with Naoum; the other is only
powerful in favour, he does not wield the hold over our master. No,
Arden will work his end, but not through his master, it will be in
the way he ordered the prison to be fired."

Helmar listened to every word they were talking of him.

"So it was Arden that had the prison set alight," thought he;
"evidently he would stop at nothing. Would his influence extend to
Cairo?"

"Who says that Arden had the prison burnt?" said one of the men.
"More likely that you did it, Abdu, because the Christian dog struck
you."

All three laughed, and George shuddered as he realized what it meant
to be in the power of such creatures.

"Whoever did it, it was good," said Abdu; "the dogs must die, or the
true believers will be driven from their own land. I would that I
were allowed, yonder dog should never leave this train alive, and
his body should rot on the plains, and feed the vultures."

"You are a great man, Abdu," said one of his companions, sneeringly,
"and very brave. Go and cut yonder dog's ropes and see how you will
fare! Allah! but he would eat you, knife and all!"

Abdu was stung to the quick, and retorted hotly--

"Have a care; I have dealt with him before, and if he hurt me it was
because I was not aware; but I am here in front of you, and by the
Prophet's beard, I fear you not," and he showed his glittering white
teeth.

Helmar was in hopes that they would start to fight amongst
themselves, and he felt convinced that if they did so, they would
not bother any more about troubling him.

"Allah! but you think because you are the son of a great man that I
fear to speak," retorted the other. "Shoo! I fear you so little that
I spit in your face!"

The man suited the action to the word, and immediately sprang to his
feet. Abdu promptly followed suit, as did the third man. The little
officer's eyes were blazing with rage, and he rushed, with upraised
knife, on the man who had insulted him. Instantly the two men
locked, and a struggle to the death ensued. Their knives gleamed and
flashed in the dim light of the car as each tried to bury his weapon
in his opponent's vitals.

So interested was Helmar in what was going on that he forgot his
pain and the torture to which he had been subjected, and laughed and
cheered Abdu's assailant on with an enthusiasm that astonished even
himself.

The third man of his guard seemed in some magic way to have
disappeared, but George had not thought about