that they were to be separated.
Their only hope was that the bargaining would not end there; but would
extend to a further exchange of six blacks for the two remaining whites.

Their conjectures were interrupted by their seeing that the "swop" was
not yet considered complete.

What followed, in fact, showed them that it was not a regular trade at
all; but a little bit of gambling between the two sheiks, in which
Terence and the three young blacks were to be the respective stakes.

Old Bill was able to explain the proceedings, from his experience of the
preceding night; and as he saw the two sheiks repair to the place where
his own proprietorship had been decided, he cried out:--

"Yere goin' to be gambled for, Masther Terry! Och! ye'll be along wid
me,--for the black can bate the owld Arab at that game, all hollow."

The holes in which the _helga_ had been played on the preceding night
were now resorted to. The proper number of dung pellets were procured,
and the game proceeded.

It ended as the old man-o'-war's-man had prognosticated, by the black
sheik becoming the winner and owner of Terence O'Connor.

The Arab appeared sadly chagrined, and by the way in which he strutted
and stormed over the ground, it was evident he would not rest satisfied
with his loss. When did gamester ever leave gaming-table so long as a
stake was left him to continue the play?

Two of the midshipmen still belonged to the old sheik. With these he
might obtain a _revanche_. He made the trial. He was unfortunate, as
before. Either the luck was against him, or he was no match at "desert
draughts" for his sable antagonist.

It ended in the black sheik becoming the owner of the three midshipmen,
who, restored to the companionship of Sailor Bill, in less than twenty
minutes after the conclusion of the game, were trudging it across the
desert in the direction of Timbuctoo!

CHAPTER XLIII.

GOLAH.

In their journey over the sea of sand, our four adventurers formed part
of a company of sixteen men and women, along with six or seven children.

All were the property of one man,--the huge and dusky sheik who had won
Sailor Bill and the three middies at "desert draughts."

It soon became known to his white captives that his name was Golah, a
name which Terence suggested might probably be an African abbreviation
of the ancient name of Goliah.

Golah was certainly a great man,--not in bone and flesh alone, but in
intellect as well.