r to their captors' tents and huts, there to be treated
as guests till peace should result in exchange.

By this time the combatants were scattered over a square mile or so,
and though the horsemen of Asni had driven the Ait Mizan from the
foremost trenches by the bold rushes described, and their footmen had
engaged them, no further advantage seemed likely to accrue, while they
were terribly harassed by those who still remained under cover. The
signal was therefore given for a preconcerted retreat, which at once
began. Loud shouts of an expected victory now arose from the Ait
Mizan, who were gradually drawn from their hiding-places by their
desire to secure nearer shots at the men of Asni as they slowly
descended the hill.

At length the Ait Mizan began to draw somewhat to one side, as they
discovered that they were being led too far into the open, but this
movement was outwitted by the Asni horsemen, who were now pouring down
on the scene. The wildest confusion supervened; many fell on every
hand. Victory was now assured to Asni, which the enemy were quick to
recognize, and as the sun was by this time at blazing noon, and energy
grew slack on both sides, none was loth to call a conference. This
resulted in an agreement by the vanquished to return the stolen cattle
which had formed the _casus belli_, for indeed they were no longer
able to protect them from their real owners. As many more were
forfeited by way of damages, and messages were despatched to the women
left in charge to hand them over to a party of the victors. Prisoners
were meantime exchanged, while through the medium of the local "holy
man" a peace was formally ratified, after which each party returned to
its dead, who were quickly consigned to their shallow graves.

Such of the Asni men as were not mourners, now assembled in the open
space of their village to be feasted by their women as victors.
Basins, some two feet across, were placed on the ground filled with
steaming kesk'soo. Round each of these portions sat cross-legged some
eight or ten of the men, and a metal bowl of water was handed from one
to the other to rinse the fingers of the right hand. They sat upon
rude blankets spread on mats, the scene lit by Roman-like olive-oil
lamps, and a few French candles round the board of the sheikh and
allied leaders.

A striking picture, indeed, they presented, there in the still night
air, thousands of heaven-lights gleaming from the dark blue vault
abo