his men surrounded, and she was ignominiously being run away with by a
bolting horse. If she could only turn the wretched animal. It would
only be a question of ransom, of that she was positive. She must get
back somehow to the others and arrange terms. It was an annoyance, of
course, but after all it added a certain piquancy to her trip, it would
be an experience. It was only a "hold-up." She did not suppose the
Arabs had even really meant to hurt any one, but they were excited and
some one's shot, aimed wide, had found an unexpected billet. It could
only be that. It was too near Biskra for any real danger, she argued
with herself, still straining on the reins. She would not admit that
there was any danger, though her heart was beating in a way that it had
never done before. Then as she hauled ineffectually at the bridle with
all her strength there came from behind her the sound of a long, shrill
whistle. Her horse pricked up his ears and she was conscious that his
pace sensibly lessened. Instinctively she looked behind. A solitary
Arab was riding after her and as she looked she realised that his horse
was gaining on hers. The thought drove every idea of stopping her
runaway from her and made her dig her spurs into him instead. There was
a sinister air of deliberation in the way in which the Arab was
following her; he was riding her down.

Diana's mouth closed firmly and a new keenness came into her steady
eyes. It was one thing to go back voluntarily to make terms with the
men who had attacked her party; it was quite another thing to be
deliberately chased across the desert by an Arab freebooter. Her
obstinate chin was almost square. Then the shadow of a laugh flickered
in her eyes and curved her mouth. New experiences were crowding in upon
her to-day. She had often wondered what the feelings of a hunted
creature were. She seemed in a fair way of finding out. She had always
stoutly maintained that the fox enjoyed the run as much as the hounds;