e forth. There must have been fully a hundred of
them, of whom some twenty were mounted and the rest on foot. The
travelers halted and had a short consultation. Jethro with one of the
escort then rode out to meet the advancing party, waving a white cloth
in token of amity. Two of the Arabs rode forward to meet them. It was
some time before Jethro returned to the party, who were anxiously
awaiting the termination of the colloquy.

"What do they say, Jethro?" Amuba asked as he rode up.

"He says, to begin with, that we ought to have purchased from him the
right of traveling across the country. I said that I would gladly have
paid a moderate sum had I been aware that such was required, but that
as he was not in AElana I could not tell that he claimed such a right.
At the same time I was ready to make an offer of four rolls of
Egyptian cloth. He rejected the offer with scorn, and after a long
conversation let me know pretty plainly that he intended to take all
our goods and animals, and that we might think ourselves fortunate in
being allowed to pursue our way on foot. I said that I would consult
my friends; that if they agreed to his terms we would keep the white
flag flying; if we refused them, we would lower it."

"Then you may as well lower it at once, Jethro," Amuba said. "We might
as well be killed at once as be plundered of all we possess by these
Arab rascals. Besides, as there are twenty-three of us, and all well
armed, we ought to be able to cut our way through them. At the worst
the girls could mount behind us, and we could make a circuit so as to
avoid the footmen, and if the horsemen ventured to attack us we could
soon give a good account of them."

"Yes. But we should lose our seven camel-loads of goods, and we shall
want them for trade as we go along," Jethro said. "I propose that we
should form the camels into a square, as we did last night; that you
two and six of the men armed with bows and arrows shall occupy it and
take care of the girls, while the rest of us charge the Arabs. If we
can defeat the horsemen it is probable that the men on foot will draw
off. But while we are doing so some of those on foot may rush forward
and attack you. We will take care not to pursue, and you can rely
upon our coming to your assistance as soon as you are attacked."

"I think that is the best plan, Jethro. We can keep them off for some
time with our bows and arrows, for certainly Chebron and I can bring
down a man wi