How is that, Edgar?"

The lad told him what had happened.

"You were quite right to strike, my boy," his father went on when he had
heard the story; "'tis likely enough that those ruffians would have
killed the lad. There are fellows here who would do murder for the sake
of a few copper coins; and, doubtless, those men thought that the young
chief would have some trinkets about him that would pay them for their
trouble. I am sorry that you did not let the Arab put his knife into
them; it would have been a good riddance, for the town abounds with
rascals of that kind--the scum of the Mediterranean, men who have made
their native towns too hot to hold them, and have committed crimes
untold. As it is, you will have to be careful; fellows of this kind are
not of a forgiving nature, and will be patient enough to wait for their
revenge, but sooner or later they will attempt to take it."

"It was so dark, father, that they can scarcely have seen my face."

"Perhaps not, but no doubt they were able to make out your figure, and
there are very few better-class young Europeans here. You will have to
be on your guard, lad; you had better always carry pistols with you.
Clever as you may be with your fists, if you were attacked by
half-a-dozen fellows with knives, you would stand but little chance with
them. Don't be out after dusk; in daylight you are fairly safe. At any
rate, you would be, if you avoid the rookeries, where the lower class of
European inhabitants live. I have a brace of short-barrelled pistols
up-stairs I will give you. I carried them at one time when things were
very unsettled here. You have made two bitter enemies, but, on the other
hand, you have made a friend who may be useful. These Arabs, when they
once form a friendship, are as true as steel, and in the event of any
fanatical troubles here, you would find a sure refuge among them. The
lad's father, Aboo Ben Ouafy, I know a little of, as he has made
purchases of me. His tribe is not a large one, but he himself is a fine
fellow. As the lad told you, their head-quarters are in an oasis some
eight or ten miles, I believe, east of the old site of Lake Mareotis.
They, of course, like all those people, are frequently absent on hunting
or plundering expeditions."

The next day Sidi and his father, followed by half a dozen tribesmen,
halted in front of Mr. Blagrove's place of business, and the two former
dismounted and entered. The Bedouin chief saluted the mercha