The result was a savage outburst from their driver, who pressed on, making his whip sing through the air and crack loudly, as he lashed at the unfortunates, treating them far worse than the beasts that perish; but not a murmur arose as they stumbled on through the foul sand of the narrow way.
But there was one sound, a low, harsh, menacing grating together of teeth, and the Sheikh, who had long been inured to such scenes, turned sharply, to see that Frank’s eyes were blazing with the rage within him.
“Yes,” he whispered warningly, “it is horrible; but they are the conquering race from the south. We must bear it. Yes.”
“Hah!” sighed Frank, and he shuddered at the bare idea of his brother being a victim to such a fate.
Just at that moment the roadway widened out a little, and the Sheikh took advantage of this to press on, so as to get his party past the depressing scene.
The camel he rode protested a little, and at the moaning growl it uttered the Baggara turned a little, and his eyes met those of Frank, looking dark and menacing.
“Hasten, Ben Eddin,” whispered the Sheikh, and the young man’s camel made step for step with that of the Sheikh; but before Frank’s eyes quitted those of the slave-driver the man said something fiercely, raised his whip, and was in the act of striking at the young Englishman when there was a plunge, a bound, and the leader of the Emir’s guard had driven his beautiful Arab horse against the flank of the driver’s camel, sending the poor beast staggering against the mud house to the left and nearly dismounting the rider.
In an instant the savage turned with raised whip upon his aggressor, but the guard’s keen, straight sword flashed out of the scabbard, and the sight of the rest of the party cowed him, while pointing forward, the guard sat watching him sternly till the party had passed the gang, when, with a quick sweep of his sharp blade he caught the whip close to the shaft, sheared it off, and then pressing his horse’s sides he bounded on, leaving the brute scowling in his rear.
“We are to be saved from all insult, Ben Eddin,” said the Sheikh gravely; “but you must not resent anything you see, and this shows you how careful we must be.”
“Yes, but it makes my blood boil,” said Frank to himself, as he gave the old Arab a meaning look full of promise as regards care.