e sides of the animal he bestrides, and urges
him on with every artifice known to a jockey, and considering the
darkness, the rough nature of the road, and the weariness of the beast,
he succeeds in getting over the ground at quite a respectable rate.

Thus, meeting no one on the way, he finally bursts upon the village of
Birkadeen much after the manner of a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and
dashes up to the office of the stage line, which, as may be supposed, is
managed by Franks.

A Frenchman has charge, and upon his vision there suddenly bursts a
dusty figure, with hair destitute of covering, and clothing awry, a
figure that has leaped from a horse bathed in sweat; a figure he
imagines has broken loose from some mad-house, yet which upon addressing
him shows a wonderful amount of coolness.

"Are you the agent of the stage line?" is the first question fired at
him.

"I am Monsieur Constans. I have ze charge of ze elegant equipage line
zat you speak of as one stage," returns the Frenchman.

"You remember my passing through here a little while ago, bound for
Algiers?"

"_Parbleu!_ zat is so. I am astonish. What for are you back on ze
horseback, too. _Mon Dieu!_ have ze robbers been at it again? Ten souzan
fury, and ze _cadi_ promise zat we have no more trouble wif zem."

At the mention of the word John experiences a sudden chill, remembering
that he has left Lady Ruth and Aunt Gwen upon the loneliest part of the
road to Algiers; but becomes somewhat reassured when it also crosses his
memory that the gallant professor and the soldier hero of Zulu battles
are there to defend them.

"You are mistaken. The miserable vehicle has broken down," he says.

"_Ciel!_ is zat all?"

"All! Confound your impudence, and isn't it enough when two ladies are
almost killed outright by the accident? All! when we've been rattled
about like dry peas in a pod, until there's hardly a square inch of me
that doesn't ache. I'll tell you, monsieur, what you are to do, and in
a dused hurry, too. Order out another stage and fly to the scene of the
wreck without delay."

"Begar! if I only had a vehicle," he groans.

"You shall find one of some sort inside of five minutes and go with me
to the scene to rescue my friends, and take them to safety, or you must
take the consequences," and in his excitement John glowers upon the
dapper Gaul until the latter actually trembles with trepidation.

"Stop! I have zink of something. Zere is one old