ilence towards the street at the base of the
triangular town, which followed the line of ramparts that faced the sea,
they discovered the great man of whom they were in search, Sidi Omar,
walking up and down with the cadi, or chief judge, to whose daughter he
was to be united on the following day.

"It won't do to 'trupt 'em jus' yit. Hold on a littil," said Rais Ali
to his companion.

Ted Flaggan had no objection to "hold on," for the sight of the ocean
with its fresh breezes cooled his brow, and tended to turn his mind away
from the horrible thoughts that filled it.

While they are waiting, let you and me, reader, listen to the conclusion
of the converse held between the bridegroom and father-in-law.

The cadi was a stern old Turk, with a long grey beard. The son-in-law
elect was, as we have elsewhere said, an ill-favoured elderly man with
only one eye. He did not look quite so happy as one would have expected
in a bridegroom so near his wedding-day, but that was to be accounted
for, to some extent, by the fact that he already possessed four wives,
and was naturally somewhat used to weddings.

"No, no," said he, in a cautious tone, to the judge; "it won't do to be
hasty about it, Achmet is too popular at present."

"What has that to do with the question?" asked the cadi, in a tone of
contempt. "If our party be strong enough we have only to strike; and I
tell you that I believe it to be quite strong enough."

"I know it," returned Omar impatiently, "but I also know that my enemy,
Sidi Hassan, is more than usually on the alert just now; I think it well
to delay for a time. Besides," he added, smiling, "you surely would not
have me begin a revolution on the very eve of my marriage!"

"I would have you lose as little time as possible," replied the cadi.
"But see, if I mistake not, these two men are eyeing us rather
narrowly."

Seeing that they were observed, Rais Ali advanced, and, with a low
salaam, delivered his message to Sidi Omar, who gave him the necessary
reply, and dismissed him.

Resuming their conference, the two magnates turned to saunter along the
street, when Omar observed a dark object like a dog, coiled up in an
angle of the parapet. Poking it with his cane, he caused it to uncoil
and display the vacant, features of a half-witted negro boy. The poor
creature fell on his knees in alarm on seeing the well-known face of
Sidi Omar, but sprang to his feet with alacrity, and ran off at full
spe