the walls. Throwing themselves down in the shade of some
date-trees, the white slaves soon fell into a sound slumber.

Three hours after they were awakened to eat a small compound of hot
barley-cakes and honey.

Before they had finished their repast, Rais Mourad came up to the spot,
and began a conversation with the Krooman.

"What does the Moor say?" inquired Harry.

"He say dat if we be no bad, and we no cheat him, he take us to Sweareh,
to de English Consul."

"Of course we will promise that, or anything else," assented Harry, "and
keep the promise too, if we can. He will be sure to be well paid for us.
Tell him that!"

The Krooman obeyed: and the Moor, in reply, said that he was well aware
that he would be paid something by the Consul, but that he required a
written promise from the slaves themselves as to the amount.

He wanted them to sign an agreement that he should be paid two hundred
dollars for each one of them.

This they readily assented to, and the Moor then produced a piece of
paper, a reed, and some ink.

Rais Mourad wrote the agreement himself in Arabic, on one side of the
paper, and then, reading it sentence by sentence, requested the Krooman
to translate it to his companions.

The translation given by the Krooman was--

"To English Consul,--

"We be four Christian slave. Rais Mourad buy us of Arab. We promise
to gib him two hundred dollar for one, or eight hundred dollar for
four, if he take us to you. Please pay him quick."

Harry and Colin signed the paper without any hesitation, and it was then
handed with the pen to Sailor Bill.

The old sailor took the paper; and, after carefully surveying every
object around him, walked up to one of the saddles lying on the ground a
few paces off.

Spreading the paper on the saddle, he sat down, and very deliberately
set about the task of making his autograph.

Slowly as the hand of a clock moving over the face of a dial, Bill's
hand passed over the paper, while his head oscillated from side to side
as each letter was formed.

After Bill had succeeded in painting a few characters which, in his
opinion, expressed the name of William McNeal, Harry was requested to
write a similar agreement on the other side of the paper, which they
were also to sign.

Rais Mourad was determined on being certain that his slaves had put
their names to such an agreement as he wished, and therefore had written
it himself, so that he might no