fifty well-armed slaves, who
will stand by him to the death."

"That is answered well, and Isa is a likely lad, though his skin is
dark; but he has the soul of an Arab father in him. I see we shall have
a glorious company; and thou, Mussoud?" said Khamis, to that
florid-faced chief, who was proud of his intensely black and handsome
beard, "How many canst thou muster?"

"About the same as my friend Thani," replied Mussoud, caressing his
beard. "All my people are Wahiyow, docile, and good; and, if cornered,
brave. They will follow me anywhere."

"Good again!" ejaculated Khamis, evidently pleased. "And thou, Sheikh
Mohammed?" he asked of the chief so named, who had a terrible reputation
in the interior among the Wafipa and Wa-marungu, and of whom many tribes
stood in awe,--"how many of thy people wilt thou take to Africa this
time?"

"Well," said Mohammed, in a deep voice, which resembled the bellow of a
wild buffalo, "for such a grand project as this I think I can take one
hundred men from my estate; my head men can take charge of the rest with
Bashid, my brother, very well. I shall also take these young lions--
Abdullah and Mussoud--with me, to teach them how to catch slaves and
claw them, as I have done often."

"Thanks, father," replied the grateful youths, who as soon as they had
said these words looked up slyly to Selim, who smiled appreciatingly at
his boyfriends.

"Sultan, son of Ali," said Khamis, "thou art a strong and wise man.
Wilt thou be one of us?"

Sultan, son of Ali, was a man of about fifty, or perhaps fifty-five, of
strongly-marked features, who had keen black eyes. Strong and wise, as
Khamis bin Abdullah had said he was, indeed no one looking at him would
doubt that he was one of the best specimens of a hardy Bedaween chief
that ever came to Zanzibar. Besides, Sultan had been an officer of high
rank in the army of Prince Thouweynee of Muscat, who had often eulogised
Sultan for his daring, obstinacy, forethought, and skill in handling his
wild cavalry. He was still, as might be seen, in the prime of mature
manhood, which age had not deteriorated in the least.

Sultan answered Khamis readily. "Where my dear friend Amer bin Osman
goes, I go. Shall I remain at Zanzibar eating mangoes when Amer, my
kinsman, is in danger? No! Son of Abdullah, thou mayest count me of
thy party for good or for evil, and I can raise eighty slaves to
shoulder guns for this journey."

"Good, good," the Ara