"run a muck" among the women and
children, very similar to that which Bill had to submit to himself. It
terminated in a similar manner: that is, by their owner taking them
under his protection, not from any motives of humanity, but simply to
save his property from receiving damage at the hands of the incarnate
female furies, who seemed to take delight in maltreating them.

The old sheik, after allowing his fair followers, with their juvenile
neophytes, for some length of time to indulge in their customary mode of
saluting strange captives, withdrew the latter beyond the reach of
persecution, to a place assigned them under the shadow of his tent.
There, with a sinewy Arab standing over them, though as often squatted
beside them, they were permitted to pass the remainder of the night, if
not in sleep, at least in a state of tranquillity.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX.

THE CAPTIVES IN CONVERSATION.

This tranquillity only related to any disturbance experienced from their
captors. There was none.

These had been on the eve of striking their tents, and moving off to
some other oasis, previous to the last incident that had arisen.

As already stated, the two sheiks, by a mutual understanding, had been
about to shake hands, and separate, the son of Japhet going north, to
the markets of Morocco, while the descendant of Ham was to face homeward
to his more tropical and appropriate clime, under the skies of
Timbuctoo.

The "windfall" that had so unexpectedly dropped into the _douar_, first
in the shape of Sailor Bill, and afterwards, in more generous guise, by
the capture of the three "young gentlemen" of the gunroom, had caused
some change in the plans of their captors.

By mutual understanding between the two sheiks, something was to be done
in the morning; and their design of separating was deferred to another
day.

The order to strike tents had been countermanded; and both tribes
retired to rest, as soon as the captives had been disposed of for the
night. The _douar_ was silent, so far as the children of Ham and Japhet
were concerned. Even their children had ceased to clamour and squall.

At intervals might be heard the neigh of a Barbary horse, the barking of
a dog, the bleating of a goat, or a sound yet more appropriate to the
scene, the snorting of a maherry.

In addition to these, human voices were heard. But they proceeded from
the throats of the sons of Shem. For the most part they were uttered in
a low