hem_!

His claim as to their persons was not disputed; they were his by Saaeran
custom. So, too, would their clothing, had his capture been complete;
but as there was a question about this, a distribution of the garments
had been demanded and acceded to.

The sheik, however, would not agree to giving up the shirts; loudly
declaring that they belonged to the skin; and after some discussion on
this moot point, his claim was allowed; and our adventurers were spared
the shame of entering the Arab encampment _in puris naturalibus_.

In their shirts did they once more stand face to face with Sailor Bill,
not a bit better clad than they: for though the old man-o'-war's-man was
still "anchored" by the marquee of the black sheik, his "toggery" had
long before been distributed throughout the _douar_; and scarce a tent
but contained some portion of his "belongings."

His youthful comrades saw, but were not permitted to approach him. They
were the undisputed property of the rival chieftain,--to whose tent they
were taken; but not until they had "run a muck" among the women and
children, very similar to that which Bill had to submit to himself. It
terminated in a similar manner: that is, by their _owner_ taking them
under his protection,--not from any motives of humanity, but simply to
save his property from receiving damage at the hands of the incarnate
female furies, who seemed to take delight in maltreating them!

The old sheik, after allowing his _fair_ followers, with their juvenile
_neophites_, for some length of time to indulge in their customary mode
of saluting strange captives, withdrew the latter beyond the reach of
persecution, to a place assigned them under the shadow of his tent.
There, with a sinewy Arab standing over them,--though as often squatted
beside them,--they were permitted to pass the remainder of the night, if
not in sleep at least in a state of tranquillity.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE CAPTIVES IN CONVERSATION.

This tranquillity only related to any disturbance experienced from their
captors. There was none.

These had been on the eve of striking their tents, and moving off to
some other oasis,--previous to the last incident that had arisen.

As already stated, the two sheiks, by a mutual understanding, had been
about to shake hands, and separate,--the son of Japhet going north, to
the markets of Morocco, while the descendant of Ham was to face homeward
to his more tropical and appropriate cli