gan; a fortnight of it
passed, and the boy who brought Feversham food could never cheer their
hearts with word that Abou Fatma had come back.

"He will never come," said Trench, in despair.

"Surely he will--if he is alive," said Feversham. "But is he alive?"

The seventh month passed, and one morning at the beginning of the eighth
there came two of the Khalifa's bodyguard to the prison, who talked with
Idris. Idris advanced to the two prisoners.

"Verily God is good to you, you men from the bad world," he said. "You
are to look upon the countenance of the Khalifa. How happy you should
be!"

Trench and Feversham rose up from the ground in no very happy frame of
mind. "What does he want with us? Is this the end?" The questions
started up clear in both their minds. They followed the two guards out
through the door and up the street towards the Khalifa's house.

"Does it mean death?" said Feversham.

Trench shrugged his shoulders and laughed sourly. "It is on the cards
that Nebbi Khiddr has suggested something of the kind," he said.

They were led into the great parade-ground before the mosque, and thence
into the Khalifa's house, where another white man sat in attendance upon
the threshold. Within the Khalifa was seated upon an angareb, and a
grey-bearded Greek stood beside him. The Khalifa remarked to them that
they were both to be employed upon the manufacture of gunpowder, with
which the armies of the Turks were shortly to be overwhelmed.

Feversham was on the point of disclaiming any knowledge of the process,
but before he could open his lips he heard Trench declaring in fluent
Arabic that there was nothing connected with gunpowder which he did not
know about; and upon his words they were both told they were to be
employed at the powder factory under the supervision of the Greek.

For that Greek both prisoners will entertain a regard to their dying
day. There was in the world a true Samaritan. It was out of sheer pity,
knowing the two men to be herded in the House of Stone, that he
suggested to the Khalifa their employment, and the same pity taught him
to cover the deficiencies of their knowledge.

"I know nothing whatever about the making of gunpowder except that
crystals are used," said Trench. "But we shall leave the prison each
day, and that is something, though we return each night. Who knows when
a chance of escape may come?"

The powder factory lay in the northward part of the town, and on the
ban