The English girl stepped forward. "We are strangers in Midian," she said. "We are lost. All we wish is to get out of your country."
"There is no way out of Midian," replied the man. "You have killed a kid belonging to Eshbaal. For that you must be punished. You must come with us."
"We were starving," explained Lady Barbara. "If we could pay for the kid we would gladly do so. Let us go in peace."
The Midians held another whispered conference, after which their spokesman addressed the three again. "You must come with us," he said, "the women at least. If the man will go away we will not harm you, we do not want him; we want the women."
"What did he say?" demanded Smith, and when Lady Barbara had interpreted he shook his head. "Tell them no," he directed. "Also tell them that if they molest us I shall have to kill them."
When the girls delivered this ultimatum to the Midians they laughed. "What can one man do against twenty?" demanded their leader, then he advanced followed by his retainers. They were brandishing their clubs now, and some of them raised their voices in a savage war cry.
"You will have to shoot," said Lady Barbara. "There are at least twenty. You cannot miss them all."
"You flatter me," said Smith, as he raised his .32 and levelled it at the advancing Midians.
"Go back!" shouted Jezebel, "or you will be killed," but the attackers only came forward the faster.
Then Smith fired. At the sharp crack of the pistol the Midians halted, surprised; but no one fell. Instead, the leader hurled his club, quickly and accurately, just as Smith was about to fire again. He dodged; but the missile struck his pistol hand a glancing blow, sending the weapon flying—then the North Midians were upon them.