spering over the rolling, stone-strewed plain.
The Emir at their head had called his lieutenant to his side, and the
pair had peered about, their eyes shaded by their hands, looking for
some landmark. Then, with a satisfied grunt, the chiefs camel had seemed
to break short off at its knees, and then at its hocks, going down in
three curious, broken-jointed jerks until its stomach was stretched upon
the ground. As each succeeding camel reached the spot it lay down also,
until they were all stretched in one long line. The riders sprang off,
and laid out the chopped tibbin upon cloths in front of them, for no
well-bred camel will eat from the ground. In their gentle eyes, their
quiet, leisurely way of eating, and their condescending, mincing manner,
there was something both feminine and genteel, as though a party of prim
old maids had foregathered in the heart of the Libyan desert.

There was no interference with the prisoners, either male or female, for
how could they escape in the centre of that huge plain? The Emir came
towards them once, and stood combing out his blue-black beard with his
fingers, and looking thoughtfully at them out of his dark, sinister
eyes. Miss Adams saw with a shudder that it was always upon Sadie that
his gaze was fixed. Then, seeing their distress, he gave an order, and a
negro brought a water-skin, from which he gave each of them about half
a tumblerful. It was hot and muddy and tasted of leather, but, oh, how
delightful it was to their parched palates! The Emir said a few abrupt
words to the dragoman and left.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mansoor began, with something of his old
consequential manner; but a glare from the Colonel's eyes struck the
words from his lips, and he broke away into a long, whimpering excuse
for his conduct.

"How could I do anything otherwise," he wailed, "with the very knife at
my throat?"

"You will have the very rope round your throat if we all see Egypt
again," growled Cochrane, savagely. "In the meantime--"

"That's all right, Colonel," said Belmont. "But for our own sakes we
ought to know what the chief has said."

"For my part I'll have nothing to do with the blackguard."

"I think that that is going too far. We are bound to hear what he has to
say."

Cochrane shrugged his shoulders. Privations had made him irritable, and
he had to bite his lip to keep down a bitter answer. He walked slowly
away, with his straight-legged military stride.

"What did he sa