They made a feint all in a cluster together straight for the widest gap in the circle behind us.
The enemy drew off to a safer distance, whereat Ali Baba wheeled and charged another segment of the circle, widening it again.
Still not a shot had been fired by either side.
Around Grim now were Narayan Singh, Ayisha, and myself with our prisoner Yussuf, and Ayisha's four.

Grim watched his chance and sent me to bring back four of Ali Baba's men, and by the time I had done that he had lessened the distance perceptibly between himself and the three lone individuals in front.

He was leaning low over his camel, peering at the three like a seaman staring from a crow's-nest in a fog.
It was a weird business--a swiftly played chess game, almost noiseless; for wherever Ali Baba charged the enemy drew off, while the rest came closer until they were charged in turn.
"It's obvious we're intended to be made prisoners," Grim said to me at last.

"But I think it's obvious we're not going to be." Nevertheless, I understood nothing of his plan, except that our little group kept drawing closer to the three, one of whom seemed in command of the other side.

At the moment I suspected that Grim was one of those officers who are splendid at intelligence work and at playing a lone hand, but less than ordinary in the field; Ali Baba looked like the man of action.
Why, with all that brave old man's ability to swing and spur his gang in absolute control, had not the lot of us burst through the circling enemy and made a bolt for it?
That was what I should have done.
But suddenly Grim turned and pushed the muzzle of his pistol into Ayisha's face as she leaned out of the _shibrayah_ to watch.