spite of his sickness, which, being an intermitting ague,
would leave him free for a couple of days, and might be driven off by the
mountain air. He promised to set forth early the next day, and kept the
young man and the interpreter as his guests for the night, Ibrahim going
first on board to fetch the parcel of clothes and provisions which M.
Dessault had sent for the Abbe and Mademoiselle de Bourke, and for an
instalment of the ransom, which the Hadji Eseb assured him might safely
be carried under his own sacred protection.

Arthur did not see much of his host, who seemed to be very busy
consulting with his second in command on the preparations, for probably
the expedition was a delicate undertaking, even for him, and his
companions had to be carefully chosen.

Ibrahim had advised Arthur to stay quietly where he was, and not venture
into the city, and he spent his time as he best might by the help of a
_narghile_, which was hospitably presented to him, though the strictness
of Marabout life forbade the use alike of tobacco and coffee.

Before dawn the courts of the house were astir. Mules, handsomely
trapped, were provided to carry the principal persons of the party
wherever it might be possible, and there were some spare ones, ridden at
first by inferiors, but intended for the captives, should they be
recovered.

It was very cold, being the last week in November, and all were wrapped
in heavy woollen haiks over their white garments, except one wild-looking
fellow, whose legs and arms were bare, and who only seemed to possess one
garment of coarse dark sackcloth. He skipped and ran by the side of the
mules, chanting and muttering, and Ibrahim observed in French that he was
one of the Sunakites, or fanatic Marabouts, and advised Arthur to beware
of him; but, though dangerous in himself, his presence would be a
sufficient protection from all other thieves or vagabonds. Indeed,
Arthur saw the fellow glaring unpleasantly at him, when the sun summoned
all the rest to their morning devotions. He was glad that he had made
the fact of his Christianity known, for he could no more act Moslem than
_be_ one, and Hadji Eseb kept the Sunakite in check by a stern glance, so
that no harm ensued.

Afterwards Arthur was bidden to ride near the chief, who talked a good
deal, asking intelligent questions. Gibraltar had impressed him greatly,
and it also appeared that in one of his pilgrimages the merchant vessel
he was in ha