y.

"We?" questioned Tarzan.

"Yes, m'sieur," she responded; "they will kill me as well. Have I not
aided you?"

This put a different aspect on the matter. Tarzan had rather been
enjoying the excitement and danger of the encounter. He had not for an
instant supposed that either Abdul or the girl could suffer except
through accident, and he had only retreated just enough to keep from
being killed himself. He had had no intention of running away until he
saw that he was hopelessly lost were he to remain.

Alone he could have sprung into the midst of that close-packed mob,
and, laying about him after the fashion of Numa, the lion, have struck
the Arabs with such consternation that escape would have been easy.
Now he must think entirely of these two faithful friends.

He crossed to the window which overlooked the street. In a minute
there would be enemies below. Already he could hear the mob clambering
the stairway to the next quarters--they would be at the door beside him
in another instant. He put a foot upon the sill and leaned out, but he
did not look down. Above him, within arm's reach, was the low roof of
the building. He called to the girl. She came and stood beside him.
He put a great arm about her and lifted her across his shoulder.

"Wait here until I reach down for you from above," he said to Abdul.
"In the meantime shove everything in the room against that door--it may
delay them long enough." Then he stepped to the sill of the narrow
window with the girl upon his shoulders. "Hold tight," he cautioned
her. A moment later he had clambered to the roof above with the ease
and dexterity of an ape. Setting the girl down, he leaned far over the
roof's edge, calling softly to Abdul. The youth ran to the window.

"Your hand," whispered Tarzan. The men in the room beyond were
battering at the door. With a sudden crash it fell splintering in, and
at the same instant Abdul felt himself lifted like a feather onto the
roof above. They were not a moment too soon, for as the men broke into
the room which they had just quitted a dozen more rounded the corner in
the street below and came running to a spot beneath the girl's window.

Chapter 8

The Fight in the Desert

As the three squatted upon the roof above the quarters of the
Ouled-Nails they heard the angry cursing of the Arabs in the room
beneath. Abdul translated from time to time to Tarzan.

"They are berating those in the street bel