The two wounded men were brought into a tent, where, in a few minutes, one of them, the man who had been shot by one of his companions, breathed his last. He had also received a wound from the first shot that had been heard, his right arm having been shattered by a musket-ball.
The spine of the other guard had been broken by a bullet, so that recovery was clearly impossible.
He had evidently heard the first shot fired at his companion from the opposite side of the camp; and was turning his back upon the foe that had attacked himself.
The light of day soon shone upon the scene, and they were able to perceive how their enemies had approached so near the camp without being observed.
About a hundred paces from where the guards had been standing at the time the first two shots were fired, was a furrow or ravine running through the soft sand.
This ravine branched into two lesser ones, including within their angle the Arab camp, as also the sentinels stationed to guard it.
Up the branches the midnight murderers had silently stolen, each taking a side; and in this way had got within easy distance of the unsuspecting sentries.
In the bottom of one of the furrows, where the sand was more firmly compacted, was found the impression of human footsteps.
The tracks had been made by some person hurriedly leaving the spot.
“Dis be de track ob Golah,” said the Krooman to Harry, after he had examined it. “He make um when runnin’ ’way after he fire da musket.”