-camels, and a host of other necessary evils.

"I shall issue all needful orders to each man," Grim told him
bluntly at last.

"And what is to be done to Ali Higg?"

"That remains to be seen."

"He is a devil with a cold face."

"So I'm told."

"He has more than a hundred armed men."

"I heard twice that number."

"And we shall be twenty?"

"Twenty."

"Oh, well, Allah makes all things easy!"

But that was not the last word. There was still a custom of the
country to be met and overcome.

"Are the camels watered?" Grim asked.

"Surely."

"Packs all ready?"

"All tied up-everything."

"You're all ready to start, then?"

_"Inshallah bukra."_ * [* Tomorrow, if God is willing.]

"Tomorrow won't help me," said Grim. "We start tonight, at
sundown. I'll go with you and look the camels over now."

"But, Jimgrim, that is impossible. My son Mahommed's second wife
is sick--"

"Leave him behind, then, to look after her."

"He will not consent to be left! Two of the camels are not paid
for. The man comes in the morning for his money."

"Leave the money here for him with Captain de Crespigny. We
start tonight."

"But what if the camels are not satisfactory?"

"I shall see about other ones at once in that case. There'll be
time if we look them over now. We start tonight."

"I was thinking about some mules to carry an extra load or two."

"No. Don't want mules. Too hot for them. Besides, there's no time
for changing the loads over. We start tonight."

"Tomorrow will be a better moon, Jimgrim."

"We want a full moon when we get to Petra. We start tonight. Come
along; show me the camels."

"It is hot now. There is a bad stink in the stables. Better see
them when it gets cooler."

"I'm going now. Are you coming with me?"

_"Taib._ I will show them to you. They are good ones. They
will make you proud. Better give them another night's rest,
though, Jimgrim."

"Come along. Let's look at them."

"One has a little girth-gall that--"

"Ali Baba, you old rogue, we start tonight!" said Grim.

CHAPTER II

"Trust in God, But Tie Your Camel!"

Do you believe in portents? I do. Whenever in the East the first
two statements that a man has made in my presence, and that I
have a chance to test, prove accurate, I go ahead and bet on all
the rest. I don't mean by that that because a man has told the
truth twice he won't lie on the third and fourth occasion; for
the East is like the West