Fatima seemed about to realise the fulfilment of some long-cherished hope, the hope of revenge on a detested rival.

The care Golah had taken to hinder any interference with his plans, the words of the Krooman, the looks and gestures of the guards, and of Golah himself, the digging of two graves in the sand, all gave warning that some fearful tragedy was about to be enacted. Our adventurers were conscious of this, and conscious, also, that they could do nothing to prevent it.

Nearly frantic with the helplessness of their position, they could only wait, "trembling for the birth of Fate."

CHAPTER FIFTY ONE.

THE SHEIK'S PLAN OF REVENGE.

The second sand-pit was dug a short distance from the first; and when it had been sunk to the depth of about four and a half feet, Golah commanded the blacks to leave off their labour, one of them being sent back to the line to be seated along with his fellow slaves.

By this time the tents had been struck, the camels loaded, and all but Golah and Fatima appeared willing and anxious to depart from the spot.

These were not; for their business at that camping-place had not yet been completed.

When the two guards had again resumed their former stations in front of the line, as before with their muskets at full c.o.c.k, Golah advanced towards the woman, who, disengaging herself from her children, stood up at his approach.

Then succeeded a moment of intense interest.

Was he going to kill her?

If so, in what manner?

All looked on with painful antic.i.p.ation of some dire event.

It soon transpired. The woman was seized by Golah himself, dragged towards the pits that had been dug, and thrust into one of them. The slave who wielded the spade was then commanded to fill up the excavation around her.

Terence was the first to speak.

"G.o.d help her!" he exclaimed; "the monster is going to bury her alive!

Can't we save her?"

"We are not men, if we do not try!" exclaimed Harry, as he suddenly sprang to his feet.

His example was immediately followed by his white companions.

The two muskets were instantly directed towards them; but at a shout from Golah their muzzles were as quickly dropped.

The sheik's son then, at his father's command, ran to the pit to secure the woman; while Golah himself rushed forward to meet the helpless men who were advancing towards him.

In an instant the four were thrown prostrate to the earth.

With their hands tied, the powerful sheik upset them as easily as though they had been bags of sand.

Raising Harry by the hair of his head with one hand, and Terence with the other, he dragged them back to their places in the line where they had been already seated.

Sailor Bill saved himself from like treatment, by rolling over and over until he had regained his former place. Colin was allowed to lie on the ground, where the sheik had knocked him over.

Golah now returned to the pit where the woman stood half buried.

She made no resistance, she uttered no complaint, but seemed calmly to resign herself to a fate that could not be averted. Golah apparently did not intend to behold her die; for, when the earth was filled in around her body, her head still remained above ground. She was to be starved to death! As the sheik was turning away to attend to other matters, the woman spoke. Her words were few, and produced no effect upon him. They did, however, upon the Krooman, whose eyes were seen to fill with tears that rapidly chased each other down his mahogany-coloured cheeks.

Colin, who seemed to notice everything except the fate threatening himself, observed the Krooman's excitement, and inquired its cause.

"She asked him to be kind to her little boy," said the man, in a voice trembling with emotion.

Are tears unmanly?--No.

The shining drops that rolled from that man's eyes, and sparkled adown his dusky cheeks, on hearing the unfortunate woman's prayer for her children, proved that he was not a brute, but a man--a man with a soul that millions might envy.

After leaving the place where the woman was buried, Golah walked up to Colin, and, dragging him to his feet, led him away to the other pit.

His intentions were now evident to all. The two individuals who had aroused his anger and jealousy were to be left near each other, buried alive, to perish in this fearful fashion.

"Colin! Colin! what can we do to save you?" exclaimed Harry, in a tone expressing despair and anguish.

"Nothing," answered Colin; "don't attempt it, or you will only bring trouble on yourselves. Leave me to my fate."

At this moment the speaker was thrown into the pit, and held in an upright att.i.tude by Golah, while the black slave proceeded to fill in the earth around him.

Following the philosophical example set by the woman, Colin made no useless resistance; and was soon submerged under the sand piled up to his shoulders. His companions sat gazing with speechless horror, all suffering the combined anguish of shame, regret and despair.

The sheik was now ready to depart; and ordered the slave who had been a.s.sisting him in his diabolical work to mount the camel formerly ridden by the woman who was thus entombed. The black obeyed, pleased to think that his late task was to be so agreeably rewarded; but a sudden change came over his features when Golah and Fatima pa.s.sed up the three children and placed them under his care.

Golah had but one more act to perform before leaving the spot. It was an act worthy of himself, although suggested by Fatima.

After filling a bowl about half full of water, he placed it midway between Colin and the woman, but so distant from each that neither could possibly reach it!

This satanic idea was executed with the design of tantalising the sufferers in their dying hours, with the sight of that element the want of which would soon cause them the most acute anguish. By the side of the bowl he also placed a handful of figs.

"There," he tauntingly exclaimed; "I leave you two together, and with more food and drink than you will ever consume. Am I not kind? What more can you ask? _Bismillah_! G.o.d is great, and Mahomet is his Prophet; and I am Golah, the kind, the just!"

Saying this he gave orders to resume the march.

"Don't move!" exclaimed Terence; "we will give him some trouble yet."

"Of course we'll not go and leave Colin there," said Harry. "The sheik is too avaricious to kill all his slaves. Don't move a step, Bill, and we may have Colly liberated yet."

"I shall do as you say, av coorse," said Bill; "But I expect we shall 'ave to go. Golah has got a way of making a man travel, whether he be willing or not."

All started forward from the place but the three white slaves and the two whom Golah intended to remain.

"Cheer up, lad," said Bill to Colin; "we'll never go and leave you there."

"Go on! go on!" exclaimed Colin. "You can do me no good, and will only injure yourselves."

Golah had mounted his camel and ridden forward, leaving to his two guards the task of driving on the slaves; and, as if apprehensive of trouble from them, he had directed Terence, Harry, Bill, and the Krooman, to be brought on with their hands tied behind them.