ath.

CHAPTER VIII.

THE SEPARATION.

But help was at hand. Before Oko Sam could reach his victim, an Arab
directly behind Guy fired, and the fellow stumbled blindly on the sand.

A shout of rage burst from the Somalis, and, hastily pushing their
captives to the rear, they advanced in a very ugly manner, shaking their
long spears.

Leaving the dead Arab and the wounded Somali where they had fallen, the
Arabs moved back a short distance, taking Guy and Melton with them, and
shouted to the Somalis to remain where they were.

The Arabs were reluctant to fire, and would have avoided further
bloodshed, but the enraged savages continued to press forward, and
finally let fly a shower of spears that wounded one of the Arabs, and
unfortunately killed a camel. The Arabs at once retaliated with a
rifle-volley, and to such good effect that three or four of the Somalis
were killed.

This brought them to their senses. Their spears could not compete with
the firearms of the Arabs. They moved back to their animals, and, with a
few farewell shouts of vengeance, rode away to the south, while the
Arabs hastily bestrode their camels, and, taking the two Englishmen with
them, calmly resumed their journey to the southwest.

For a time the two caravans, moving on the sides of an acute angle, as
it were, remained close together; but, gradually diverging, the sharp
outlines of the Somalis began to fade into the twilight, and at last, as
Guy and Melton strained their tear-dimmed eyes into the distance, the
shadows obliterated the last traces of their captive friends. To Momba
Melton had been deeply attached, and their separation was a hard blow.

And now a terrible feeling of desolation came over them, and they were
half inclined to wish that they, too, had been led away to share the
fate of Sir Arthur and the colonel.

Though it was now fast growing dark, the Arabs evinced no intention of
stopping. With long, sweeping strides the unwearied camels swept over
the sandy plain, and their riders from time to time spurred them to
greater speed.

Melton was back in the rear, but Guy rode in front, with the Arab who
had assumed the leadership since the death of his companion.

Guy ventured to address him, and was surprised to find him grown
somewhat communicative. He explained to Guy in broken English that by
Makar's orders he and Melton were to be delivered up to Rao Khan instead
of being sent into slavery among the Somalis. Har