Then Anazeh sat down to await events, and took no more notice of the horseman's arguments.

That did not worry the horseman much.

He kept on arguing.

Every few minutes one of Anazeh's men would go to him and repeat some tid-bit, as if the old sheikh had not heard it; but all he got for his pains was a gesture of contemptuous dismissal.
Ahmed kept growing more and more uncomfortable all the time.

He had attended to his boat, making it properly fast and covering the engine, under the eyes of four men who were at pains to see that he did not crank up and desert.