nd
though she trembled inwardly at the thought of again entering the vile
and hideous village of the raiders she saw no better course than that
which her companion had suggested.

Calling aloud to those who tended the gates, Werper, grasping Jane
Clayton by the arm, walked boldly across the clearing. Those who
opened the gates to him permitted their surprise to show clearly in
their expressions. That the discredited and hunted lieutenant should
be thus returning fearlessly of his own volition, seemed to disarm them
quite as effectually as his manner toward Lady Greystoke had deceived
her.

The sentries at the gate returned Werper's salutations, and viewed with
astonishment the prisoner whom he brought into the village with him.

Immediately the Belgian sought the Arab who had been left in charge of
the camp during Achmet Zek's absence, and again his boldness disarmed
suspicion and won the acceptance of his false explanation of his
return. The fact that he had brought back with him the woman prisoner
who had escaped, added strength to his claims, and Mohammed Beyd soon
found himself fraternizing good-naturedly with the very man whom he
would have slain without compunction had he discovered him alone in the
jungle a half hour before.

Jane Clayton was again confined to the prison hut she had formerly
occupied, but as she realized that this was but a part of the deception
which she and Frecoult were playing upon the credulous raiders, it was
with quite a different sensation that she again entered the vile and
filthy interior, from that which she had previously experienced, when
hope was so far away.

Once more she was bound and sentries placed before the door of her
prison; but before Werper left her he whispered words of cheer into her
ear. Then he left, and made his way back to the tent of Mohammed Beyd.
He had been wondering how long it would be before the raiders who had
ridden out with Achmet Zek would return with the murdered body of their
chief, and the more he thought upon the matter the greater his fears
became, that without accomplices his plan would fail.

What, even, if he got away from the camp in safety before any returned
with the true story of his guilt--of what value would this advantage be
other than to protract for a few days his mental torture and his life?
These hard riders, familiar with every trail and bypath, would get him
long before he could hope to reach the coast.

As these thoughts