king each other's hands, too
excited and joyous to speak, while the soldiers cheered lustily. The
captain in command came up.

"Look here, Skinner; it would be too bad to take you away from your
friends now, so I will take it upon myself to give you leave off duty. I
will get Thomson to stay out until to-morrow morning in your place. He
won't mind when I tell him why, and you can take his turn on duty on
shore next time."

Talking excitedly together they entered the town, the Arabs following on
their camels and Yussuf leading the two heiries.

"The first thing to do," Skinner said, "is to get you rigged out
decently. I suppose it will be some time before you can get rid of your
dye, but at any rate you can get dressed like Christians; and you can
get rid of that fearful wig, Rupert. I will send off a boat to my ship
with a note, and they will soon send you on shore a couple of suits of
clothes. Mine would be of no use; you could not get into them. This is
the only hotel in the place."

"First of all we must see about these Arabs being made comfortable.
Where can they put up their camels?"

"Oh! that will be all right," Skinner said; "one of the fellows here
will take them under his charge."

Skinner entered and came out with a servant.

"You can put your camels in the court-yard here, El Bakhat," Edgar said
after speaking to the men. "Yussuf will look after them. You had better
find a lodging for yourselves. You will be more at home there than you
would here. Get everything you want; you will have no difficulty in
finding everything in the Arab quarter. Skinner, lend me a sovereign,
will you? We have been living on barter for a long time, but they will
want money here."

"This is worth five dollars," he said as he handed the money to El
Bakhat; "but, ah! I forgot, Ben Ibyn knows about the value of English
money. If you will come here at noon I may be able to tell you something
about the money."

They then entered the hotel with Skinner.

"Get breakfast, the best you can get," Skinner ordered; "and show me to
a room where there is plenty of water and towels. These are Englishmen,
though you would not think so from their appearance."

The young fellows enjoyed a thorough wash, and Rupert got rid of his
wig, but they had to attire themselves in their former garments for
breakfast. After existing for months upon native fare the breakfast was
a luxury indeed. By the time they had finished, the messenger Skinner