He Respects a Flag of Truce
The Tawarek moved slightly—for the first time since he had appeared upon the beach; he waved his lance, making the flag of truce flutter, and answered the call. Again Soly hailed him, and again he replied.
"Well? Well?" demanded O'Rourke impatiently.
"He says that he is come to arrange peace," interpreted the man; "that you are to send a boat to bring him aboard."
"The nerve of him!" muttered O'Rourke.
Nervetheless, he gave orders to have the boat lowered and manned by a heavily armed crew; at the same time he directed that the deck guns should be trained upon the shore.
"Tell him," he ordered Soly, "that we will send for him, but that at the first sign of treachery we'll blow him into eternity!"
Soly complied readily, but the Tawarek preserved a dignified silence.
While the boat was making for the shore the Irishman ordered that the searchlight should sweep the surrounding desert, following its path with his binoculars; they showed to him no further sign of the enemy—naught, in fact, save that solitary, gorgeous figure, waiting patiently upon the beach.
[ 113 ]
