"but the horsemen will overtake us; they can go faster than the
camels for a burst. Ride, sheik," he said; "push on to the utmost. If we
can get a mile away from the footmen before they come up to us we can
thrash the horsemen."

The start they had obtained while the man who had recognized El Bakhat
was explaining to the others who he was and how much his capture was
desired at Khartoum, was invaluable to the fugitives, and the horsemen
started in a body, shouting and yelling and firing their guns. The
bullets whistled harmlessly round the fugitives.

"Make for that clump of trees on rising ground," Edgar said; "then
spring off the camels and fight them on foot. What arms have you,
Rupert?"

"I have two revolvers besides this rifle. You take one of them; we shall
beat them off easily enough, they are only about two to one."

When they reached the trees they were but a hundred yards ahead and
less than a mile from the caravan, which had halted when the horsemen
commenced the pursuit. They leapt from their camels.

"Do you hold their bridles, Yussuf," Edgar said; "we will beat them
off," and steadying his rifle against the trunk of a tree he fired at
the nearest horseman, who fell instantly from the saddle.

Rupert's rifle cracked a moment later, and the two sheiks added their
fire. Had the horsemen been coming up in a close body they would have
gained the wood, for the leader was but fifty yards away when Edgar
fired; but they were scattered, and the leaders being shot down the
others wheeled their horses and galloped back towards the caravan at
full speed.

"Now we will be off again," Rupert said, and in a minute they had
mounted and continued their flight.

"There is no fear of the footmen overtaking us," Ben Ibyn remarked. "Our
camels are not like yours, but they can trot at a good pace for forty
miles. It is fortunate we had them, for they would soon have been up to
them had we only had common camels. Of course we must strike off
straight for Massowah now. The danger is not over; some of the horsemen
will bear the news to Kassala and a troop will be sent out in pursuit of
us. It is well that we have journeyed quietly and that the beasts are in
good condition."

Hour after hour passed. The camels kept on with unswerving gait until
long after nightfall.

"My beast smells water," Ben Ibyn said as his camel, after waving his
head backwards and forwards, suddenly quickened its pace.

Another quarter of an h