“Stand up!” cried Mansoor.  “For your life’s sake, stand up!  He is asking for leave to put you to death.”

“Let him do what he likes!” said the obstinate Irishman; “we will rise when our prayers are finished, and not before.”

The Emir stood listening to the Moolah, with his baleful gaze upon the two kneeling figures.  Then he gave one or two rapid orders, and four camels were brought forward.  The baggage-camels which they had hitherto ridden were standing unsaddled where they had been tethered.

“Don’t be a fool, Belmont!” cried the Colonel; “everything depends upon our humouring them.  Do get up, Mrs. Belmont!  You are only putting their backs up!”

The Frenchman shrugged his shoulders as he looked at them. “Mon Dieu!” he cried, “were there ever such impracticable people? Voila!” he added, with a shriek, as the two American ladies fell upon their knees beside Mrs. Belmont.  “It is like the camels—­one down, all down!  Was ever anything so absurd?”

But Mr. Stephens had knelt down beside Sadie and buried his haggard face in his long, thin hands.  Only the Colonel and Monsieur Fardet remained standing.  Cochrane looked at the Frenchman with an interrogative eye.

“After all,” said he, “it is stupid to pray all your life, and not to pray now when we have nothing to hope for except through the goodness of Providence.”  He dropped upon his knees with a rigid, military back, but his grizzled, unshaven chin upon his chest.  The Frenchman looked at his kneeling companions, and then his eyes travelled onwards to the angry faces of the Emir and Moolah.

“Sapristi!” he growled.  “Do they suppose that a Frenchman is afraid of them?” and so, with an ostentatious sign of the cross, he took his place upon his knees beside the others.  Foul, bedraggled, and wretched, the seven figures knelt and waited humbly for their fate under the black shadow of the palm-tree.

The Emir turned to the Moolah with a mocking smile, and pointed at the results of his ministrations.  Then he gave an order, and in an instant the four men were seized.  A couple of deft turns with a camel-halter secured each of their wrists.  Fardet screamed out, for the rope had bitten into his open wound.  The others took it with the dignity of despair.

“You have ruined everything.  I believe you have ruined me also!” cried Mansoor, wringing his hands.  “The women are to get upon these three camels.”

“Never!” cried Belmont.  “We won’t be separated!” He plunged madly, but he was weak from privation, and two strong men held him by each elbow.

“Don’t fret, John!” cried his wife, as they hurried her towards the camel.  “No harm shall come to me.  Don’t struggle, or they’ll hurt you, dear.”

The four men writhed as they saw the women dragged away from them.  All their agonies had been nothing to this.  Sadie and her aunt appeared to be half senseless from fear.  Only Mrs. Belmont kept a brave face.  When they were seated the camels rose, and were led under the tree behind where the four men were standing.