ps, and wiped the drops
from his brow. Then he awoke, opened his eyes, and muttered half in a
dream still:

"Uarda--sweet Uarda."

The girl started up and fled, and Nefert followed her.

When Nebsecht at last got upon his feet and looked round him, he found
himself alone in a strange house. He went out of doors, where he found
Bent-Anat's little train anxiously discussing things past and to come.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

The inhabitants of the oasis had for centuries been subject to the
Pharaohs, and paid them tribute; and among the rights granted to them
in return, no Egyptian soldier might cross their border and territory
without their permission.

The Ethiopians had therefore pitched Bent-Anat's tents and their own
camp outside these limits; but various transactions soon took place
between the idle warriors and the Amalekites, which now and then led to
quarrels, and which one evening threatened serious consequences, when
some drunken soldiers had annoyed the Amalekite women while they were
drawing water.

This morning early one of the drivers on awaking had missed Pentaur and
Nebsecht, and he roused his comrades, who had been rejoined by Uarda's
father. The enraged guard of the gang of prisoners hastened to the
commandant of the Ethiopians, and informed him that two of his prisoners
had escaped, and were no doubt being kept in concealment by the
Amalekites.

The Amalekites met the requisition to surrender the fugitives, of whom
they knew nothing, with words of mockery, which so enraged the officer
that he determined to search the oasis throughout by force, and when he
found his emissaries treated with scorn he advanced with the larger part
of his troops on to the free territory of the Amalekites.

The sons of the desert flew to arms; they retired before the close order
of the Egyptian troops, who followed them, confident of victory, to a
point where the valley widens and divides on each side of a rocky
hill. Behind this the larger part of the Amalekite forces were lying in
ambush, and as soon as the unsuspicious Ethiopians had marched past
the hill, they threw themselves on the rear of the astonished invaders,
while those in front turned upon them, and flung lances and arrows at
the soldiers, of whom very few escaped.

Among them, however, was the commanding officer, who, foaming with rage
and only slightly wounded, put himself at the head of the remainder
of Bent-Anat's body-guard, ordered the escort of t