A chorus of shouts went up from the tribesmen and they threw themselves from their mounts, crouching on the further side of the animals for shelter. Tezra and Nepahak, their faces blanched, quickly did the same.
“We could have sent those through your heads just as easily,” shouted the captain, “but we do not want your blood on our hands.”
That the marvelous shooting had had its effect was evident from the long pause that ensued. Don began to hope that the “bluff” had succeeded.
But the hope of loot had been too long nourished and the disparity in numbers was too great for the robbers to abandon their project so easily. It was unlikely that all of the little forlorn hope of six were equally good marksmen.
Gradually the camels, under the prodding of their hidden masters, began to move slowly toward the base of the slope so as to diminish the distance when the time came to charge. It would have been easy to bring some of the camels down, but the explorers stayed their hands.
“They’re coming now!” exclaimed the captain, as his practiced eye saw that they were gathering for a rush. “Don’t show an inch more of yourselves that you can help. Fire to wound but not to kill, on this first rush. A man put out of action counts for as much as a dead one. Fire when I give the order, and then keep on firing.”
A score of rifles suddenly appeared above the camels’ backs, and a volley of bullets came pattering against the rocks. Then, with a loud shout, the Bedouins abandoned their shelters and rushed forward, firing as they came.
“Fire!” cried the captain.
Six rifles cracked and each missile found a mark. Don had picked out Nepahak, and caught him in the leg. The captain sent a bullet through Tezra’s shoulder. Mr. Sturdy brought down the Bedouin chief. The others, at such close range, could hardly miss, and they did not.
The tribesmen wavered as they saw their leaders go down. Another volley wrought havoc in their ranks, and they broke and ran to the shelter of their camels. No bullets pursued them, as the explorers wanted to limit the casualties as much as possible.