Haviland, "I don't mean of escape, but
of escape from what that devil intends to do with us?"

Oakley was silent for a moment.

"There is a way," he said at length. "We might turn Mohammedan."

"What?"

"It has been done before to-day," went on Oakley. "Men have saved their
lives that way, and ultimately have escaped."

It was Haviland's turn to be silent.

"No, hang it," he said at last. "I'm not a religious chap, Oakley, I'm
sorry to say, but--I kick at that."

"Naturally one does, under ordinary circumstances; but under these it's
different. And it needn't mean anything, you know."

"No; somehow I can't. It seems cowardly," said Haviland. "Perhaps,
too, I have an inspiration that it wouldn't help our case much if we
were to do such a thing. But, Oakley, it doesn't follow that you're to
be bound by my opinion. You're an older chap than me, and if you--"

"If I want to take the chance, I'd better, independently of you. That's
what you were going to say, isn't it? No--no, Haviland. We are in this
together, and we get out of it together--or not, probably not--even
apart from the fact of your having saved my life--"

"Pooh! There was no life-saving about it. Only a chance finding of
another fellow in a bit of a difficulty. In any case, there's not much
to be grateful for, but just the reverse."

"These dogs have long tongues," said one of the savage guards, striking
Haviland with the butt of his spear. "Long tongues, but we will cut
them out soon. So chatter, jackals, while ye may, for it will not be
long."

Not there, however, was their cruel martyrdom to take place, for the
word went forth to prepare at once to march. The loot was gathered up
and disposed among its respective bearers, and soon the two captives
found themselves loaded up like bales of goods, and borne forth by those
very abjects who had crowded in, beseeching their pity--the miserable
slaves who had been used to bring them to this pass.

For some hours this cramped and painful locomotion continued, the
barbarous horde carrying severed heads on their spear-points, and taking
a delight in impressing upon their prisoners what lay in store for them.
At length, towards sundown, they halted, and the prisoners were flung
brutally to the ground in such heavy fashion as to knock all the breath
out of their bodies. The pity was that this did not happen altogether,
they had bitter reason to think, for now they saw a fire being kind