ot made the crossing along with the others; and for
some time resisted all the attempts of the Arabs to force him over the
insect stream.

Two of them at length laid hold of him; and, after dragging him some
paces into the crawling crowd, left him to himself.

Being thus brought in actual contact with the insects, the old sailor
saw that the quickest way of getting out of the scrape was to cross over
to the other side.

This he proceeded to do in the least time, and with the greatest
possible noise. His paces were long, and made with wonderful rapidity;
and each time his foot came to the ground, he uttered a horrible yell,
as though it had been planted upon a sheet of red-hot iron.

Bill's brother had now so far recovered from his feigned illness, that
he was able to walk along with the Boy Slaves.

Naturally conversing about the locusts, he informed his companions, that
the year before he had been upon a part of the Saaeran coast where a
cloud of these insects had been driven out to sea by a storm, and
drowned. They were afterwards washed ashore in heaps; the effluvia from
which became so offensive that the fields of barley near the shore could
not be harvested, and many hundred acres of the crop were wholly lost to
the owners.

CHAPTER LXVIII.

THE ARABS AT HOME.

Soon after encountering the locusts, the kafila came upon a well-beaten
road, running through a fertile country, where hundreds of acres of
barley could be seen growing on both sides.

That evening, for some reason unknown to the slaves, their masters did
not halt at the usual hour. They saw many walled villages, where dwelt
the proprietors of the barley fields; but hurried past them without
stopping either for water or food--although their slaves were sadly in
need of both.

In vain the latter complained of thirst, and begged for water. The only
reply to their entreaties was a harsh command to move on faster,
frequently followed by a blow.

Towards midnight, when the hopes and strength of all were nearly
exhausted, the kafila arrived at a walled village, where a gate was
opened to admit his slaves. The old sheik then informed them that they
should have plenty of food and drink, and would be allowed to rest for
two or three days in the village.

A quantity of water was then thickened with barley meal; and of this
diet they were permitted to have as much as they could consume.

It was after night when they entered the gate of the vill