. Boxall then
introduced us, and said that we wished to place ourselves under the
protection of him and his tribe. The sheikh then ordering five of his
followers each to take one of us up behind him on his camel, the
victorious party rode off with us across the Desert, in the direction
from which they had come, carrying away with them some of the arms and a
few camels which they had captured.

The band of warriors who had so opportunely come to our rescue belonged,
I learned from the man behind whom I rode, to the powerful tribe of the
Sheikh Salem Alsgoon, between whom and Sheikh Hamed Ben Kaid a feud had
long existed. Although they could not come to blows at the tomb of the
saint, a constant watch had been kept on the movements of Sheikh Hamed;
and when it was found that he had set out from his camp to meet us, an
expedition had been despatched with all haste to surprise him. To this
circumstance we owed our preservation. Sheikh Salem, however, would
have had sufficient excuse, according to the law of the Desert, for
attacking Sheikh Hamed, on account of his having, as was supposed,
carried off one of his slaves; indeed, the desire to recover Boxall was
one of the motives which had induced him to undertake it. Had we not
been found, he had ordered his people to make a few prisoners, in order
that they might be exchanged for Boxall. Thus the very circumstance
which at first appeared the most disastrous to us, as is often the case
in life, resulted ultimately in our favour.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

THE OLD RECLUSE--DESCRIPTION OF THE CAMP--NIGHT INTRUDERS--BU SAEF--THE
MIRAGE--OVERTAKEN BY A SAND-STORM--FEARFUL SUFFERINGS--ARRIVE AT AN
OASIS--FALLING FORTUNES--ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH MARABOUTS--VISITORS
AT THE CAMP--SOLD--ARRIVE AT A TOWN.

We rode on without stopping till the sun had sunk low in the western
horizon, the object of the Arabs being to join the main body by
daylight,--for our leader well knew that Sheikh Hamed, having escaped,
would hasten back to his camp and summon his followers to pursue us; and
as we had to pass at no great distance from the camp, there was every
probability of our party being overtaken.

Sheikh Salem's people, however, were full of fight, and boasted that,
even should the whole of the hostile tribe come up with us, they would
quickly put them to flight. They nevertheless dashed on with unabated
speed, and never had I before ridden so fast through the Desert.

Although