The next thing I remember was hearing a wild yell as our party seized a horse apiece and galloped off in front of the oncoming Kurds—­straight toward Kagig’s firing-line.  That, and the yelling of the horsemen in pursuit drew the attention of the riflemen attacking Kagig to the fact that most of their horses were running loose and that there was imminent danger to their own rear.  I only had time to get a glimpse of them breaking back, for the Turkish colonel got my range and sent a bullet ripping down the length of the back of my shooting jacket.  That commenced a duel——­he against me—­each missing as disgracefully as if we were both beginners at the game of life or death, and I at any rate too absorbed to be aware of anything but my own plight and of oceans of unexplained noise to right and left.  I knew there were galloping horses, and men yelling; but knowledge that the Turkish military rifle I was using must be wrongly sighted, and that my enemy had no such disadvantage, excluded every other thought.

I had used about half the cartridges in my bandolier when a Kurd’s lance struck me a glancing blow on the back of the head.  His horse collapsed on top of me, as some thundering warrior I did not see gave the stupendous finishing stroke to rider and beast at once.

There followed a period of semi-consciousness filled with enormous clamor, and upheavings, and what might have been earthquakes for lack of any other reasonable explanation, for I felt myself being dragged and shaken to and fro.  Then, as the weight of the fallen horse was rolled aside there surged a tide of blissful relief that carried me over the border of oblivion.

When I recovered my senses I was astride of Rustum Khan’s mare, with a leather thong around my shoulders and the Rajput’s to keep me from falling.  We were proceeding at an easy walk in front of a squadron of ragged-looking irregulars whom I did not recognize, toward the center of the position Kagig had held.  Kagig’s men were no longer in hiding, but standing about in groups; and presently I caught sight of Fred and Will and Kagig standing together, but not Gloria Vanderman.  A cough immediately behind us made me turn my head.  The Turkish colonel, who had fought the ridiculously futile duel with me, was coming along at the mare’s tail with his hands tied behind him and a noose about his neck made fast to one of the saddle-rings.

“Much obliged, Rustum Khan!” I said by way of letting him know I was alive.  “How did you get here?”

“Ha, sahib!  Not going to die, then?  That is good!  I came because Colonel Lord Montdidier sahib sent me with a squadron of these mountain horsemen—­fine horsemen they are—­fit by the breath of Allah to draw steel at a Rajput’s back!”

“He sent you to find me?”

“Ha, sahib.  To rescue you alive if that were possible.”

“How did he know where I was?”