ome breakfast, were commanded to eat it in
all haste, and then assist in preparing the animals for the road.

They were also informed that they were to be taken south, and sold.

"Shall we go, or die?" asked Colin. "I, for one, had rather die than
again pass through the hardships of a journey in the desert."

Neither of the others made any reply to this. The spirit of despair had
taken too strong a hold upon them.

The merchants themselves were obliged to caparison their animals; and
just as they were about to use some strong arguments to induce their
refractory slaves to mount, they were told that "El Hajji" ("the
pilgrim") wished to see the Christians.

Soon after, one of the strangers who had entered the town so late on the
night before was seen slowly approaching.

He was a tall, venerable-looking Arab, with a long white beard reaching
down to the middle of his breast. His costume, by its neatness and the
general costliness of the articles of which it was composed, bespoke him
a man of the better class, and his bearing was nowise inferior to his
guise.

Having performed the pilgrimage to the Prophet's Tomb, he commanded the
respect and hospitality of all good Mussulmans whithersoever he
wandered.

With the Krooman as interpreter, he asked many questions, and seemed to
be much interested in the fate of the miserable-looking objects before
him.

After his curiosity had been satisfied as to the name of the vessel in
which they had reached the country, the time they had passed in slavery,
and the manner of their treatment which had produced their emaciated and
wretched appearance, he made inquiries about their friends and relatives
at home.

Harry informed him that Colin and himself had parents, brothers, and
sisters, who were now probably mourning them as lost: that they and
their two companions were sure to be ransomed, could they find some one
who would take them to Mogador. He also added, that their present
masters had promised to take them to that place, but were now prevented
from doing so through the fear that they would not be rewarded for their
trouble.

"I will do all I can to assist you," said El Hajji, after the Krooman
had given the interpretation of Harry's speech. "I owe a debt of
gratitude to one of your countrymen, and I shall try to repay it. When
in Cairo I was unwell, and starving for the want of food. An officer of
an English ship of war gave me a coin of gold. That piece of money
pro