Their flocks would be diseased, storms from the mountains would overwhelm
them, their children would die, their name and race be cut off, if
infidel girls were permitted to bewitch them and turn them from the faith
of the Prophet. He pointed to young Selim, and demanded whether he were
not already spellbound by the silken daughter of the Giaour to join in
her idolatry.

There were howls of rage, a leaping up, a drawing of swords, a demand
that the unbelievers should die at once. It was a cry the captives knew
only too well. Arthur grasped a pistol, and loosened his sword, but
young Selim had thrown himself at the Marabout's feet, sobbing out
entreaties that the maiden's life might be saved, and assurances that he
was a staunch believer; while his father, scandalised at such an
exhibition on behalf of any such chattel as a female, roughly snatched
him from the ground, and insisted on his silence.

The Marabouts had, at their chief's signal, ranged themselves in front of
the inner court, and the authority of the Hadji had imposed silence even
on the fanatic. He spoke again, making them understand that Frankish
vengeance in case of a massacre could reach them even in their mountains
when backed by the Dey. And to Abderrahman he represented that the only
safety for his son, the only peace for his tribe, was in the surrender of
these two dangerous causes of altercation.

The 'King of the Mountains' was convinced by the scene that had just
taken place of the inexpedience of retaining the prisoners alive. And
some pieces of gold thrust into his hand by Ibrahim may have shown him
that much might be lost by slaughtering them.

The Babel which next arose was of the amicable bargaining sort. And
after another hour of suspense the interpreter came to announce that the
mountaineers, out of their great respect, not for the Dey, but the
Marabout, had agreed to accept 900 piastres as the ransom of all the five
captives, and that the Marabout recommended an immediate start, lest
anything should rouse the ferocity of the tribe again.

Estelle's warm heart would fain have taken leave of the few who had been
kind to her; but this was impossible, for the women were in hiding, and
she could only leave one or two kerchiefs sent from Algiers, hoping
Zuleika might have one of them. Ibrahim insisted on her being veiled as
closely as a Mohammedan woman as she passed out.