nd that my tale varies by less than
the ten-thousandth part of the width of a hair from what I have
told already."

"Proceed," said Grim. "I listen."

"Thus then: While in Jaffa, having received Your Honor's letter
by the hand of Shabbas Ali, requesting me to spy on the British
troops, I made all haste, laying aside my own affairs and
journeying wherever the trail of information led me. I asked
questions, but was not content with asking. I went and looked. I
made friends with subordinate officials, some of whom I bribed to
show me written orders removed from the desks of commanding officers.

"I ascertained all particulars and found this to be the fact:
That whereas there are small bodies of troops scattered in
certain places, those are needed for local protection of the
places where they are; and that whereas there is at Ludd an army
of more than twenty thousand men, with guns, great store of
supplies, cavalry, and aeroplanes, that army is held in readiness
to go to Egypt and cannot for the present be sent against you.
Moreover, the long march, so difficult for guns and supply-wagons,
from there to Petra, would not be attempted during the hot season.
So Your Honor is safe from attack."

"Uh! So you say!" Grim grunted.

You could almost hear the wheels click inside his head as he
tried to puzzle out what use to make of this man. One thing was
clear enough: the Lion of Petra was well informed. It was
nothing less than fact that on no account could an expedition be
undertaken against him for a long time. And it was fair, therefore,
to presume that in his Petra fastness the robber chief would be
feeling confident, and would be that much more difficult to bluff.

But it is one advantage of that land that you may be deliberate
without causing impatience or losing respect. Rather the
contrary; the Arab values your decisions all the more for
being reached after several minutes of silent thought.

Neither our own gang nor the prisoner was in the least disturbed
by Grim's taking his time, and only Narayan Singh, still
postponing his sleep, was anxious when Ayisha leaned her head
close to Grim's and whispered. Grim did not nod or shake his head
or make any recognition of her presence--for a real Arab would
not have dreamed of doing so--but it was she who gave him the
right suggestion, although her intention was totally different
from his.

"You lie," he said suddenly.

"Allah!"

"There is an army making ready now