path two great butterflies strayed, as gold and jeweled as the day.
High overhead, black against the stainless blue, hung a far hawk.

At last the way entered a narrow defile among the rocky hills, and a
sharp curve led them finally out upon the other side, looking down
into green fields, as straight and trim as a checker board in their
varying tints, and off over the far Nile. The fertile lands were
wide here, and fed with broad canals that offered the surprise of
boats' white wings between the fields of grain. Not far ahead,
before the desert sands reached that magic green rose a group of
palms, and near them some mud houses and a pigeon tower.

"Breakfast," said Billy triumphantly, and gaily they rode down on
the sleeping village.

* * * * *

Back toward the Libyan hills runs the canal El-Souhagich, and as it
curves to the north a reach of sand sweeps down from the higher
ground, interrupting the succession of green fields. Several jagged
rocks have tumbled from the limestone plateaus above and increased
the grateful bit of shade which the half dozen picturesque palms do
not sufficiently bestow.

Here the runaways breakfasted upon the roast pigeon, dates and
tangerines they had bought from the curious villagers, and here
Billy, his back against a rock, was smoking a meditative cigar over
the situation. Beside him, tied to a palm, knelt the camels, and
before him, nibbling a last tangerine, Arlee was sitting.

"We have to rest the beasts a bit." This from Billy, suggestive of
a conscience pricking at this holiday delay. "And then----"

"Then--?" echoed Arlee cheerfully.

"Then, what in the world am I going to do with you?"

"With me?"

"Yes. It's simple enough, I suppose, getting back to the city---but
if you don't want your friends to know----"

The quick shadow in her eyes distressed him. "I _don't_," she cried
sharply. "At first--I might have made a lark out of it--but
afterwards.... No, I don't want to go explaining and explaining
forever and ever. Can't I just reappear?"

"You can reappear from Alexandria," he said. "He, himself," his tone
changed as he reluctantly brought Kerissen into the beauty of that
morning, "has arranged it very neatly for you. You can just have
been camping in the desert--and true enough that is!--with those
friends of yours whom the Evershams don't know. Only your
reappearance has to be--managed a bit."

Very carefully she tore the tangeri