shall go with us, a prisoner to the great
Pasha--we shall see! Seize him!" he shouted to the others. "Lash him
to a tree and we will flog him!"

Four of the men advanced to do his bidding. Belbeis had not moved.
The old man looked round helplessly, not knowing what to expect.
Then as the men caught hold of him he struggled feebly. Abdu had
stood by, but the moment he saw Hakesh struggle he drew a knife.
Helmar, who had not taken his eyes off the man for a moment, saw
this. The old man continued his struggle, and Abdu, with murder
written on his face, edged round behind him.

Without a word of warning, Helmar with the agility of a tiger darted
forward, and with one terrific blow felled the Egyptian to the
ground.

"Murder him, would you! You miserable hound! I'll give you a
lesson!"

He was about to continue his chastisement, when he found himself
surrounded by the rest of the guard. He saw the flash of steel, and
then jumping back beside the old man, he faced the infuriated men.
As they were about to attack, Belbeis sprang into their midst, and,
shouting at them, forced them aside.

For a moment the men paused, and Belbeis at once got the hearing he
wanted.

"You fools! What would you do? Kill our prisoner, for the sake of
this tottering old man? Out upon you for a flock of foolish
vultures! If the white man is harmed we shall lose our heads when
the Pasha hears of it."

He spoke quickly and with force, and the ignorant soldiers were
quick to see the importance of his arguments, but their thirst for
blood was great and they were loth to give up the hated Christian.

Abdu had recovered and sat up, with a huge lump on his forehead
where Helmar had struck him.

"Why do you not kill him?" he shouted. "You stand there skulking,
while he murders me. Seize him, and let him see what it means to
strike one of the faithful."

Belbeis raised his hand.

"Peace," said he, "you brought it on yourself. You would have
murdered the old man while we made him prisoner. You may be glad
that the Christian stayed your hand, or our lives would have paid
the forfeit."

"I care not!" cried Abdu, foaming with rage. "You shall obey me! I
am your officer! Kill him, I say!"

"You may not care, but we do," answered Belbeis, calmly. "You may
say and do as you like, but we will not let your doings bring the
Pasha's wrath on our heads."

The little man still raged, but had to be content, and a compromise
was brought about between