t. Carrying their jar of water carefully with them, they
struck across to the lake and followed it as before, keeping a careful
look-out for boats. They had proceeded about two miles along its edge,
when they saw the stern of a boat projecting beyond the rushes that
fringed the water's edge, and pushing more rapidly forward they came
upon a beaten path through the reeds, and following this came upon a low
flat boat, very roughly constructed.

"It is not much of a craft," Jim Tucker said; "but it will do for us
capitally. Now, we have only to lie down and take things quietly until
dark. I fancy it is about three o'clock in the afternoon now by the
sun."

They lay down among a clump of bushes a short distance from the lake,
and as soon as the sun had set went back to the boat again. They had
already made another meal, and had finished their maize and water. They
stood by the boat waiting until it should become perfectly dark, and
looking across the tranquil sheet of water at the distant town, over
which the smoke still hung heavily, and as the sky darkened flashes of
fire could be seen. They were at last just going to get on board when
they heard an exclamation of surprise behind them. Looking round they
saw two natives, who had evidently come down with the intention of going
out in their boat.

CHAPTER XIII.

AMONG FRIENDS.

THE astonishment of the two natives at seeing, as they supposed, three
women standing with their boat, was no less than that of the boys at
being thus suddenly surprised. Suspecting no harm, however, they at once
moved forward, asking in Egyptian, "What are you doing here with our
boat?"

"Down with them, boys?" Jim Tucker exclaimed, and at once threw himself
upon one of the boatmen, while Jack and Arthur instantly sprang upon the
other.

Wholly unprepared for the attack, the men were thrown down almost
without resistance.

"Get some rope from the boat, Arthur!" Jim Tucker exclaimed.

Leaving Jack to hold the prostrate man, Arthur Hill jumped on board the
boat, and in a minute returned with two pieces of rope. With these the
arms and legs of the natives were soon firmly tied.

"Now, what are we going to do next?" Jim Tucker asked.

"It would not do to leave them here," Jack said. "If they managed to
untie each other they would give the alarm, and if we had to come back
we should be caught. If they could not manage to untie each other they
might lie here and die. I think we had