"Does his Excellency mean to go back the way we came?" he said. "It is very bad, and if we go by here we shall soon be outside upon the wide plain where we can ride round to the gate near the Emir's palace." "Then by all means let's go on," said the professor. "There may be nothing dead," said the Sheikh. "I think not, for the birds are waiting." There was evidently, though, some attraction, for the numbers of the birds were increasing as they pushed on, to ride out into an opening all at once--a place which had probably been a garden surrounded by buildings, now fast crumbling into dust, and here upon one side, not a dozen yards away, lay the attraction which had drawn the scavenger birds together, at least a hundred more that they had not previously seen dotting the ruins in all directions. "What a place!" said the professor, halting the beast he rode, which, like its fellows, instead of paying the slightest heed seemed to welcome the rest; and they all stood bowing their heads gently as if it were a mere matter of course, and no broad hint of their fate in the to-come. For there, crouched down with its legs doubled beneath, was a large camel, evidently in the last stage of weakness and disease, its ragged coat and flaccid hump hanging over to one side, bowing its head slowly at the waiting vultures, that calm, bald-headed and silent, sat about with their weird heads apparently down between their shoulders--a great gathering, waiting for the banquet that was to be theirs. Frank had hard work to repress the words which rose to his lips, and he signed to the Sheikh as he urged his beast forward. "Hold hard a minute," said the professor; "it is not nice, but I want to see in the cause of natural history. I never saw a camel die." Frank knit his brows, and in the cause of natural history felt glad that the loathsome birds refrained from attacking the wretched beast until it was dead. The poor animal had, however, nearly reached what was for it that happy state of release, for as the professor watched, the camel slowly raised its head, throwing it back until its ears rested against its hump, gazed upwards towards the sky, shivered, and was at rest. "Poor brute!" said the professor; "and what a release. Why, Ibrahim, I thought the Arab of the desert was tender to his beast, whether it was camel or horse?" "Well, Excellency," said the old man proudly, "look at the camel you ride; look at these. I am an Arab: have you ever seen me otherwise than merciful to my beasts?" "No," said the professor; "but look at that wretched creature! Ugh! how horrible! Let's ride on." It was time, for nearly heedless of the presence of man, the vultures were dropping down from the ruins, and those in the air were making a final sweep round before darting upon their carrion prey. The party rode on in silence for a few minutes, the Sheikh waiting for the professor to continue; but he remained silent, and the old man began in protest--