snore.

Although he did not dare to open his eyes, the young reporter could
feel Diego standing over them in the moonlight and gazing down at
them to ascertain if they were still "hard and fast," as the other
had expressed it.

For an instant a terrible thought flashed across Billy's brain.

"Suppose Diego should take an idea to examine their thongs?"

But the lieutenant of Muley-Hassan apparently was satisfied, for
after a few minutes' scrutiny he turned to go Billy could hear his
feet scrape as he swung around.

At almost the same instant the night was filled with savage cries
and the camp was thrown into confusion by an onrush of wild figures
before whose spears the half-awakened Arabs were slaughtered like
sheep.

Not realizing in the least what was happening, Billy yet conjectured
that the Arabs were just then too busy to pay any attention to
himself and Lathrop. With two slashes of the stolen scimitar he
severed Lathrop's bonds and dragging him to his feet dived into the
forest.

As they entered its recesses a fleeing Arab, still clutching his
rifle, dashed by them and an instant later fell dead. He had been
speared through the back.