saves himself by the resort to physical strength, weapons,
or the use of a cajoling tongue. Theoretically, Dr. McDill was amply
protected by the mantle of the law. In reality, it was man to man as
much as if he had met his foes in the Arabian desert, with none but
himself and them and the vultures. Do you go armed?"

"No," replied Mr. Middleton, with a flippant smile; "but I can go
pretty fast, and that has heretofore done as well as going armed."

"Young man," said the emir, sternly, "a bullet can outstrip your
fleetest footsteps. There may never be but one occasion when you will
need a weapon, but on that occasion the possession of the means of
protection may spell the difference between life and life."

Hardly had he uttered them, before Mr. Middleton regretted his forward
and pert words, for never before had he answered the emir lightly,
such was his respect for him as a man of goodly parts and as one set
in authority, and such was his gratitude toward him as a benefactor.
Stammering forth what was at once an apology and an acknowledgement of
the wisdom of what the emir had said, Mr. Middleton began to make
preparations to go. But Prince Achmed bade him wait, and saying a few
words to Mesrour in the Arabic language, the blackamore brought to him
a pair of pistols of a formidable aspect. In sooth, one could hardly
tell whether they ought to be called pistols, or culverins. In the
shape of the stocks alone could anyone detect that they were pistols.
The bore of each was more than an inch in diameter, and the octagonal
barrels of thick steel, heavily inlaid with silver, were a foot and a
half long. The handles, which were in proportion to the barrels and so
long that four hands could grasp them, were so completely covered with
an inlay of pearl that no wood was visible. Taking one of them, the
emir rammed home a great load of powder, upon which he placed a
handful of balls as large as marbles. Having served the second
likewise, he handed the pair to Mr. Middleton.

"Take them. Protected by them, you need have little fear. But woe
betide the man who stands in front of them, for so wide is the
distribution of their charge, that he must be a most indifferent
marksman who could not do execution with them."

Thanking the emir for the gift and the entertainment and instruction
of his discourse, Mr. Middleton departed. Impressed though he had been
by Prince Achmed's counsel and by the lesson to be derived from the
recita