'Deeply; he tried to kill me, indeed.'
'Yet he lives?'
'Yes.'
'Why is this?'
'I thought he was dead—drowned,' replied Allan, evasively.
'Take this sword and smite off his head. The blade is sharp enough.'
Allan shook his head and drew back.
'You Franks are fools!' said Zeid, while the miserable Holcroft, though he knew not a word of what passed, guessed the terrible import of it, and glanced imploringly at Allan.
'Do you think,' said Zeid, after a pause, 'that his neck is turned to ivory, as the Koran tells us that of Moses was, when he was about to be beheaded for slaying an Egyptian?'
'The Koran—always that weary Koran!' thought Allan, impatiently.