. And now, chief, I can accept your kind offer of
hospitality, and hope that if there is any fighting that I shall ride by
the side of Sidi."

The Arab smiled gravely. "That assuredly you shall do. It is, as you
say, no one's fault, but the will of Allah, that has left you in my
charge, and I doubt not that good fortune will befall us thereby. Now,
what think you that is meant by the Franks landing at Marabout instead
of sailing on to attack the port?"

"It means, no doubt, that they are going to assault the city by land.
They probably do not know how weak are the fortifications, and fear that
the fleet might suffer much injury from their guns, and may therefore
prefer to attack from the land side."

"But can they take the city that way?"

"I have no doubt that they can. Their guns could blow in the gates in a
very short time. Moreover, from the high ground near Pompey's Pillar
they could harass the defenders of the wall, or, if they chose, make a
breach in it. The wall is very old, and in many places in a bad state of
repair."

"Could we go into the city and aid in the defence?" the sheik asked.

"There will be no entering from this side, sheik. The French army will
be between us and Alexandria, and, moreover, the guns from their
war-ships will be able to sweep the sands. We might pass round by the
south and enter the city from the other side; but your forty men would
add but little strength to the defence, and would be far more useful as
horsemen when the French begin their advance."

"How long will it take them, think you, to capture the town? Help can
come down from Cairo in a week."

"I think that the French will lose but little time, sheik. So long as
the town holds out, the fleet might be attacked by Nelson, should he
come back this way, while as soon as they have captured the town all
the light-draught vessels would find shelter in the harbour. You may be
sure that they would lose no time in mounting guns from the ships on the
forts, and render themselves perfectly safe from attack. They say that
Bonaparte is in command of the French. He is their ablest general, and
very active and enterprising. I should not be surprised if he captures
the place before sunset to-morrow."

The sheik made no reply. It seemed to him that Edgar's opinion that the
city which had withstood many sieges could be captured in a few hours
was too absurd to need argument.

"There is nothing to be done now," he said; "let us slee