egin to
understand," and pulled herself up abruptly. "You mean the Arab who can
come and go between Omdurman and the Egyptian frontier?"

"Yes. He is usually some Dervish pedlar or merchant trading with the
tribes of the Soudan, who slips into Wadi Halfa or Assouan or Suakin and
undertakes the work. Of course his risk is great. He would have short
shrift in Omdurman if his business were detected. So it is not to be
wondered at that he shirks the danger at the last moment. As often as
not, too, he is a rogue. You make your arrangements with him in Egypt,
and hand him over the necessary money. In six months or a year he comes
back alone, with a story of excuses. It was summer, and the season
unfavourable for an escape. Or the prisoners were more strictly guarded.
Or he himself was suspected. And he needs more money. His tale may be
true, and you give him more money; and he comes back again, and again he
comes back alone."

Ethne nodded her head.

"Exactly."

Durrance had unconsciously explained to her a point which till now she
had not understood. She was quite sure that Harry Feversham aimed in
some way at bringing help to Colonel Trench, but in what way his own
capture was to serve that aim she could not determine. Now she
understood: he was to be his own go-between, and her hopes drew strength
from this piece of new knowledge. For it was likely that he had laid his
plans with care. He would be very anxious that the second feather should
come back to her, and if he could fetch Trench safely out of Omdurman,
he would not himself remain behind.

Ethne was silent for a little while. They were sitting on the terrace,
and the sunset was red upon the water of the creek.

"Life would not be easy, I suppose, in the prison of Omdurman," she
said, and again she forced herself to indifference.

"Easy!" exclaimed Durrance; "no, it would not be easy. A hovel crowded
with Arabs, without light or air, and the roof perhaps two feet above
your head, into which you were locked up from sundown to morning; very
likely the prisoners would have to stand all night in that foul den, so
closely packed would they be. Imagine it, even here in England, on an
evening like this! Think what it would be on an August night in the
Soudan! Especially if you had memories, say, of a place like this, to
make the torture worse."

Ethne looked out across that cool garden. At this very moment Harry
Feversham might be struggling for breath in that dar