Mole shrank back in a corner.

These ferocious Moslems had doubtless come to murder him in hot blood.

In reality their object was quite different.

The event that had happened was not an outbreak within the walls of the
garrison, but an inbreak of those whose purpose was to rescue the
captives.

Jack and Harry had the day before put up at the encampment of some
friendly Arabs, who became more friendly still when they found their
guests liberal in respect of coinage.

One of the Arabs had a brother in prison awaiting the pasha's further
orders of punishment, so they were anxious to help Jack and release the
Arab chief.

Jack and Harry, being informed of this, thought it would be an
excellent opportunity for the escape of Mole, who was incarcerated in
the same gaol.

The party set out in the middle of the night.

They soon reached the prison.

Darkness befriended them.

The first step was to gain admission into the outer yard or enclosure.

This they did by suddenly setting upon the two warders outside, and,
before they could give the alarm, binding, gagging, and disarming them.

Then, mounting one of the sentry-boxes, Jack and Harry, being the
lightest and most agile members of the party, contrived thus to get
over the gate, and drop down inside.

Here, with great labour, they forced back the ponderous bolts, and the
Arabs poured into the building.

The alarm was taken, and the old castle of Alla-hissar, as it was
called, was all in an uproar.

Gaolers and soldiers, utterly taken aback by this sudden onslaught,
made but ineffectual resistance.

Ere they could grasp their weapons and put themselves in order of
defence, the Bedouins were on to them, striking them down, forcing away
their keys, and ill-treating them in proportion to the resistance to
the attack they made.

"Tell me, slave," thundered the Arab chief, to one of the gaolers, "in
which cell my brother Hadj Maimoun is confined?"

"In--in No. 6," answered the man, trembling for his life.

"Art thou sure? Deceive me, dog, and thou diest," continued the chief,
threateningly placing the muzzle of his pistol to the man's forehead.

"I swear, by the holy tomb of Mecca."

"Enough; and which is the key?"

"It is numbered, great lord: see here, No. 6."

"And the cell lieth----"

"To the right yonder. I will lead your highness thither."

"Do so, and if you attempt to deceive us, not the fiend himself can
save you from my revenge. Come