The others dragged themselves along the ground until they were close beside Kyle. At his indication, they lifted their heads a trifle above a little ridge covered with mimosa scrub that offered them some protection from discovery.

Before them was a clump of palm trees, near which was a small mud-walled house. Beneath the shade of the trees sat three natives, while their camels, tethered by long ropes, grazed on the scanty herbage that the place afforded.

The captain unslung his field glasses and made a prolonged examination of the objects that had brought them to the sudden halt.

“What do you think of them, Alam?” asked Captain Kane in a low voice, as he handed the glasses to the guide, crouching beside him.

Alam took a long look.

“Men of the mountains,” he answered. “Tuaregs, demanders of tribute.”

“I thought as much,” muttered the captain. “That seems to be the chief occupation in these parts. In our country we call them thieves. They’re pretty rough looking specimens.”

He passed the glasses to the others, and they all studied the first men they had seen for many days. The glasses came last to Brick, who, almost as soon as his eyes fell on the strangers gave a startled exclamation.

“There is one of the men who made the raid on our caravan and carried off my father!” he exclaimed. “That one with the broken nose, over at the right.”

“Are you sure?” inquired Kyle, greatly excited, though he kept his voice low.

“Positive,” replied Teddy. “I saw him plainly at the time, and I noticed that his nose was broken.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard for some time,” said the captain. “I think we’ll start proceedings right away.”

The man in question was smoking a narghile, one of the long pipes with a deep bowl common among the desert people.

The captain drew his rifle and took careful aim.

“Think well, Frank,” counseled the professor, laying his hand on the captain’s arm. “We don’t want to do any killing and stir up the natives against us if it can be avoided.”

“Don’t worry, Amos,” returned the captain. “I’m not going to kill any one. But I’m going to give that party the surprise of their lives. That broken-nosed fellow is going to have a scare thrown into him.

“The moment I fire,” he commanded, “the rest of you jump up and rush with me at the gang. If I figure rightly, they’ll make a break for the house. The door seems to be the only place they can fire from, for I don’t see any windows. We’ll surround the house on the other three sides and then we can come to a parley with them. Be ready now. Kyle,” he said suddenly, “you are a good enough shot now to do the business. Take your rifle and aim at the fellow’s pipe.”

Kyle, his face shining with delight, took careful aim. The bowl of the pipe was shattered to pieces.

There was a howl of surprise and fright, and at the same instant Kyle’s party broke into view, running at top speed, shouting and waving their rifles.

For a moment the Tuaregs stood as though paralyzed. Then they rushed pell-mell into the house and slammed the door, and the pursuers could hear the dropping of a heavy bar to secure it.

“Around to the sides!” commanded the captain, and was obeyed in a twinkling.

The Americans and the Arabs stood there, panting and waiting for what was to come next. To the hubbub caused by the irruption into the house had succeeded a dead silence, during which Teddy whispered to Kyle:

“Gee, but that was a dandy shot! Wish I could do as well.”

The captain beckoned to Alam.

“Our little surprise seems to have been a success so far,” he said. “Now here’s where you come in. Call out to those fellows and tell them that we mean them no harm, even if we have introduced ourselves rather abruptly. If they behave themselves and give us the information we want, they will shortly be allowed to go where they wish. But there must be no treachery and no falsehood, or it will go hard with them. Start in with that and see what they say. But don’t get in range of the door.”

Alam went to the corner of the house and called out the Arab equivalent of the American: “Hello, in there!”

There was no answer at first, and he repeated the call twice. Then a sullen voice, trembling with rage and perhaps with fear, responded:

“Who are you? What do you want?”

“We are peaceful travelers,” replied Alam. “We have no thought of evil in our hearts. We want to talk with you and find out things that perhaps you know. Afterward you may go in peace.”

“And suppose we refuse to tell you?” came the voice.

“It will not be well to refuse,” replied Alam. “Allah has delivered you into our hands. We are two to your one. And you have seen how the Feringhee can shoot. He could have killed you as easily as he smashed your pipe. But his heart is good, and he does not wish your hurt.”

He ceased, and there was the sound of a hurried conference within.

“I guess they’ll think it wise to come to terms,” commented Kyle.

“If they agree to come out, tell them that they must come out without their weapons, one at a time, and they must agree to permit themselves to be bound,” ordered the captain. “If they tell us the truth, they will be released. If they kick at this condition, tell them that the gun that broke the pipe is still ready for business. And,” he added to Kyle, “The boy who shot it is right at hand.”

A moment later a call came from within.

“We will come out,” said the same voice as before, evidently that of the leader.

“It is well,” replied Alam, and announced the further stipulations laid down by the captain. There was some demur at these, but Alam’s mention of Kyle’s rifle proved effective.

The door was thrown open, and the first man appeared. The captain held him under his leveled rifle, while Kyle and Brick tied his hands and ordered him to sit down on the ground. The same process was carried out with the others.

“So far, so good,” remarked Kyle, as his uncle laid his rifle aside.

“Now let’s see if we can get them to talk. Find out who is the leader, Alam,” ordered Captain Kane.

Alam, after a moment’s inquiry, pointed to the man with the broken nose, a villainous-looking fellow even apart from that deformity.

“It is he,” announced Alam.

“Good!” exclaimed the captain. “Now, Alam, ask him this: ‘Where is the Feringhee you carried off into captivity?”

[Chapter 20 Maze: Help Kyle Escape]