The Sheik

Diana straightened up with interest. The frantic colt was going to be

broken. It was already saddled. Several additional men ran forward, and

between them the horse was forcibly held for a moment--only for a

moment, but it was long enough for the man who leaped like a flash on

to his back. The others fell away, racing from the reach of the

terrible lashing heels. Amazed for the moment at the sudden

unaccustomed weight, the colt paused, and then reared straight up, till

it seemed to Diana that he must fall backward and crush the man who was

clinging to him. But he came down at last, and for a few moments it was

almost impossible to follow his spasmodic movements as he strove to rid

himself of his rider. The end came quickly. With a twisting heave of

his whole body he shot the Arab over his head, who landed with a dull

thud and lay still, while the men who had been holding the colt dashed

in and secured him before he was aware of his liberty. Diana looked

towards the fallen man; a little crowd were gathered around him, and

her heart beat faster as she thought that he was dead. Dead so quickly,

and only a moment before he had been so full of life and strength.

Death meant nothing to these savages, she thought bitterly, as she

watched the limp body being carried away by three or four men, who

argued violently over their burden. She glanced at the Sheik. He seemed

perfectly unconcerned and did not even look in the direction of the man

who had fallen. On the contrary, he laughed, and, turning to Yusef, put

his hand en his shoulder and nodded towards the colt. Diana gave a

gasp. He spared no one. He was going to make the young man take his

chance as the rough-rider had taken his. She knew that the lieutenant

rode well, as did all Ahmed Ben Hassan's followers, and that his

languid manner was only a pose, but he looked so young and boyish, and

the risk seemed enormous. She had seen colts broken before many times,

but never a colt so madly savage as this one. But to Yusef the chance

was evidently welcome. With an answering laugh, he swaggered out into

the arena, where the men greeted him with shouts. There was the same

procedure as before, and Yusef bounded up lightly into the saddle. This

time, instead of rearing, the frightened beast dashed forward in a wild

effort to escape, but the mounted men, closing up, headed him into the

middle of the ring again, and he went back to his first tactics with a

rapidity that was too much for the handsome lad on his back, and in a

few moments he was thrown heavily. With a shrill scream the colt turned

on him open-mouthed, and Yusef flung up one arm to save his face. But

the men reached him in time, dragging the colt from him by main force.

He rose to his feet unsteadily and limped to the tents behind. Diana

could not see him easily for the throng around him.