His youthful comrades saw, but were not permitted to approach him. They were the undisputed property of the rival chieftain,--to whose tent they were taken; but not until they had "run a muck" among the women and children, very similar to that which Bill had to submit to himself. It terminated in a similar manner: that is, by their _owner_ taking them under his protection,--not from any motives of humanity, but simply to save his property from receiving damage at the hands of the incarnate female furies, who seemed to take delight in maltreating them!
The old sheik, after allowing his _fair_ followers, with their juvenile _neophites_, for some length of time to indulge in their customary mode of saluting strange captives, withdrew the latter beyond the reach of persecution, to a place assigned them under the shadow of his tent. There, with a sinewy Arab standing over them,--though as often squatted beside them,--they were permitted to pass the remainder of the night, if not in sleep at least in a state of tranquillity.
This tranquillity only related to any disturbance experienced from their captors. There was none.
These had been on the eve of striking their tents, and moving off to some other oasis,--previous to the last incident that had arisen.
As already stated, the two sheiks, by a mutual understanding, had been about to shake hands, and separate,--the son of Japhet going north, to the markets of Morocco, while the descendant of Ham was to face homeward to his more tropical and appropriate clime,--under the skies of Timbuctoo.
The "windfall" that had so unexpectedly dropped into the _douar_; first in the shape of Sailor Bill,--and afterwards, in more generous guise, by the capture of the three "young gentlemen" of the gunroom,--had caused some change in the plans of their captors.
By mutual understanding between the two sheiks, something was to be done in the morning; and their design of separating was deferred to another day.
The order to strike tents had been countermanded: and both tribes retired to rest,--as soon as the captives had been disposed of for the night.
The douar was silent,--so far as the children of Ham and Japhet were concerned. Even _their_ children had ceased to clamor and squall.