sheik, "why do you not die, my friend? We
are waiting for the fulfilment of your destiny."

"I am dead," ejaculated the sufferer, speaking in a faint voice, and
apparently with great difficulty.

Having said this, he relapsed into silence, and remained motionless as a
corpse.

The sheik then placed one hand upon his temples. "Yes!" he exclaimed,
"the words of our friend are those of truth and wisdom. He is dead."

The wounded man was then rolled into the cavity which had been scooped
out, and they hastily proceeded to cover him with sand.

As they did so, his hands were repeatedly uplifted, while a low moaning
came from his lips; but his movements were apparently unseen, and his
cries of agony unnoticed!

His companions remained both deaf and blind to any evidence that might
refute his own assertion that he was dead.

The sand was at length heaped up, so as completely to cover his body,
when, by an order from the old sheik, his followers turned away from the
spot and the Kafila moved on.

CHAPTER LIX.

ONCE MORE BY THE SEA.

Sailor Bill's conjecture that they were not far from the sea proved
correct.

On the evening of that same day they saw the sun sink down into a
shining horizon, which they knew was not that of the burning sand-plain
over which they had been so long moving.

That faint and distant view of his favorite element was a joyful moment
for the old sailor.

"We are in sight of home!" he exclaimed. "Shiver my timbers if I ever
lose sight of it again! I shan't be buried in the sand. If I must go
under alive, it shall be under water, like a Christyun. If I could swim,
I'd start right off for Hold Hingland as soon as we get to yonder
shore."

The boy slaves were alike inspired with hope and joy at the distant
view.

The sea was still too far off to be reached that night, and the douar
was pitched about five miles from the shore.

During this night, three of the Arabs were kept constantly on guard; but
the camp was not disturbed, and next morning they resumed their journey,
some with the hope, and others with the fear, that Golah would trouble
them no more.

The Arabs wished to meet him during the hours of daylight, and secure
the property they had lost; and from their knowledge of the part of the
desert they were now traversing, they were in hopes of doing this. They
knew there was but one place within two days' journey where fresh water
could be obtained; and should they succeed