still sinking deeper. They could feel that their
feet were not resting on firm bottom; but constantly going down.

"A quicksand!" was the apprehension that rushed simultaneously into the
minds of all three.

Fortunately for them, the Arabs, at that moment, yielding to their
fatalist fears, had faced away from the shore; else the plunging and
splashing made by them in their violent endeavours to escape from the
quicksand could not have failed to dissipate these superstitions, and
cause their pursuers to complete the capture they had so childishly
relinquished.

As it chanced, the Saaran wreckers saw nothing of all this; and as the
splashing sounds, which otherwise might have reached them, were drowned
by the louder sough of the sea, they returned toward their encampment in
a state of perplexity bordering upon bewilderment.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE.

ONCE MORE THE MOCKING LAUGH.

After a good deal of scrambling and struggling, our adventurers
succeeded in getting clear of the quicksand, and planting their feet
upon firmer bottom, a little nearer to the water's edge. Though at this
point more exposed than they wished to be, they concealed themselves as
well as they could, holding their faces under the water up to the eyes.

Though believing that their enemies were gone for good, they dared not
as yet wade out upon the beach. The retiring pursuers would naturally
be looking back; and as the moon was still shining clearly as ever, they
might have been seen from a great distance.

They felt that they would not be safe in leaving their place of
concealment until the horde had re-crossed the ridge and descended once
more into the oasis that contained their encampment.

Making a rough calculation as to the time it would take for the return
journey, and allowing a considerable margin against the eventuality of
any unforeseen delay, the mids remained in their subaqueous retreat
without any material change of position.

When at length it appeared to them that the coast was clear, they rose
to their feet and commenced wading towards the strand.

Though no longer believing themselves observed, they proceeded silently
and with caution, the only noise made among them being the chattering of
their teeth, which were going like three complete sets of castanets.

This they could not help. The night breeze playing upon the saturated
garments, that clung coldly around their bodies, chilled them to the
very bones; and not on