to drop with fatigue when that evening, just at dusk, they arrived
at the bank of a muddy river which Muley-Hassan, impatient as he was
to proceed, decided it would be unwise to ford till daylight--when
they could look for a good crossing place. At the spot which they
had halted, the stream--swollen apparently by rains in the
mountains--roared between its banks, in a dark chocolate-colored
flood.

Muley-Hassan himself was the only one of his band provided with a
tent, or anything resembling one, and the boys shared the common bed
of the rest of the party--which was the ground. A more unwholesome
resting-place in Africa, particularly on the steamy, swampy banks of
a river, could hardly be imagined. So indeed Muley-Hassan seemed to
think, for after a short time, during which the boys vainly tried to
secure some sleep, he ordered Diego to provide them with blankets to
place between themselves and the bare earth.

"I expect to get a good price for them eventually," he said, "and I
don't want to lose them unless I have to."

As the boys' wrists and ankles were bound with tough grass while
there was no particular attempt made to watch them, and soon the
snores of the camp bespoke that it was at rest. Then it was that
Billy whispered to Lathrop.

"Now's our time to try for it!"

"Try for what?" whispered back Lathrop in an inert tone.

"To get away."