reason, the result will be the same," I said bitterly;
"we will be two Frenchmen to spy on each other night and day, along
the roads to the south. An amiable prospect when one has none too much
time to foil all the tricks of the natives. When does he arrive?"

"Day after tomorrow, probably. I have news of a convoy coming from
Ghardaia. It is likely that he will avail himself of it. The
indications are that he doesn't know very much about traveling alone."

Captain Morhange did arrive in fact two days later by means of the
convoy from Ghardaia. I was the first person for whom he asked.

When he came to my room, whither I had withdrawn in dignity as soon as
the convoy was sighted, I was disagreeably surprised to foresee that I
would have great difficulty in preserving my prejudice against him.

He was tall, his face full and ruddy, with laughing blue eyes, a small
black moustache, and hair that was already white.

"I have a thousand apologies to make to you, my dear fellow," he said
immediately, with a frankness that I have never seen in any other man.
"You must be furious with my importunity in upsetting your plans and
delaying your departure."

"By no means, Captain," I replied coolly.

"You really have only yourself to blame. It is on account of your
knowledge of the southern, routes, so highly esteemed at Paris, that I
wished to have you to initiate me when the Ministries of Instruction
and of Commerce, and the Geographical Society combined to charge me
with the mission which brings me here. These three honorable
institutions have in fact entrusted me with the attempt to
re-establish the ancient track of the caravans, which, from the ninth
century, trafficked between Tunis and the Soudan, by Toweur, Wargla,
Es-Souk and the bend of the Bourroum; and to study the possibility of
restoring this route to its ancient splendor. At the same time, at the
Geographic Bureau, I heard of the journey that you are undertaking.
From Wargla to Shikh-Salah our two itineraries are the same. Only I
must admit to you that it is the first voyage of this kind that I have
ever undertaken. I would not be afraid to hold forth for an hour on
Arabian literature in the amphitheatre of the School of Oriental
Languages, but I know well enough that in the desert I should have to
ask for directions whether to turn right or left. This is the only
chance which could give me such an opportunity, and at the same time
put me under obligation for t