b in his
stable bitted and bridled, and if he would descend and then mount and
try the present himself in a ride round the enclosure, the gift would be
rendered doubly valuable to its recipient.

The words had hardly been repeated in English to Frank when a film
crossed his eyes like a yellow cloud, through which he saw his brother
approaching, leading the chief's magnificent, ready saddled charger by a
leathern thong so that he had no need to touch the bridle which lay upon
the beautiful arched neck.

For a moment or two Frank felt that his heart was sinking and that he
would break down, while as he turned away his head he saw that the
Sheikh had noted the change in his countenance, for he was gazing at him
in horror.

Frank felt that all was over, when in an instant something happened
which made a call upon him in another direction and gave him time to
recover himself; for as his brother led out the chief's charger, it
caught sight of the strange horses gathered in the court and broke out
with a loud neighing challenge, which Frank's answered on the instant,
reared up, and then made a bound open-mouthed to savage the challenging
barb.

Here was the necessary call upon Frank's nerve, and tightening his reins
to retain the mastery over his steed, the beautiful Arab resented the
check and began to kick and plunge furiously, calling forth all its
rider's skill to retain his seat; and it was not until after a couple of
minutes' hard fight, during which the horse seemed to have been smitten
with a notion that the proper equine mode of progression was upon its
hind legs, and the use of the fore was to strike out and fence, that it
condescended to go on all fours, while even then it was only to gain
impetus for a series of stag-like bounds and attempts to dash off in any
direction that seemed open.

Frank had ridden fairly well at home, while during his stay with the
Emir he had had plenty of opportunity for improvement, his companion
having mounted him upon a splendid steed, and, being a wild and reckless
rider himself, had gradually led Frank into thinking little of many a
mad gallop out into the desert plain.

Hence it was that instead of feeling startled at this new development of
vice on the part of his steed, the rider, as he grasped the fact that
everyone was watching him as if in expectation of seeing him thrown,
felt the blood flush to his cheeks in an angry fit of annoyance which
made him grip his saddle wit