herefore, on the point of awaking Selim and asking him to make his way
out to look for some--he being more likely to succeed than any of us--
when the sound of horses' hoofs on the hard ground reached my ear.
Turning my head round, I saw, marching from behind the grove of trees
which concealed the road abreast of us, a troop of horsemen, among whom
I recognised a number of the chiefs and others whom I had seen at the
camp. Several of them dashed into the wood, through which they passed
quickly, and then, as I guessed from the sounds which reached me, came
close up to the ruin. I fancied that some had dismounted, and were
scrambling among the masses of stone searching for us, and I trembled
lest we might have left some traces by which they should discover our
retreat. I dared not move, for fear they might hear me; and I dreaded
every moment that my companions would awake, and, unaware of our danger,
utter some sound which might draw attention to us. I was almost afraid
to breathe.

More horsemen now appeared on the road, and from the movements of the
party there was no doubt that they were convinced we were hiding in the
neighbourhood. I listened to the voices of those who were searching for
us, and tried to make out what was said. They appeared to be stumbling
among the masses of fallen ruins, looking into every hole, and poking
their swords into every crevice.

"The cursed Nazarenes cannot be here," I at last heard one exclaim.
"They must have gone on further, if they are not concealed nearer the
camp."

"They may have fleet heels, but they could not have got further than
this when we passed the place," exclaimed a second.

"May curses rest on them and their ancestors," growled another.

Still my companions slept. Even now I dreaded lest the slightest sound
they might make should catch the ears of our pursuers, who at that
moment were close under us. It did not occur to them that, like cats,
we should have climbed up to such a height; nor, of course, were they
aware of the existence of the secret chamber in which we lay hid.
Perhaps hundreds of years had passed since it was entered by a human
being, and it was next to a miracle that Selim should have discovered
it.

How thankful I felt when, by the sounds made by the Arabs as they
scrambled over the ruins, I knew that they were returning to their
horses. Presently I caught sight of them, as they passed in front of my
look-out hole on their way to join t