between them the horse was forcibly held for a moment--only for a
moment, but it was long enough for the man who leaped like a flash on
to his back. The others fell away, racing from the reach of the
terrible lashing heels. Amazed for the moment at the sudden
unaccustomed weight, the colt paused, and then reared straight up, till
it seemed to Diana that he must fall backward and crush the man who was
clinging to him. But he came down at last, and for a few moments it was
almost impossible to follow his spasmodic movements as he strove to rid
himself of his rider. The end came quickly. With a twisting heave of
his whole body he shot the Arab over his head, who landed with a dull
thud and lay still, while the men who had been holding the colt dashed
in and secured him before he was aware of his liberty. Diana looked
towards the fallen man; a little crowd were gathered around him, and
her heart beat faster as she thought that he was dead. Dead so quickly,
and only a moment before he had been so full of life and strength.
Death meant nothing to these savages, she thought bitterly, as she
watched the limp body being carried away by three or four men, who
argued violently over their burden. She glanced at the Sheik. He seemed
perfectly unconcerned and did not even look in the direction of the man
who had fallen. On the contrary, he laughed, and, turning to Yusef, put
his hand en his shoulder and nodded towards the colt. Diana gave a
gasp. He spared no one. He was going to make the young man take his
chance as the rough-rider had taken his. She knew that the lieutenant
rode well, as did all Ahmed Ben Hassan's followers, and that his
languid manner was only a pose, but he looked so young and boyish, and
the risk seemed enormous. She had seen colts broken before many times,
but never a colt so madly savage as this one. But to Yusef the chance
was evidently welcome. With an answering laugh, he swaggered out into
the arena, where the men greeted him with shouts. There was the same
procedure as before, and Yusef bounded up lightly into the saddle. This