clear
and distinct at their feet. Their ears rang with the horrid din and
turmoil, and this spurred them on to greater efforts as they plunged
forward with great strides.

At the angle of the wall stood a watch-tower, and from this coign of
vantage the guards saw the fleeing fugitives, outlined by the
treacherous moonlight.

Crack! crack! crack! rang their rifles, and the bullets whistled keenly
through the air, but the flying figures went straight on and speedily
vanished over the crest of the hill.

The valley beneath the town was skimmed across, and then, scaling a low
stone wall, they plunged into the shadow of a big plantation and ran on
between rows of limes and coffee trees.

Guy feared that the Arabs who owned these orchards would join in the
pursuit, but Canaris assured him that there was little danger of that.
An uproar in the town, he declared, was always the signal for the
dwellers outside the walls to shut themselves in their houses.

A danger from another source, however, threatened them, for with a
furious growl a great dog came bounding on behind, and by his loud
outcry made the location of the fugitives very plain to their enemies.

The brute persistently followed them up, snapping at their heels, and
baying loudly. No stones could be found, and to use firearms would only
make matters worse. On the farther side of the plantation, however, the
dog stopped and uttered a long-drawn howl that was caught up in echoes
across the valley.

"I'm giving out," cried Melton faintly. "You'll have to leave me."

Canaris turned on him fiercely.

"Do you hear the mad fiends howling behind us? They are scattering over
the country, and if we are caught, good by," and he whipped his hand
across his throat. "You must keep up, only half a mile more, and I'll
hide you so securely that the fiends can never find us."

"Year hear?" added Guy. "Only half a mile more, Melton, and then rest."

But all this encouragement was of little use. Forbes was suffering now
from the reaction, and his strength was almost gone. A sound of shouting
suddenly rose from the valley, and taking Melton by the arms they fairly
dragged him along.

A hill now loomed up before them, and clutching stones and limbs of
trees they made their way painfully to the summit.

Looking toward the town they could see torches moving to and fro across
the valley, and twinkling through the leafy avenues of the plantation.

Their old enemy, the dog, beg