tols behind," Edgar said, "but take your
knives; we may come across some ruffians engaged in robbing the dead,
and the knives may come in useful. I hope that, as is most likely, the
French have sent down parties from the forts to watch the gates, so as
to prevent any of the leaders in the trouble from making their escape;
but some plunderers may well have come across from Old Cairo, so it is
as well to be armed. Take your lances also, not for fighting, but to
make a litter with, should we find either the chief or his son."

The sun had set a short time before they started, but the moon would not
rise for another hour, and they were unnoticed, or, at least,
unquestioned as they went round towards Fort Dupres. Indeed, they
encountered no one on the way. The din of battle had been succeeded by a
dead silence, no sound was heard from the city, whose population were
awe-stricken by the events of the day, and terrified by the expectation
of further acts of vengeance by the French. Those in the suburbs had
heard but vague rumours of the fighting in the streets and of the
massacre at the mosque, but they had learned from fugitives of the
defeat of the great sortie, and knew that the insurrection had been
completely crushed. The moon was just rising when Edgar and his
companions reached the spot between Fort Dupres and the city walls,
where the fight had taken place.

The bodies lay thickly piled here at the spots where the struggle had
been fiercest. For a time they found none save those of the men of the
city, but after two hours' search they came upon a number of Arabs,
whose white garments showed up clearly in the moonlight. Lying among
them were many bodies of French cavalrymen, showing that the Bedouins
had sold their lives dearly. Body after body was carefully examined, a
few were found to be still living, and as the Arabs had, at Edgar's
orders, brought water-skins with them, they were able to give some
little aid to these. Presently they came to a spot where the bodies were
more closely heaped than elsewhere and almost as many French as Arabs
lay together.

"Now, search most carefully," he whispered, "this is where the last
stand was evidently made."

The greatest caution was indeed necessary, for the fort lay a couple of
hundred yards away, and the French sentries could be plainly made out
against the sky-line as they marched backwards and forwards. Presently
one of the Arabs uttered a low exclamation. Lying by the