port before our fleet can return."

The party remained sitting, with the patience of their race, until the
sheik should give orders for them to mount. Edgar got up several times,
and walked backwards and forwards. He was less accustomed to waiting,
and was burning for action. Just at eight o'clock there came suddenly to
their ears an outburst of firing, the boom of cannon, and the sound of a
crackling roll of musketry.

"The French have lost no time in beginning," he said.

The young Arab nodded. A flush of excitement glowed through the olive
skin, his hand tightly grasped his spear, and his eyes were fixed on the
distant city. Suddenly the sheik raised the vibrating battle-cry of the
Arabs, in which the whole of his followers joined, and then at a wild
gallop they dashed forward, the horses seeming to share in the
excitement of their riders. After maintaining the pace for a couple of
miles they reined in their horses somewhat, and at a canter swept along
the neck that divided in old time the lakes of Aboukir and Mareotis,
slackened down into a walk as they approached the fresh-water canal,
where they stopped for a few minutes to allow their horses to drink, and
then continued at a leisurely pace until they mounted the high ground at
Ramleh. From here they obtained a view of the eastern side of
Alexandria. They could hear the din of battle on the other side of the
town, and could see the great fleet anchored, a mile from shore, some
two miles to the west of the town. The wind, which had been blowing
strongly the night before, and had seriously hindered the work of
disembarkation of the French troops, had now subsided. Some of the
men-of-war were engaging the forts, but at so great a distance that it
was evident that it was a demonstration to distract the attention of the
besieged rather than a serious attack. Four or five ships, under the
shortest sail, were cruising backwards and forwards parallel with the
shore eastward of the town, and occasionally a white puff of smoke burst
out from one or other of them, and a shot was sent in the direction of
scattered bands of horsemen near the shore.

After gazing at the scene in silence for some minutes, the sheik turned
his horse and rode back to a spot near the canal, where the moisture,
permeating through its banks, had given growth to a luxuriant crop of
grass. Here all dismounted and tethered their horses. Four of the Arabs
were appointed to watch over their safety, an