side of his
dead horse, and surrounded by the bodies of five or six French
cavalry-men, lay the sheik. His white dress was dabbled with blood, one
side of his face was laid open by a sabre cut, and four or five patches
of blood at various points of his dress pointed to the existence of
other wounds. Edgar knelt beside him and placed his ear to his heart.

"Thank God, he still lives!" he exclaimed; "give me your water-skin;
Hassan, lift his head." Edgar poured a little water between the sheik's
lips, sprinkled some on his face, and then, tearing off a strip of his
garment, brought together the edges of the wound in the face, from which
blood was still slowly oozing, laid a wad of rag along it, and then
bound it tightly with the bandage.

"We must see to the other wounds after we have got him away," he said.
"Now, Hassan, do you two bind one of those spare blankets to the shaft
of the two spears, wind it round them until the sides are not more than
three feet apart."

While the men were doing this he continued to allow a few drops of water
to trickle between the sheik's lips. When the stretcher was ready it was
laid on the ground beside him; he was gently lifted on to it, the cloak
strapped to his horse's saddle was placed under his head, and the other
spare blanket thrown over him. Then the two Arabs lifted the ends of the
spears on to their shoulders, and, led by Edgar, made their way from the
scene of conflict. When they had gone half a mile they laid the sheik
down.

"Do you stay here, Ali; pour a little water between his lips
occasionally. Hassan and I will go back and look for Sidi."

The sheik was lifted from the blanket, and Hassan, shouldering the
litter, they returned at a rapid pace to the spot where they had found
the sheik. They had already made a hasty search here before leaving, but
without success, and now examined with the greatest care the body of
every Arab who had fallen near the spot, for Edgar made sure that,
unless he had been previously stricken down, Sidi would have fallen near
his father. Again their hunt was unsuccessful. Then they widened their
circle until after three hours' search they became convinced that he was
not among those who had fallen on the field, that he had either been
killed in the city, made prisoner, or escaped altogether. When at last
convinced that further search would be useless, they returned to the
spot where they had left the sheik.

"He has opened his eyes," Ali