The Bedouin hesitated, for he had not been told to beat the girl, and meanwhile she cried out in tones of terror and despair:
“Saba! Saba!”
Saba understood, and with one leap he reached the entrance. The hair on his neck and back bristled, his eyes glared with a red light, while from his chest and his powerful throat came a thundering roar. Then his lips slowly receded, and his teeth, as well as his inch-long white fangs, stood out, displaying his bloody gums. The enormous dog now began to turn his head from right to left, as if he wanted to give the Sudanese a good view of his terrible set of teeth and say to them:
“Look! With these I shall defend the children!”
They desisted at once, because they knew that they owed their lives to Saba and also that any one who attempted to approach Nell at that moment would have the enraged animal’s fangs fastened in his throat.
So they stood there powerless, looking helplessly and inquiringly at one another, as if asking what was to be done now.
They hesitated so long that Nell had time to call old Dinah and order her to cut Stasch’s bonds. Then the boy arose, and laying his hand on Saba’s head, turned to the assailants:
“I did not mean to kill you,” he said with clenched teeth, “but only the camels.”
This speech, which was intended to pacify them, only terrified them the more, and they would certainly have attacked Stasch again had not Saba’s flaming eyes and his still bristling hair kept them back. Gebhr still wanted to rush at Stasch, but a deep growl pinned him to the spot where he stood.
A short silence ensued—then Idris’ far-resounding voice rang out: