David's eye flashed. "A great device. They will be here by midnight,
then, perhaps?"

"At midnight, Saadat, by the blessing of God."

"How wert thou wounded?"

"I came upon two of the enemy. They were mounted. I fought them. Upon
the horse of one I came here."

"The other?"

"God is merciful, Saadat. He is in the bosom of God."

"How many men come by the river?"

"But fifty, Saadat," was the answer, "but they have sworn by the stone in
the Kaabah not to surrender."

"And those who come with the effendi, with Ebn Ezra Bey, are they as
those who will not surrender?"

"Half of them are so. They were with thee, as was I, Saadat, when the
great sickness fell upon us, and were healed by thee, and afterwards
fought with thee." David nodded abstractedly, and motioned to Mahommed
to take the man away; then he said to Lacey: "How long do you think we
can hold out?"

"We shall have more men, but also more rifles to fire, and more mouths to