Part 18 (1/2)

”What are you going to do, Billy?” asked Lathrop, in an agony of fear lest the man should awaken.

”Watch me,” was the young reporter's reply, as on his stomach he wiggled painfully across the few yards separating him from the sleeping man. In reality it took only a few minutes, but to both the boys the period of time occupied seemed interminable.

But it was no time to hurry things. One false step night cost them their lives and Billy realized this.

With the slow deliberate movement of a snake he, reached out his hand when he got near enough and took from the sleeping man's side his long curved Arab scimitar. Then he glided back to Lathrop as silently as he had left.

He had just reached his resting-place when there was a stir from the further side of the camp. Like a rabbit ducking into its hole Billy was under his blanket and apparently fast asleep in a second. But his heart beat so loudly that it felt to him that anyone who was not deaf could hear it a hundred yards away.

The man who had moved was Diego and the boys could hear his cat-like footfalls as he neared their sleeping-places. Once he stumbled over one of the sleeping men and the aroused one rose with a start and called wildly:

”What is it?”

”Hush, Adab,” cautioned Diego, ”it is I--Diego. I'm going to give an eye to those two American brats.”

”They're tied up hard and fast enough,” chuckled the other.

”If they were of any other nationality--yes;” was Diego's reply, ”but these Yankees are brave and clever enough to escape from almost any trap.”

”You bet we are,” thought Billy to himself, giving a realistic snore.

Although he did not dare to open his eyes, the young reporter could feel Diego standing over them in the moonlight and gazing down at them to ascertain if they were still ”hard and fast,” as the other had expressed it.

For an instant a terrible thought flashed across Billy's brain.

”Suppose Diego should take an idea to examine their thongs?”

But the lieutenant of Muley-Ha.s.san apparently was satisfied, for after a few minutes' scrutiny he turned to go Billy could hear his feet sc.r.a.pe as he swung around.

At almost the same instant the night was filled with savage cries and the camp was thrown into confusion by an onrush of wild figures before whose spears the half-awakened Arabs were slaughtered like sheep.

Not realizing in the least what was happening, Billy yet conjectured that the Arabs were just then too busy to pay any attention to himself and Lathrop. With two slashes of the stolen scimitar he severed Lathrop's bonds and dragging him to his feet dived into the forest.

As they entered its recesses a fleeing Arab, still clutching his rifle, dashed by them and an instant later fell dead. He had been speared through the back.

Billy, with a quick inspiration, seized the dead man's long rifle and his ammunition pouch and, followed by the bewildered Lathrop, plowed desperately forward into the screen of the jungle.

Behind them they heard cries for mercy and fierce shouts from the attacking savages. At first the cries and imprecations of the slave-traders predominated and then, by the altered sounds that came from the scene of the fighting and the cras.h.i.+ng of the Arabs'

volleys, the boys realized that the tide of battle had changed and that the Arabs were driving back the attacking force.

”What do you suppose happened, Billy?” asked Lathrop, only half awake, as the boys, with the fleetness and endurance that desperate need lends, plunged deeper and deeper into the forest.

”Why, that some cannibal tribe that Muley-Ha.s.san pillaged for slaves at some time has trailed him and attacked him,” hazarded the reporter.

How near he came to the truth our readers know. The band that had made the midnight attack was the same that had painstakingly trailed Muley-Ha.s.san since he destroyed the boys' camp on the river bank.

”But the Arabs have beaten them off?” queried Lathrop.

”Evidently,” replied Billy, as the volleys died out and victorious Arab shouts were beard. ”Hark at that! It's really too bad. I'd like to have seen old Muley and his precious band driven into the river. But if they have driven off the savages they'll be thinking about chasing us.”

As he spoke there came a low, growling sound that seemed to proceed from some distance, but nevertheless filled the air. It rumbled and rolled above them like--