Owing to the delay that had occurred, Abdul had only just leapt into the saddle when the horsemen came into sight scarcely half a mile away. The sheikh was far ahead of his men, and the pace even of his splendid Arab showed that there was little fear of Abdul being overtaken. The young Moor set off at a gallop, a second horse at his side. There was a shout behind him; the sheikh called upon his followers to spur their flagging steeds: clearly he intended gamely to continue the pursuit. But the fugitives were now well away. Tom accommodated the speed of the airship to the pace of the horses below, keeping at a height of no more than a hundred feet from the ground so as to be able to drop down and stand by Abdul in case of need. For a few minutes it seemed as though the lad was to be close pressed, in spite of the hard galloping the horses of the pursuers had already done. But gradually they dropped farther and farther behind; Abdul’s horses were fresh; he himself was a light weight; and Tom began to breathe more freely. Another danger, however, occurred to him. The country was at present wild and desolate, with no signs of habitation. But as he neared the coast, he would undoubtedly pass scattered villages and towns, and it was possible that Abdul might be checked at one of these. He therefore felt it desirable to rise to a greater height, so that he might obtain a more extensive outlook over the country and indicate to Abdul a course which would prevent him from running into danger. He soon saw that his precaution was justified. The pursuers were still sticking doggedly to the trail, and Tom noticed that from time to time they were joined by fresh horsemen from the hamlets through which they passed. He could not distinguish figures in the distance, but he had no doubt that the sheikh had already obtained a fresh horse, and was among a group which had far outstripped the rest of the troop and was gradually diminishing the distance between them and their quarry. Abdul was riding gallantly on, changing from horse to horse with admirable dexterity; but it was clear that the pursuers, with many opportunities of obtaining remounts, must in course of time run him down. The airship would always indicate the direction in which they should ride.