* * *
Russian private, Zatok, suddenly halts. He is on guard duty on the battlement at the fort in Dini Salam. He is very sleepy and wishes that his shift was over and that he could go and rest. The night wind blows softly here over the battlements. But Zatok has heard another sound over the rustle of the wind. Did he hear the sound of hooves?
He stands close to the portal of the fort.
A dim moon sheds a pale light over everything. He swings around quickly, and what he sees over the battlement makes him grab his rifle off his shoulder. He c***s his weapon. He sees a man on horseback directly under him and nearly at the gate. The rider is an Arab, and his white robe blows in the wind. It looks as if it is glowing in the soft moonlight.
Before Zatok can even aim his rifle at this str
