the Pasha's orders--evidently he
relied upon his influence, the influence of a bold, unscrupulous
villain over a weaker man.

The time passed slowly after Naoum had left him, and George's
patience was sorely tried as he waited for the great rebel. At last
he heard a commotion in the hall, the clatter of arms and babel of
voices telling him that at last Arabi Pasha had arrived. With
beating heart and ever-increasing excitement, he waited for the
summons that seemed so long in coming, but at length, after what
seemed an endless period, a servant entered and signified that his
presence was required.

[Illustration: The fight in the desert. p. 319]

Hastily smoothing out his worn and tattered clothes, George, with a
slight touch of vanity, peered into a mirror and then followed his
guide from the room. He hoped that the interview was to be a private
one, with perhaps only Naoum present. He felt under those
circumstances that he would then have less hesitation in speaking
his mind. He feared nothing, convinced as he was that anything he
could say could not possibly make his position worse. Naoum would
not fail him, and he would rely on his power for protection.

His guide led him upstairs to a curtained doorway, guarded by two
sentries, in front of whom he paused. At a sign from the former, one
of the men disappeared behind the curtain, and the next moment Naoum
appeared in the doorway. Waving the guide back he signed to George
to enter, and a moment later Helmar stood in front of the great man.

Arabi was seated on a big lounging chair, dressed in the uniform of
the Egyptian army. His face was turned away as the prisoner entered,
so that George was unable to realize all that Naoum had told him;
but no time was given him to speculate, for Naoum broke the silence
at once. With an easiness that astonished Helmar, he addressed the
Pasha as though talking to his equal. There was no cringing in his
manner, and at times George thought he even detected a slight tone
of command in his voice.

"This is the prisoner of whom I spoke," he said in Arabic; "he is
not a British subject, but comes from Germany."

Arabi lazily turned his head in Helmar's direction, and without
changing the position of his body slowly eyed him from head to foot.
The face that was thus revealed was a blank to George; he had
expected to see one of strong character, or to discern in it
indications at least of great intelligence. One of the greatest
ch