The heavy blade of shining steel was raised aloft; and the grip of the
powerful hand clutching its hilt became more firm and determined.

Sailor Bill! has your promise to keep a sharp look-out been broken so
soon?

Beware! Golah is near, with strength in his arm, and murder in his
mind!

CHAPTER SIXTY.

SAILOR BILL STANDING SENTRY.

After two hours had been passed in moving slowly to and fro, hearing the
word "_Akka_," and seeing nothing but grey sand, Sailor Bill began to
feel weary, and now regretted that the old sheik had honoured him with
his confidence.

For the first hour of his watch he had kept a good look-out to the
eastward, and had given the whole of his attention to his sentinel's
duty.

Gradually his intense alertness forsook him, and he began to think or
the past and future.

Themes connected with these subjects seldom troubled Bill, his thoughts
generally dwelling upon the present; but, in the darkness and solitude
in which he was now placed, there was but little of the present to
arrest his attention. For the want of something else to amuse his mind,
it was turned to the small cannon he was carrying in his hand.

"This 'ere thing," thought he, "ain't o' much use as a pistol, though it
might be used as a war-club at close quarters. I hope I shan't 'ave to
fire it hoff. The barrel is thin, and the bullet hinside it must be
a'most as large as an 'en's hegg. It 'ud be like enough to bust.
Preaps 'tain't loaded, and may 'ave been given to me for amusement. I
may as well make sure about that."

After groping about for some time, the sailor succeeded in finding a
small piece of stick, with which he measured the length of the barrel on
the outside; then, by inserting the stick into the muzzle, he found that
the depth of the barrel was not quite equal to its length.

There was something inside therefore, but he was positive there was no
ball. He next examined the pan, and found the priming all right.

"I see 'ow 'tis," muttered he, "the old sheik only wants me to make a
row with it, in case I sees anything as is suspicious. He was afeared
to put a ball in it lest I should be killin' one of themselves. That's
his confidence. He only wants me to bark without being able to bite.
But this don't suit me at all, at all. Faix, I'll find a bit of a stone
and ram it into the barrel."

Saying this, he groped about the ground in search of a pebble of the
proper size; but for some time coul