should hinder him from closing his eyes in
sleep for a whole moon. There's no fear that he will betray us."

CHAPTER LX.

GOLAH CALLS AGAIN.

In setting the watch for the night one of the sentinels was stationed on
the shore about a hundred yards north of the douar. His instructions
were to walk a round of about two hundred paces, extending inward from
the beach.

Another was placed about the same distance south of the camp, and was to
pace backwards and forwards after a similar fashion.

Sailor Bill was stationed on the land side of the camp, where he was to
move to and fro between the beats of the two Arab guards, each of whom,
on discovering him at the termination of his round, was to utter the
word "_Akka_," so that the sailor should distinguish them from an enemy.

The Arabs themselves were supposed to be sufficiently intelligent to
tell a friend from a foe without requiring any countersign.

Before Bill was sent upon his beat, the old sheik went into a tent, and
soon after reappeared with a large pistol, bearing a strong likeness to
a blunderbuss. This weapon he placed in the sailor's hand, with the
injunction--translated to him by the interpreter--not to discharge it
until he should be certain of killing either Golah or one of his
companions.

The old sailor, although sorely fatigued with the toil of the day's
journey, had so great a horror of again becoming the property of the
black sheik, that he cheerfully promised to "walk the deck all night,
and keep a good lookout for breakers," and his young companions sought
repose in full confidence that the promise would be faithfully kept.

Any one of the boy slaves would willingly have taken his place, and
allowed their old comrade to rest for the night; but Bill had been
selected by the old sheik, and from his decree there was no appeal.

The two Arabs doing duty as sentinels knew, from past experience, that
if the Kafila was still followed by Golah, they would be the individuals
most exposed to danger; and this knowledge was sufficient to stimulate
them to the most faithful discharge of their trust.

Neither of them wished to become victims to the fate which had befallen
their predecessors in office.

For two or three hours both paced slowly to and fro; and Bill, each time
he approached the end of his beat, could hear distinctly pronounced the
word "_Akka_" which proved that his co-sentinels were fully on the
alert.

It so chanced that one of