l make no attempt to escape, I pledge my word." The
queen glanced coldly at him as she responded:

"Be it as ye say." Then, turning to the Dhahs, she continued: "Take them
within the tent, and then retire. Remain within an arrow shot from here,
and if ye see one of the prisoners attempt to escape, slay him and spare
not." We were conducted into the queen's tent, and there released. As
the Dhahs withdrew Denviers turned to Hassan, and said:--

"Bid this savage who shot the arrow explain that we know nothing of
him." The queen looked sharply at us, and then pointing to Hassan,
asked:--

"Who is this whom ye have brought into the forest?"

I answered for us, saying: "He is our guide, with whom we have been
wandering for some time. Why do you mistrust us, since you have ample
proof that the fallen Dhah was shot by your own subject there?" and I
pointed to the man, who, for a moment, had thrown himself down in the
tent.

"Speak!" she commanded him. "Why did you shoot forth the winged
messenger of death?"

To our surprise the man rose and confronted her boldly, as he
answered:--

"Am I not a warrior? Can I not bend the bow and endure hardships better
than anyone among the tribe over which thou rulest? Was not I prince of
these Dhahs until the day when thou tookest possession of my right? Thou
hast despised me and looked kindly upon another, wherefore have I sworn
to refuse to take the pledge of fealty to thee when the time came round,
and to stretch him dead at thy feet. Deliver me into the hands of the
tribe if thou wilt, but thou art powerless to bring back life to thy
favourite!" He stopped and drew himself up defiantly before her. The
eyes of the imperious queen shone brightly with the fierce resentment
which the Dhah's words roused in her.

"Darest thou then to confront thy queen so?" she asked, scornfully. "May
not I choose whom I will upon whom to bestow my favours? Coward that
thou art to shoot the shaft secretly, because thou darest not face thine
enemy as a brave Dhah ever does! Thy crime has nearly cost these other
prisoners dear; and I, ruling as I do this tribe without the
exterminating feuds which distinguished it under thy misgovernment, doom
thee to death. At sundown to-morrow shalt thou die; till then thou shall
live, scorned by the race upon which thou hast brought this stain." She
moved to the front of the tent, and then we saw the Dhah dragged away by
those whom the queen quickly summoned.

We