The priests, one holding the knife in his uplifted hand, again watched the progress of the fateful shadow as it slowly climbed the Arab's side and approached his bare chest. In a firm voice the Moslem made the declaration of his faith: "Walla ghalib illah Allah!" he cried defiantly, and awaited the fatal stroke.
But it never came. The priest gave a hasty glance towards the moon, then, with a yell of superstitious terror, he dropped the knife and ran screeching through the crowd. The other priests followed his example, the panic became general, and in less than a minute the temple was deserted, save by the bound but living men, while from the village came the terrified wailings of the demoralized savages.
I spoke to the doctor, my voice broken and feeble, but no reply came from his lips; then I turned my head towards the Arab, who was vigorously but ineffectually struggling with his bonds, and he, too, had his eyes fixed on the moon.
My torpor had passed, and now I was eager to see the cause of this sudden diversion in our favour, and, following the direction of Yadillah's glance, I saw a dark shadow slowly creeping over the surface of the moon, and already its light was waning.
It was an eclipse; the penumbra had extended over half the satellite's hemisphere, and the umbra was rapidly following. To the ignorant savages the phenomenon could have but one meaning. They had offered sacrifices to the goddess of the night, and the goddess by hiding her face had scorned them, and dire calamity was bound to follow this mark of rejection.
How long I lay on that stone of sacrifice I cannot tell, but throughout the whole of the total eclipse, when everything was as dark as the blackest night and nature was hushed into absolute silence, I was fully awake to the possibilities of rescue or death. At length the umbra began to pass slowly across the moon, and a dim, greyish light faintly played on the grim outlines of the temple. In another two hours it would be daylight, and the savages would return and hale us to our deaths.
But presently I heard the sound of footsteps, not the light tread of the barefooted savage, but the tramp of booted men, and lusty voices shouted our names. We were saved!