But unfortunately the next day he was disillusioned. The caravan had travelled all day at a leisurely pace, when towards evening some dark objects were observed at the most distant point in the desert; some thought it was only another caravan approaching, but Said’s old friend cried out to all to be prepared for an attack, for without doubt a horde of wild Arabs was approaching. The men seized their weapons, the women and merchandise were placed in the centre, and all was prepared for an attack. The dark mass moved slowly across the plain, looking at the distance like a number of storks about to wing their flight to foreign lands. But as they approached nearer they increased their pace, and very soon it was seen they were a body of men armed with lances who dashed forward with incredible swiftness upon the caravan. The men defended themselves bravely; but the robber force consisted of four hundred men, and they surrounded the caravan on every side, attacking skilfully with their lances. At this terrible moment Said, who had fought with the bravest, remembered his whistle and, placing it to his lips, blew with all his might. Alas! he let it fall again quickly, for it emitted not a sound. Enraged over this bitter disappointment he took aim at an Arab, who, by reason of his magnificent apparel, was distinguished from the rest. He shot him through the heart and the man fell from his horse--dead. “Allah! what have you done, young man,” cried the old man. “Now we are lost indeed.” And so it appeared, for when the robbers saw this man fall they uttered horrible yells and renewed the attack so fiercely that the few men who were still unwounded were soon dispersed. Said was surrounded in a few moments by five or six, but he wielded his lance so dexterously that no one could approach him. At length one of them was about to despatch him with an arrow when a comrade made a sign to him to desist, and before Said could determine what the new mode of attack was to be he felt a lassoo flung over his head; he made frantic efforts to free himself from it, but in vain, the cord only drew tighter and tighter--he was a prisoner. The caravan was now completely overcome, some of the men killed, the rest captured and, as the Arabs did not all belong to one company, they divided the prisoners and booty between them, some of them journeying to the South, others towards the East.