In choosing the individual for this duty, he inquired from the Krooman which of the four had been most ill-used by the black sheik. Sailor Bill was pointed out as the man; and the interpreter gave some details of the cruel treatment to which the old man-o'-war's-man had been subjected at the hands of Golah. "Bismillah! that is well," said the sheik. "Let him keep the watch. After what you say, revenge should hinder him closing his eyes in sleep for a whole moon. There's no fear that he will betray us." CHAPTER FIFTY NINE. GOLAH CALLS AGAIN. In setting the watch for the night, one of the sentinels was stationed on the shore about a hundred yards north of the _douar_. His instructions were to walk a round of about two hundred paces, extending inward from the beach. Another was placed about the same distance south of the camp, and was to pace backwards and forwards after a similar fashion. Sailor Bill was stationed on the land side of the camp, where he was to move to and fro between the beats of the two Arab guards, each of whom, on discovering him at the termination of his round, was to utter the word "_Akka_" so that the sailor should distinguish him from an enemy. The Arabs themselves were supposed to be sufficiently intelligent to tell a friend from a foe without requiring any countersign. Before Bill was sent upon his beat the old sheik went into a tent, and soon after reappeared with a large pistol, bearing a strong likeness to a blunderbuss. This weapon he placed in the sailor's hand, with the injunction, translated to him by the interpreter, not to discharge it until he should be certain of killing either Golah, or one of his companions. The old sailor, although sorely fatigued with the toil of the day's journey, had so great a horror of again becoming the property of the black sheik, that he cheerfully promised to "walk the deck all night, and keep a good look-out for breakers," and his young companions sought repose in full confidence that the promise would be faithfully kept. Any one of the boy slaves would willingly have taken his place, and allowed their old comrade to rest for the night, but Bill had been selected by the old sheik, and from his decree there was no appeal. The two Arabs doing duty as sentinels knew, from past experience, that if the kafila was still followed by Golah, they would be the individuals most exposed to danger, and this knowledge was sufficient to stimulate them to the most faithful discharge of their trust. Neither of them wished to become victims to the fate which had befallen their predecessors in office. For two or three hours both paced slowly to and fro; and Bill, each time he approached the end of his beat, could hear distinctly pronounced the word "_Akka_" which proved that his co-sentinels were fully on the alert. It so chanced that one of them had no faith in the general belief that the enemy had relinquished his sanguinary purposes of vengeance.