position and Ali Wad Hei's shouting fanatics. They would be able to
reach and defend the post in time. He turned and gave orders. There
were only twenty men besides the two pashas, whom his commands also
comprised. Two small guns were in place. He had them trained on that
portion of the advancing infantry of Ali Wad Hei not yet covered by his
own forces. Years of work and responsibility had made him master of many
things, and long ago he had learned the work of an artilleryman. In a
moment a shot, well directed, made a gap in the ranks of the advancing
foe. An instant afterwards a shot from the other gun fired by the
unwounded pasha, who, in his youth, had been an officer of artillery,
added to the confusion in the swerving ranks, and the force hesitated;
and now from Ebn Ezra Bey's river steamers, which had just arrived, there
came a flank fire. The force wavered. From David's gun another shot
made havoc. They turned and fell back quickly. The situation was saved.

As if by magic the attack of the enemy all over the field ceased. By
sunset they had meant to finish this enterprise, which was to put the
besieged wholly in their hands, and then to feast after the day's
fasting. Sunset had come, and they had been foiled; but hunger demanded
the feast. The order to cease firing and retreat sounded, and three
thousand men hurried back to the cooking-pot, the sack of dourha, and the
prayer mat. Malaish, if the infidel Inglesi was not conquered to-day,
he should be beaten and captured and should die to-morrow! And yet there
were those among them who had a well-grounded apprehension that the
"Inglesi" would win in the end.

By the trenches, where five men had died so bravely, and a traitorous
pasha had paid the full penalty of a crime and won a soldier's death,
David spoke to his living comrades. As he prepared to return to the
city, he said to the unwounded pasha: "Thou wert to die at sunset; it was