I
1.When we had come opposite to the fountain，we found our way blocked by an Arab encampment.The twinkling lights seemed to fill the whole plain.All appeared to be fast asleep；but we knew that if one ofthe Bedawinsaw us，we should soon have the wholehornets‘nest after us.As the wind was coming from the fountain，we resolved to try to get round the other side of the encampment.We alighted，and，slinging the nose-bags on our horses，carefully led them as we moved round the Arab flank.
2.It was an anxious time；for，had horses whinnied，or a desert dog discovered us，we should certainly have beendeprived of our horses at least.By making a circuitofa mile or more，we got past the northern flank of the sleeping host.A strong wind was blowing from the camp，laden with the odour of camels and camp-fires.
3.As soon as we thought we had got past the Arabs，we worked our way back to the direct path，and startedfor Karyeteinat a good pace.The track was hard，andthe noise of our cantering horses roused the camp，which was nearer to us than we had supposed.An alarm shot was fired，and then there arose a babel of sounds，in which the braying of asses，the barking of dogs，and the shouting of men were mingled.
4.We kept steadily on our way，but we did not seem to be getting much further from the noises.When we had ridden for about an hour，we became aware that we were being pursued.The night was very dark，and we could see nothing but the camp-fires in the distance；but we could distinctly hear the clatter of horses feet，and even the hard breathing of horses which were being driven furiously.
5.Three courses were open to us-to stand and fight，to race for our lives，or to give our pursuers the slip.To have fought would have been simple madness，for，from the noise our pursuers made，there seemed to be hundreds of them.It was doubtful if we could have escaped by hard riding，for our steeds were jaded，whiletheirs were fresh.The darkness favoured the third plan.
6.We were then passing over rough ground，and having reached the dry bed of a river，we turned up it at right angles to the path.In a few seconds we were quite out of sight，among the hills.We again hung the nose-bags on our horses’heads，and set them to feed，and I crawled back to a little hill by the side of the path.
I had scarcely got to the top of the hill，and peeped over，lying flat on the ground，when the troop swept past.There seemed to be about a dozen horses，andas many dromedaries，and as each dromedary carriedtwo men，there may have been thirty or forty all told.
7.We now knew that we had no reasonable causefor fear.We both had breech-loadersand revolvers ofthe newest patterns，and we should have been able，if the worst had come，to fire forty shots between us in aminute.My companion，an old Wimbledon crack shot，was anxious to begin at once；but I was determined to avoid bloodshed if possible.
8.We now mounted our horses，and followed the Bedawin，who thought they were following us.There was less than half a mile between us.We could hear them distinctly；but if they heard us，they must have thought we were some of their own party.When we had followed them for an hour or so，and they seemed to be getting further and further ahead of us，it became necessary to shake them off in some way or other，as we knew that the dawn would very soon reveal us.
9.My companion carried a little flask of brandy，which I induced him to give to me.We then rode into the desert to the left，and I took the muslin which was fixed on my helmet as a protection against the sun，saturatedit with the brandy，and set fire to it on aheap of brushwood.The flame rose suddenly，and the brushwood caught fire and continued the blaze.I fired two or three shots，sending the bullets whistling after our pursuers.At the same time we walked our horses between them and the fire，and danced round it，so that we might seem more numerous than we were.Then we galloped back in the darkness to the road，and crossed out into the desert on the other side.
10.The ruse succeeded splendidly.The fire burnt itself out quickly，but the Bedawin hurried back to the spot where they had seen it.We heard them leave the road，and pass with much noise through the brushwood.Knowing that our path was now free，we returned to it，and sped as fast as we could on our way to Karyetein.We were both profoundly thankful that we had escaped a real danger，and that we had not been obliged to shed the blood even of desert cut-throats.
