train. That is
my order."

She was bluffed. And she recognized it with a sort of dog-like
glance of admiration. We had all her baggage, for one thing, and
it represented more wealth than any Bedouin woman would let
go willingly.

Now if she were to reverse what she had said, and refuse to
advertise Grim as Ali Higg, these five men and probably others
would surely denounce her to her real husband. She had no choice.
But she was sharp-witted, and made the most of the situation
even so.

"Shall I go alone, my lord? Alone with these strangers?"

"Take two of your servants."

But what she wanted to make sure of was that Grim might not
decamp with her baggage and leave her to face the consequences.
It seems you can fall in love in the desert without putting too
much faith in masculine nature.

"Nay, give me two men I can trust. Give me that and that one."

She selected old Ali Baba and me; and it was a shrewd choice, for
unless Grim was a more than usually yellow-minded rascal he was
surely not going to leave the captain of his gang behind. And no
doubt she supposed I was valuable to Grim because of the
friendly, confidential way in which he always treated me. In
other words, she proposed to have two first-class hostages.

Grim gave her three. He sent Ali Baba, me, and Mujrim, and
mounted her on the Bishareen dromedary, that men might know she
was one whom her lord delighted to honor. She tried to get a
chance to whisper to him, but he was too alert and acted exactly
as if he had known her all his life, needing no explanations
or assurances.

So off we nine rode beside the railway track, she leading, since
she was chief emissary, and the last I saw of Grim for a few
hours he was squatting in the circle of remaining men, talking to
them as calmly as if nothing had happened.

Well, there was nothing for me to do but ride forward and watch
points. I was a hostage without responsibility.

If Ayisha should chose to turn on us and hand me over to the
crowd at El-Maan I believed I would have wit enough to denounce
her in return; and it might be that as a Darwaish I could claim
immunity. Failing that, I found myself able to hope with a really
acute enthusiasm that my shrift at the crowd's hands might be
short. I did not want to be crucified, or pulled in pieces by
camels; but if mine was to be the casting vote, of the two the
camels had it.

There were other points to be considered. I had a rifle slung
behind me,