nd as Stephen spoke calmly of the peace and content in the South, she
smiled. Then suddenly her face grew eager.

"Did the marabout appoint Toudja as the place to make the exchange, or
was it you?" she asked, over Victoria's shoulder.

"The marabout," said Stephen. "I fell in with the idea because I'd
already made objections to several, and I could see none to Toudja. It's
a day's journey farther north than the Zaouia, and I remembered the
bordj being kept by two Frenchmen, who would be of use if----" He
checked himself, not wishing to hint that it might be necessary to guard
against treason. "If we had to stop for the night," he amended, "no
doubt the bordj would be better kept than some others. And we shall have
to stop, you know, because my friend, Caird, can't arrive from Touggourt
with the boy till late, at best."

"Did--the marabout seem bent on making this bordj the rendezvous?"
Saidee asked.

Stephen's eyes met hers in a quick, involuntary glance, then turned to
the ruined tower. He saw it against the northern sky as they came from
the south, and, blackened by the lightning, it accentuated the
desolation of the dunes. In itself, it looked sinister as a broken
gibbet. "If the marabout had a strong preference for the place, he
didn't betray it," was the only answer he could make. "Have you a
special reason for asking?"

"No," Saidee echoed. "No special reason."

But Stephen and Victoria both guessed what was in her mind. As they
looked at the tower all three thought of the Arabs who formed their
caravan. There were six, sent out from the Zaouia to take back the
little Mohammed. They belonged body and soul to the marabout. At the
town of Oued Tolga, Stephen had added a third to his escort of two; but
though they were good guides, brave, upstanding fellows, he knew they
would turn from him if there were any question between Roumis and men of
their own religion. If an accident had happened to the child on the way
back from Touggourt, or if any other difficulty arose, in which their
interest clashed with his, he would have nine Arabs against him. He and
Caird, with the two Highlanders, if they came, would be alone, no matter
how large might be Nevill's Arab escort. Stephen hardly knew why these
thoughts pressed upon him suddenly, with new insistence, as he saw the
tower rise dark against the sky, jagged as if it had been hacked with a
huge, dull knife. He had known from the first what risks they ran.
Nevill and