again recovered.

The chance was worth the risk, so thought Golah, and silently moved on.

As he drew nearer, he saw that the man was lying on his side, with his
face turned towards him, and partly concealed by one arm.

The black sheik could see no gun in his hands, and consequently there
would be but little danger in an encounter with him, if such should
chance to arise.

Golah grasped the heavy scimitar in his right hand, evidently intending
to despatch his victim as he had done the other, with a single blow.

The head could be severed from the body at one stroke, and no alarm
would be given to the slumbering camp.

The heavy blade of shining steel was raised aloft; and the gripe of the
powerful hand clutching its hilt became more firm and determined.

Sailor Bill! has your promise to keep a sharp lookout been broken so
soon?

Beware! Golah is near with strength in his arm, and murder in his mind!

CHAPTER LXI.

SAILOR BILL STANDING SENTRY.

After two hours had been passed in moving slowly to and fro, hearing the
word "_Akka_" and seeing nothing but gray sand, Sailor Bill began to
feel weary, and now regretted that the old sheik had honored him with
his confidence.

For the first hour of his watch he had kept a good lookout to the
eastward, and had given the whole of his attention to his sentinel's
duty.

Gradually his intense alertness forsook him, and he began to think of
the past and future.

Themes connected with these subjects seldom troubled Bill,--his thoughts
generally dwelling upon the present; but, in the darkness and solitude
in which he was now placed, there was but little of the present to
arrest his attention. For the want of something else to amuse his mind,
it was turned to the small cannon he was carrying in his hand.

"This 'ere thing," thought he, "aint o' much use as a pistol, though it
might be used as a war-club at close quarters. I hope I shan't 'ave to
fire it hoff. The barrel is thin, and the bullet hinside it must be
a'most as large as an 'en's heg. It ud be like enough to bust. Preaps 't
aint loaded, and may 'ave been given to me for amusement. I may as well
make sure about that."

After groping about for some time, the sailor succeeded in finding a
small piece of stick, with which he measured the length of the barrel on
the outside; then, by inserting the stick into the muzzle, he found that
the depth of the barrel was not quite equal to its length.

There mus