The Arabs rushed upon him like demons.
In a twinkling he was disarmed and at their mercy.
Jack could not talk to them, although he tried.
They were pirates of another band, who occasionally made their headquarters at the castle.
They knew no more about the gold than Jack himself; their speech was a dialect which he could not understand.
The sight of the gold drove them fairly frantic.
While two held Jack between them, the rest made a wild dash for the gold in the coat.
There was a grand scramble then, all chattering and jabbering like a lot of monkeys.
Still they seemed disposed to be fair with each other, and the division was as nearly equal as they could make it.
The men who held Jack a prisoner got their full share.