ng that he would carry out his
threat and shoot him dead. Then perchance his righteous anger would be
turned to sorrow; he would regret the blind devotion of his willing
slave.

A sudden shout from the muleteer made them both look round.

CHAPTER XXI

A swarm of mounted Arabs, shadows in the sun-haze, was careering
towards them, leaving a dust-cloud trailing on the distant plain.
Their lance-points glittered. They were nearing rapidly. Iskender
stood gaping, awestruck at the sight, when a whip-lash scored his face.

"You infernal scoundrel!" snarled the Emir through his clenched teeth.
"So this is why you've brought me all this way. They made it worth
your while, no doubt. I might have guessed. That missionary warned me
plain enough."

Iskender nursed his wounded face, and writhed with pain. For the
moment he could neither hear nor think nor see.

The wild horsemen galloped in a herd to within a hundred yards of the
travellers, when they fanned out neatly and surrounded them. The Frank
had plucked out his revolver.

"Don't do that, sir, for God-sake!" Iskender shrieked. "You make them
cross."

Still with hands pressed to his wounded face he blessed the assailants
loudly, and asked how they did. For answer they told him to make his
companion drop the pistol; which, when the order was conveyed to him,
the Amir did sullenly. The Arabs then rode near, and stared in the
faces of their captives.

They were a ragged-looking troop, clad every one in armour, were it but
of leather. Queer helmets showed beneath their dirty head-shawls, and
a few wore tattered coats of mail of high antiquity. Only their fierce
bold eyes, strong spears, and clean-limbed horses kept the laugh from
them. Their husky speech was full of words and phrases strange to
Iskender.

When all had satisfied their curiosity, the throng rode off, leaving a
sufficient guard to follow with the prisoners. Iskender learnt that
they were surprised to find so small a company. Having heard of the
approach of a great prince of the English, their chief expected to
receive a visit from his Highness, with supplication in due form for
leave to journey through his territory. When he learnt that the Emir
had entered his realm without so much as a salam aleykum, he resolved
to make the mannerless cub his guest by force. For this purpose he had
sent forth all his braves in war trim, supposing that the English chief
had power to match his ins