Part 49 (2/2)
Sakr-el-Bahr had been prepared for the chance of this
”Where? Where?” he cried, and sprang to the bulwarks
”Yonder!” Athrough the gathering gloo object that was Lionel's head and the faintly visible swirl of water about it which indicated that he swam
”Out to sea!” cried Sakr-el-Bahr ”He'll not swim far in any case But ill shorten his road for him” He snatched a cross-bow from the rack about the mainmast, fitted a shaft to it and took ai the bolt he paused
”Marzak!” he called ”Here, thou prince of marksmen, is a butt for thee!”
Fro the swimmer's head, which at every ht, Marzak looked with cold disdain upon his challenger, h the crew
”Come now,” cried Sakr-el-Bahr ”Take up thy bow!”
”If thou delay er,” put in Asad, ”he will be beyond thine aim
Already he is scarcely visible”
”The more difficult a butt, then,” answered Sakr-el-B ahr, as but delaying to gain time ”The keener test A hundred philips, Marzak, that thou'lt not hit me that head in three shots, and that I'll sink hier?”
”The unbeliever is for ever peeping forth fronified reply ”Games of chance are forbidden by the Prophet”
”Make haste, man!” cried Asad ”Already I can scarce discern him Loose thy quarrel”
”Pooh,” was the disdainful answer ”A fair mark still for such an eye as mine I never miss--not even in the dark”
”Vain boaster,” said Marzak
”Alooht, which ide of the direction of the swione!”
”I think I see hiht No h his brain”
”Ay,” put in Jasper, who stood behind Sakr-el-Bahr ”He has vanished”
”'Tis too dark to see,” said Vigitello
And then Asad turned froone,” he said, and there the matter ended
Sakr-el-Bahr replaced the cross-bow in the rack, and came slowly up to the poop