n deadly peril. Already to your charge lie the deaths of
Richardson and Thompson and about twenty natives. We're as near
destruction as we can possibly be; and if we're killed, to-morrow the
one tribe that has remained friendly will be attacked and their villages
burnt. Men, women and children, will be put to the sword or sold into
slavery.'

George seemed at last to see the abyss into which he was plunged, and
his resentment gave way to despair.

'What are you going to do?'

'We're far away from the coast, and I must take the law into my own
hands.'

'You're not going to kill me?' gasped George.

'No,' said Alec scornfully.

Alec sat on the little camp table so that he might be quite near George.

'Are you fond of Lucy?' he asked gently.

George broke into a sob.

'O God, you know I am,' he cried piteously. 'Why do you remind me of
her? I've made a rotten mess of everything, and I'm better out of the
way. But think of the disgrace of it. It'll kill Lucy. And she was
hoping I'd do so much.'

He hid his face in his hands and sobbed broken-heartedly. Alec,
strangely touched, put his hand on his shoulder.

'Listen to me,' he said. 'I've sent Deacon and Rogers to bring up as
many Latukas as they can. If we can tide over to-morrow we may be able
to inflict a crushing blow on the Arabs; but we must seize the ford over
the river. The Arabs are holding it and our only chance is to make a
sudden attack on them to-night before the natives join them. We shall be
enormously outnumbered, but we may do some damage if we take them by
surprise, and if we can capture the ford, Rogers and Deacon will be able
to get across to us. We've lost Richardson and Thompson. Perkins is down
with fever. That reduces the whites to Walker, and the doctor,
Condamine, Mason, you and myself. I can trust the Swahilis, but they're
the only natives I can trust. Now, I'm going to start marching straight
for the ford. The Arabs will come out of their stockade in order to cut
us off. In the darkness I mean to slip away with the rest of the white
men and the Swahilis, I've found a short cut by which I can take them in
the rear. They'll attack just as the ford is reached, and I shall fall
upon them. Do you see?'

George nodded, but he did not understand at what Alec was driving. The
words reached his ears vaguely, as though they came from a long way off.

'I want one white man to lead the Turkana, and that man will run the
greatest possible dang