hes of pretty well a
dozen muskets, the rocks echoed the scattered volley, and magnified it
fifty-fold, and then, with a yell, the company came galloping down, to
rush past and reach the open slope beyond.

How it all happened neither Mr Burne nor the professor could fully have
explained. It must have been the effect of Yussuf's example, for, as
the bullets flew harmlessly over the party's head, he replied with shot
after shot from his revolver, discharging it at the attacking group. As
he fired his second shot, Mr Burne's fowling-piece went off, both
barrels almost together, and the professor and Lawrence both fired as
the group reached them, and after them, as it passed and went thundering
by and down the slope out beyond the entrance to the gorge.

"Load again quickly," cried the professor; "they may return. There is
one poor wretch down."

His command was obeyed, empty cartridges thrown out and fresh ones
inserted; but the trampling of horses' hoofs was continued, and
gradually grew more faint, as the little party descended from their
improvised fort. They ran down, for something curious had occurred.

As the band of horsemen charged, their company seemed to divide in two,
and the cause appeared to be this:

One of the mounted men was seen to fall from his saddle and hang by the
stirrup, when his horse, instead of galloping on, stopped short, and
five other horses that were seen to be riderless stopped, after going
fifty yards, and cantered back to their companion and huddled round him.

"Why, there's Ali Baba!" cried Lawrence excitedly, as he ran down and
caught his little steed by the bridle.

"And the pack-horses!" cried Mr Burne quite as excitedly, as he
followed.

"Enemies, not friends, effendi," said Yussuf quickly.

For all had seen at once now that they had recovered their lost horses,
it being evident that the travellers, by taking the short cut, had got
ahead of the marauding band, for such they seemed to be; and they had
possibly made the task the easier by halting somewhere on the way to let
their horses feed.

But there was another cause for the horses keeping together, and not
following those of the strangers in their headlong flight, for, on
coming up, the reason for the first one stopping was perfectly plain.
Hamed, the pack-horse driver, had been made prisoner, and, poor fellow!
secured by having his ankles bound together by a rope which passed
beneath the horse's girths. When the c