Then suddenly they were awakened with a start. They looked about wonderingly.
Dr. Kirshner stood over them, holding his rifle in readiness.
“The bandits!” he exclaimed excitedly. “I believe they’re coming!”
Mr. Holton and Mr. Lewis jumped to their feet and grabbed their guns. Cautiously they peered out, holding the flap but a few inches up.
“Where are they?” demanded Bob’s father, while Tishmak and Fekmah ran forward.
“I’m not sure that it’s they,” the archæologist said. “But I heard camel steps a moment ago, and in this country it is best to investigate before it’s too late.”
A second later Tishmak stopped still and listened. He held up a hand for silence. Fekmah had also caught a sound.
“It’s they,” he whispered. “Camels! They’re coming this way!”
The swishing sound increased, and Dr. Kirshner called his friends together for a plan of defense.