He was too late. Before he could reach them they were in the possession of others; and as he drew near the spot where they had been captured he saw a dozen muskets presented towards himself, and heard some one loudly commanding him in the name of the Prophet to approach in peace. Golah had the discretion to yield to a destiny that could not be averted--the misfortune of being made a prisoner and plundered at the same time. Calmly saying, "It is the will of God," he sat down, and invited his captors to a conference on the terms of capitulation. As soon as the caravan had fallen into the possession of the robbers, the Krooman's hands were unbound by his companion, and he hastened to the relief of the white slaves. "Golah no our massa now," said he, while untying Harry's wrists, "our massa is Arab dat take us norf. We get free. Dat why dis Arab no buy us--he know us he hab for nothing." The cords were quickly untied, and the attention of the others was now turned to disinterring Colin and the woman from their living graves. To do this, Harry wanted to use the water-bowl the sheik had left for the purpose of tantalising his victims with the sight of its contents. "Here, drink this water," said he, holding the vessel to Colin's lips. "I want to make use of the dish." "No, no; dig me out without that," answered Colin. "Leave the water as it is; I have a particular use for it when I get free. I wish the old sheik to see me drink it." Bill, Harry, and the Krooman set to work, and Colin and the woman were soon uncovered and dragged out. Terence was then awakened to consciousness by a few drops of the water poured over his face. Owing to the cramped position in which he had been placed and so long held, Colin was for a few minutes unable to walk. They waited, to give him time to recover the use of his limbs. The slave who had the care of the woman's children was now seen coming back with them, and the woman ran to meet him. The delight of the wretched mother at again embracing her offspring was so great that the gentle-souled Krooman was once more affected to tears. In the conference with the Arab robbers, Golah was unable to obtain the terms he fancied a sheik should be entitled to. They offered him two camels, and the choice of one wife out of the three, on condition he should go back to his own country and return to the desert no more. These terms Golah indignantly refused, and declared that he would rather die in defence of his rights. Golah was a pure negro, and one of a class of traders much disliked by the Arabs. He was a lawless intruder on their grounds, a trespasser upon their especial domain--the Great Desert. He had just acquired a large amount of wealth in goods and slaves that had been cast on their coast, and these they were determined he should not carry back with him to his own country.