any hours."

Sidi sat down again. The basket was opened, and Edgar produced some
bread and some cold kabobs (kabobs being small pieces of meat stuck on a
skewer). Sidi eat some bread and fresh fruit, but he shook his head at
the meat.

"I shall do better without it," he said. "Meat is for the strong. My
wound will heal all the faster without it."

He did, however, drink from a tumbler Edgar had brought with him a small
quantity of wine mixed with the water.

"I regard you as my hakim, and take this as medicine because you order
it."

"I feel sure that the Prophet himself would not have forbidden it when
so used. You look better already, and there is a little colour in your
cheek. Now, let us be off. If your father has recovered consciousness,
he must be in great anxiety about you."

"But I want to ask you about yourself?"

"I will tell you when we are mounted. The sooner we are off the better."

He was glad to see that, as they walked towards the donkeys, Sidi
stepped out much more firmly than before. He had put on his burnoose as
soon as Edgar joined him, and this concealed him almost to his feet when
he had mounted.

"We are not pressed for time," Edgar said to the donkey-boy. "Go along
gently and quietly."

The donkey started at the easy trot that distinguishes his species in
Egypt.

"Now, Edgar," Sidi said, as soon as they were in motion, "here have you
been telling me about my father, and I have been telling you about
myself, but not one word as yet have you told as to how you escaped, and
so saved the lives of both of us. Allah has, assuredly, sent you to be
our good genius, to aid us when we are in trouble, and to risk your life
for ours."

"Well, never mind about that now, Sidi. I will tell you all about it;
but it is a good long story."

So saying, he narrated his adventures in detail, from the time when his
horse fell with him to the moment when he entered the room where the
court-martial was being held. He made the story a long one, in order to
prevent his friend from talking, for he saw when he had spoken how great
was his emotion. He made his narrative last until they came within a
quarter of a mile of the village near which the sheik was hidden.

"Now we will get off," he said, "and send the donkeys back."

He paid the amount for which he had bargained for the animals, and
bestowed a tip upon the boy that made him open his eyes with delight.
They turned off from the road at once, made a