ral African wilds. For a minute there was a mad vortex of rushing
figures, rifle-butts rising and falling, spearheads gleaming and darting
among the rolling dust cloud. Then the bugle rang out once more, the
Egyptians fell back and formed up with the quick precision of highly
disciplined troops, and there in the centre, each upon his sheepskin,
lay the gallant barbarian and his raiders. The nineteenth century had
been revenged upon the seventh.

The three women had stared horror-stricken and yet fascinated at
the stirring scene before them. Now Sadie and her aunt were sobbing
together. The Colonel had turned to them with some cheering words when
his eyes fell upon the face of Mrs. Belmont. It was as white and set as
if it were carved from ivory, and her large grey eyes were fixed as if
she were in a trance.

"Good Heavens, Mrs. Belmont, what _is_ the matter?" he cried.

For answer she pointed out over the desert. Far away, miles on the other
side of the scene of the fight, a small body of men were riding towards
them.

"By Jove, yes; there's some one there. Who can it be?"

They were all straining their eyes, but the distance was so great that
they could only be sure that they were camel-men and about a dozen in
number.

"It's those devils who were left behind in the palm grove," said
Cochrane. "There's no one else it can be. One consolation, they can't
get away again. They've walked right into the lion's mouth."

But Mrs. Belmont was still gazing with the same fixed intensity and the
same ivory face. Now, with a wild shriek of joy, she threw her two hands
into the air. "It's they!" she screamed. "They are saved! It's they,
Colonel, it's they! O Miss Adams, Miss Adams, it is they!" She capered
about on the top of the hill with wild eyes like an excited child.

Her companions would not believe her, for they could see nothing, but
there are moments when our mortal senses are more acute than those who
have never put their whole heart and soul into them can ever realise.
Mrs. Belmont had already run down the rocky path, on the way to her
camel, before they could distinguish that which had long before carried
its glad message to her. In the van of the approaching party, three
white dots shimmered in the sun, and they could only come from the three
European hats. The riders were travelling swiftly, and by the time their
comrades had started to meet them they could plainly see that it was
indeed Belmont, Fardet, and S