nt gravely,
while Sidi went up to Edgar, who was sitting at a table, for he now
worked for some hours a day in his father's office, and who rose at the
lad's approach, and held out his hand in English fashion.

"You are none the worse for our scrimmage last night, Sidi?" he said
heartily.

"No harm was done," Sidi replied gravely. "I am glad of what happened,
for it has given me a friend, a brother."

"I am glad too," Edgar replied, "for I too am happy to have gained a
friend."

In the meantime his father was saying to Mr. Blagrove, "I have come,
effendi, to thank you and your son for the assistance he rendered to my
boy yesterday. I have no doubt that he saved his life, and that at the
peril of his own. It is wonderful what my son tells me, that, with his
hands alone he beat to the ground the two men who had attacked him,
though they were armed with knives. I know not how it could be done, but
since it was done 'tis plain that he must possess skill unknown to us.
Sidi has called him brother, and henceforth I shall regard him as a son,
and my tribe will be his should he need their services. I doubt not that
the attack was made in order to gain the horse my son rode, which is one
of famous breed, and would sell at high price at Cairo or any other of
the large towns. I feel sure that they would have killed him in order
that they might carry the horse away without search being made for it,
for before we found that Sidi had been slain the horse would have been a
hundred miles away."

"I know that your tribe is famous for having some of the best Arabian
blood in the country, sheik, and I think it probable that you are right.
The fellows may have seen your son ride into the town and determined to
waylay him on his return."

"Your son did wrong not to kill them," the Arab said, "he will be in
danger from them. I have called not only to thank him, but to ask him to
come and bide with us for a time; he will assuredly be in danger here.
Were I governor of the town I would chop off the heads of all those
people who breed disorders and are a curse to it. 'Tis well that Franks
like yourself should settle among us, and should trade with us, buying
our goods and selling to us those of Europe, but these thieves and
cut-throats, these ruffians who neither trade nor work, but live by
ill-doing, should be rooted out."

"I should be glad for my son to stay with you for a short time, sheik. I
share your opinion that these men will