among the native population, and
this may not improbably find vent in a fanatical attack upon the
Christians. At any rate, we will get the rest of our goods of any value
on board, and then await events."

By the next evening their preparations were completed. The ferment had
now somewhat cooled down, and people were beginning to think that the
excitement roused by a mere vague report was absurd. The next morning at
breakfast Mr. Blagrove said to his son:

"I think, Edgar, that as things have quieted down, and we are all
beginning to hope that the scare was altogether unfounded, it would be
just as well that you should ride over to your friends in the desert,
stay the night there, and come back to-morrow. They would think it
strange and discourteous if we were to leave suddenly without
communicating with them; and as I hope our absence will be of short
duration, I should be very sorry to give people so well-disposed towards
you any ground for offence. But return by to-morrow evening. In the
extremely remote possibility of a French fleet being made out before
that time, I must embark at once, if only for your mother and sisters'
sake. It would be madness to wait here--simple madness. Even putting
aside the certainty of captivity for a very long period, it is by no
means improbable that there would be a sudden rising on the part of the
population, and a massacre of foreigners.

"I consider the contingency so remote, that it is scarcely worth
speaking of; but if the French fleet should arrive during the thirty-six
hours that you will be away, and I am obliged to embark and sail off,
you must stay with your Arab friends. You see, I have some L8000 worth
of goods on board the _Petrel_, and the loss would be an extremely heavy
one for me; and I have besides L2000 in cash. I shall leave L1000 in
Muller's hands, which will be ample for his needs, as there is a very
heavy stock of ships' stores in the warehouse. I shall, of course,
instruct him to supply you with any money that you may require. You
understand that I regard all this as extremely improbable, but it is
just as well to make arrangements for every contingency. And then,
should the French fleet come in sight, I can embark on board the
_Petrel_, and set sail without any great anxiety on your account. More
to relieve my mind than because I think there is any reasonable ground
for thinking it necessary, here are fifty pounds in gold; you had best
sew them up securely i