In fear of such a catastrophe, we looked forward to seeing the smoke rising from a conflagration. But no; there was the faint haze caused by the dust trampled up by many thousand feet, and softening the outline of some of the dazzling white buildings. That was all.
“Can it be possible?” said the doctor at last, after he had gazed through the little field-glass handed to him by Brace. “One could fancy it was all a false alarm, and that poor Denny’s injuries were the result of some troubles in the bazaar.”
“Hist! quick!” I said sharply; and I pointed to a cloud of dust far away before us.
“Our men!”
But as the words were spoken, we caught sight of the glint of steel just above the dust cloud; and knowing, as we did, that they were lance-points, we obeyed a sign from Brace, and took refuge among the trees by the roadside.
We were none too soon, for the cloud swept nearer, and, headed by a splendidly mounted man in a yellow caftan, belted with a rich cashmere shawl, about a couple of dozen white-clothed troopers swept by, and disappeared as they had come, in a cloud of dust.
“What are they?” said the doctor, inquiringly.
“Soldiers of some irregular regiment,” replied Brace, looking after the horsemen thoughtfully.
“Then there is no reason why they may not be friends,” I said.
“Where is their regular officer, then?” said Brace, drily. “They would not be led by a man like the one we saw.”