raving him.

The stream of smoke, pouring forth from its muzzle, for a moment
enveloped the form of the youthful mariner; but from the midst of that
sulphury _nimbus_ came forth a clear manly voice, pronouncing the word
"Missed!"

"Thank God!" cried Terence and Colin, in a breath; "now we have him in
our power! He can't load again! Let's on him altogether! Heave he!"

And uttering this nautical phrase of encouragement, the three mids, with
naked dirks, rushed simultaneously towards the maherry.

The Arab, old as he may have been, showed no signs either of stiffness
or decrepitude. On the contrary, he exhibited all the agility of a
tiger-cat; along with a fierce determination to continue the combat he
had initiated, notwithstanding the odds that were against him. On
discharging his gun, he had flung the useless weapon to the ground; and
instead of it now grasped a long curving scimitar, with which he
commenced cutting around him in every direction.

Thus armed, he had the advantage of his assailants; for while he might
reach any one of them by a quick cut, they with their short dirks could
not come within thrusting distance of him, without imminent danger of
having their arms, or perchance their heads, lopped sheer off their
shoulders.

Defensively, too, had the rider of the maherry an advantage over his
antagonists. While within distance of them, at the point of his curving
blade, seated upon his high perch, he was beyond the reach of their
weapons. Get close to him as they might, and spring as high as they
were able, they could not bring the tips of their daggers in contact
with his skin.

In truth, there seemed no chance for them to inflict the slightest wound
upon him; while at each fresh wheel of the maherry, and each new sweep
of the scimitar, one or other of them was in danger of decapitation.

On first entering upon the fight, our adventurers had not taken into
account the impregnable position of their antagonist. Soon, however,
did they discover the advantages in his favour, with their own
proportionate drawbacks. To neutralise these was the question that now
occupied them. If something was not done soon, one or other, perhaps
all three, would have to succumb to that keen cutting of the scimitar.

"Let's kill the camel!" cried Harry Blount, "that'll bring him within
reach; and then--"

The idea of the English youth was by no means a bad one; and perhaps
would have been carried out. But bef