almly feeding a little way off. "The desert has no terrors for the
fleet-footed Arab, but I doubt if he would do as well in my
country."

There was a short pause, and then Belbeis again spoke.

"What are we going to do when we reach Cairo?" he asked. "The way is
long and we are but few."

"Going to take the city, I expect," replied George.

"But we are not a thousand fighting men," exclaimed the cautious
Arab, "and there are at least twenty thousand rebels in the city.
Poof, the English are mad, we shall die."

George burst into a laugh, and Belbeis looked disgusted.

"You do not understand our people, there is some trick on hand, they
know their business; besides, if it came to a fight with such a
number, I would not wager on the rebels."

"Allah is great," replied Belbeis solemnly, "His ways are
mysterious, but I cannot understand."

"No," said George, smiling, "neither will Arabi, he does not know
the sons of the West. They will dare anything."

"Allah is powerful," replied Belbeis, "and we are but His children."

Again a silence fell upon the little party, a silence only broken by
the sound of the resting horses' movements and the buzzing of
insects now abroad in the cooling air. On all sides, as far as the
eye could reach in the darkening night, soldiers lay about in
various attitudes of rest. Here and there, though infrequently,
small groups sat smoking and talking, but mostly the weary men
slept. One or two sentries, doing short reliefs of watch, hovered
about, leaning for support on their carbines.

The scene was an impressive one, and, to Belbeis, who understood not
the daring of a British soldier, it seemed a pity that so many men
should be doomed on such a futile effort as Helmar had said. George
sat scanning the scene with very different feelings. He knew the
subtle strategy of the soldiers, and was convinced that the task in
hand must be more than possible, or this small force would never
have been sent on such an errand.

At last George and the guides curled themselves up and slept, the
problem of the work in hand no longer interesting them. At last,
after a period that seemed all too short to the weary men, came the
first streak of dawn, and the guard walked among them, rousing each
as he went for the beginning of the last stage of the journey. In a
few minutes all was bustle and activity. The neigh of horses, the
clatter of accoutrements, the voices of the men, resounded on all
sides. Wit