man.

Of course, luck could not favor them always. The raiders had withdrawn
to take counsel with Abdul and that ferocious chieftain swore by the
beard of the Prophet that he would show no mercy to the "infidel dogs"
who had dared to resist him. His hawk eyes stared furiously at the
cliffs, then at the boulders, behind each of which lurked a bowman.

"We will not make another charge!" he ordered. "This time each
horseman will ride warily, rifle ready for action. Make a detour!
Ride to one side of the rocks and try to pick off the archers one by
one."

Suli, who rode beside Abdul, searched the horizon with black, angry
eyes.

"Where is Slythe?" he muttered. "The winged warrior has failed us!"

Abdul heard him and vented a hearty curse upon the missing airman.

"He has led us into a trap! May he perish and the dogs devour him!"

"He did not warn us that the savages of this tribe would fight like
demons!" put in a wounded Arab, knotting a strip of linen about his
bleeding arm.

"If we had known that they could fight like tigers, we would have
raided them by night when they slept," growled Abdul. "Now it is too
late for a surprise or a parley. We must fight it through."

"And first of all we must have water for ourselves and our horses!"
grumbled Suli.

"Yes, by the Prophet! First we shall capture the spring. But not by
storm! Ride warily and pick off the dogs one at a time!"

Carefully the troop approached and this time Dick used another
strategy. As an Arab rider would approach a rock, a Taharan would
break and run back to another shelter. But when the Arab chased him,
firing his rifle, a second tribesman still hiding behind the rock would
take a shot at the Arab at close range.

So keen and clever were the Taharan archers, that few arrows missed.
But the tribesmen were not so fortunate as to go unscathed through the
second attack. More than one was dropped by an Arab bullet, some to
rise no more.

Dick Oakwood directed the running fight, giving orders to Raal, who
shouted them to his men in a voice that rang out like the bellowing of
a bull. Though he might be frightened at evil magic and things that he
did not understand, Raal was brave as a lion when it came to battle.

Dan Carter had stayed in the rear according to Dick's orders until the
thrill of watching the fight got his nerves on edge with excitement.
Then, armed with a bow and a quiver of arrows, he ran from one shelter
to anoth