away his eyes as Stanton took the bride out of her
bassourah and half carried her toward their tent without waiting to
thank the man who had placed it. Max busied himself feverishly in
superintending the arrangements of the camp, which Stanton had asked him
as his "lieutenant" to undertake that night.

The kneeling camels were tethered in long lines. No zareba would be
raised, for there would be many a long march before the caravan reached
perilous country. Here a fire could be built, for there was no danger in
showing smoke and raising a rose-red glow against the silver. The
unveiled women, whom Stanton had diplomatically allowed to accompany
their husbands, began to cook supper for the men; couscous and coffee
and thin, ash-baked bread. It was a long time since Stanton had taken
Sanda to the tent under the little grove of palms, but he had given no
orders yet for food to be prepared. Max thought it unlikely that he
should be asked to eat with them, but if he were invited he intended to
refuse. In spite of himself, he could not help glancing now and then
toward the tent. The door-flaps had not been let down, but there was no
light inside. Turning involuntarily that way, as iron turns to a magnet,
at last he saw a man and woman come out of the tent. But the woman was
not Sanda!

Max realized this with a shock. He saw both figures for an instant
painted in blue-black against the light, khaki-coloured canvas. The
woman was very tall, as tall as Stanton, and on her head was something
high, like a crown set with plumes. Stanton led her away, walking
quickly. They went toward the low, black tents of the guardians of the
oasis.

Max stood still with a curious sensation of being dazed after a stunning
blow half forgotten. How long he remained without moving he could not
have told. His eyes had not followed the two figures very far. They
returned to the tent and focussed there in anguish. Some scene there
must have been between those three. He was not surprised when, after a
short time--or a long time, he did not know which--Sanda appeared. He
wondered if his soul had called her, and she was coming in answer to the
call.

She hesitated at first, as if not sure where to go. Then catching sight
of him at a distance, with the light of the fire ruddy on his face, she
began to run. Almost instantly, however, she stopped, paused for a
second or two, and it seemed to Max that she swayed a little as if she
might fall. He started