The three Englishmen raised their head-coverings as they stopped by the side of the luckless traveller, of whom only a bleached skeleton remained. To the lads' surprise, the body, which was lying face downwards, was encased in a hauberk of chain armour, while at a short distance from the head was a steel helmet, with a short guard for the nose. Both helm and hauberk were slightly eaten away by rust. "Why, it's the body of a mediaeval knight!" exclaimed Gerald. "I've----" "Not so fast!" interposed Reeves. "The poor fellow was doubtless an Arab emir. As late as fifteen years ago we had Sudanese clad in mail, which, if not exactly that worn by the Crusader, was a good copy of it. It is commonly supposed that the Arabs obtained the use of chain mail from their Saracen ancestors, who, of course, adapted their Christian enemies' arms and mail to their own purpose. I'll turn the man over. Perhaps he may have something on of service to us." So saying, the correspondent gently placed his hands under the hauberk and turned the skeleton on its back. As he did so he gave a grunt of surprise, for to the right breast of the rusty coat of mail was affixed a metal cross, made apparently of copper, but green with exposure to the air. "It strikes me pretty forcibly that you are right after all, Gerald," he exclaimed. "But at the same time I cannot believe it possible, even taking into consideration the dryness of the atmosphere, that armour could withstand the ravages of the weather for seven or eight hundred years." "There is a dagger," said Hugh, pointing to the hilt of a weapon that hung at the right side of the skeleton, the remaining portion being buried in the sand. "It certainly looks like a misericord," remarked Reeves, drawing the rusty steel from its mouldy sheath. "See! the man wears a rich leathern baldrick. At one time he carried a sword--here are the fragments of a sheath; and, stranger still, he does not appear to have had firearms!" "Why is it strange?" asked Hugh. "Because an emir, even though clad in chain mail, almost invariably carries a pistol and powder-horn with him. This man has none. However, the mystery must remain a mystery, I fear. We can, at any rate, cover the skeleton with sand." This was accordingly done; but as the Englishmen were about to return to where the camels were left, Reeves stooped and picked up the dagger. "Every additional weight hampers us," he remarked, "but I think I will take this. It will be a memento, in case we return to civilization in safety." "I wonder if the man rode a horse or a camel?" asked Hugh. "If so, are there any traces of it?"