six Arabs. Although
they were pressed closely by a party of Felatahs, the guns and pistols
of the Arabs kept the latter in check. His shouts were drowned by the
cries of those who were falling under the Felatahs' spears and the
cheers of the Arabs rallying; but, happily, Maraymy distinguished him at
a distance. Riding up, the faithful black assisted the major to mount
behind him, and, while the arrows whistled over their heads, they
galloped off to the rear as fast as the black's wounded horse could
carry them. After they had gone a mile or two, Boo-Khaloum rode up and
desired one of the Arabs to cover the major with a houmous. This was
the last act of Denham's unfortunate friend. Directly afterwards
Maraymy exclaimed: "Look, Boo-Khaloum is dead!" The major turned his
head, and saw the caravan leader drop from his horse into the arms of a
favourite Arab. A poisoned arrow in his wounded foot had proved fatal.
The Arabs believed he had only swooned; but there was no water to revive
him, and before it could be obtained he was past the reach of
stimulants. At the same time, Barca Gana offered the major a horse; but
Maraymy exclaimed: "Do not mount him; he will die!" He therefore
remained with the black. Two Arabs, however, mounted the animal, and in
less than an hour he fell to rise no more; and, before they could
recover themselves, both the Arabs were butchered by the Felatahs.

At last a stream was reached. The horses, with the blood gushing from
their noses, rushed into the water, and the major, letting himself down,
knelt amongst them, and seemed to imbibe new life from the copious
draughts of the muddy beverage he swallowed. He then lost all
consciousness; but Maraymy told him that he had staggered across the
stream and fallen down at the foot of a tree. Here a quarter of an
hour's halt was made, to place Boo-Khaloum's body on a horse and to
collect stragglers, during which Maraymy had asked Barca Gana for
another horse, in order to carry the major on, when the chief, irritated
by his defeat, as well as by having had his horse refused, by which
means he said it had come by its death, replied: "Then leave him behind.
By the head of the Prophet! believers enough have breathed their last
to-day! What is there extraordinary in a Christian's death?" His old
antagonist, Malem Chadily, replied: "No; God has preserved him, let us
not forsake him." Maraymy returned to the tree, awoke the major, and,
again mou