You are to mount yourselves upon the spare camels and to ride with the party.”
The chief had waited for the end of the explanation. “Now he gave a brief order, and a negro stepped forward with a long, dull-coloured sword in his hand. The dragoman squealed like a rabbit who sees a ferret, and threw himself frantically down upon the sand once more.
“What is it, Cochrane?” asked Cecil Brown—for the Colonel had served in the East, and was the only one of the travellers who had a smattering of Arabic.
“As far as I can make out, he says there is no use keeping the dragoman, as no one would trouble to pay a ransom for him, and he is too fat to make a good slave.”
“Poor devil!” cried Brown. “Here, Cochrane, tell them to let him go. We can’t let him be butchered like this in front of us. Say that we will find the money amongst us. I will be answerable for any reasonable sum.”
“I’ll stand in as far as my means will allow,” cried Belmont.
“We will sign a joint bond or indemnity,”
