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With cries of horror, all in a moment rushed at Stas; in the twinkling of an eye they wrested the rifle and cartridges from him and threw him on the ground, tied his hands and feet, striking and kicking him all the time, until finally Idris, from fear of the boy's life, drove them off. Afterwards they began to converse in disjointed words, as people do over whom had impended a terrible danger and whom only an accident had saved.
"That is Satan incarnate," exclaimed Idris, with face pallid with fright and emotion.
"He would have shot us like wild geese for food," added Gebhr.
"Ah, if it was not for that dog."
"God sent him."
"And you wanted to kill him?" said Chamis.
"From this time no one shall touch him."
"He shall always have bones and water."
"Allah! Allah!" repeated Idris, not being able to compose himself. "Death was upon us. Ugh!"
And they began to stare at Stas lying there, with hatred but with a certain wonder that one small boy might have been the cause of their calamity and destruction.
"By the prophet!" spoke out one of the Bedouins, "it is necessary to prevent this son of Iblis from twisting our necks. We are taking a viper to the Mahdi. What do you intend to do with him?"
