Silence fell on both sides, for a few minutes. The Arabs,
for the most part, remained staring at _Nissr_, to them no doubt the
greatest miracle imaginable. Still, minds trained to believe in
the magic carpet of Sulayman and quite virgin of any knowledge of
machinery, could easily account for the airship's flying by means of
_jinnee_ concealed in its entrails.
As for the Legionaries, their attention was divided between the
strange white host, still sitting astride those high-necked,
slim-barreled Nedj horses, and the luring glimmer of the golden walls.
In a few minutes, however, all attention on both sides was sharply
drawn by the return of the two Legionaries with the Apostate.
Without ado, the lean, wild man of the Sahara was led, in wrinkled
burnous, with disheveled hair, wild eyes, and an expression of
helpless despair, to where the Master stood. At sight of the massed
horsemen, the grassy plain--a sight never yet beheld by him--and the
distant golden, glimmering walls, a look of desperation flashed into
his triple-scarred face.
The whole experience of the past days had been a Jehannum of
incomprehensible terrors. Now that the climax was at hand, strength
nearly deserted him even to stand.
Pages:
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390