"Eh, what's that?" exclaimed the amazed commander. "What does he want to examine our passports for?"
"We haven't any," remarked the navigating officer.
"And why the deuce is he to search for contraband, I should like to know?" groaned the skipper.
"Did you hear what I said?" called the raider, who now appeared to be getting angry at the delay.
"Yes," growled the other.
"Then bring her down at once, and let out that mooring cable!"
And as there was no apparent help for it, and not a single patrol had yet hove in sight, the captain of the liner reluctantly complied, wasting as much time as he dared in the operation.
CHAPTER XI
THE AIR-KING'S TRIBUTE
Far down below, the Arab sheik and his party, ambushed amid the waving palms of the oasis, had watched with keen and eager eyes this thrilling encounter in the heavens between the phantom-bird and the great leviathan. To them it seemed impossible that the aeroplane, sometimes diminished by distance to a tiny speck, could overcome the mighty airship.