lly a gentleman at heart, and has
been accustomed to mix a great deal with Englishmen. He is a good deal
hurt by our suspicions, and it is a pity for there to be any disunion in
our little camp."

"Camp, indeed!" cried the old man testily; "pretty sort of a camp,
without a tent in it. I shall be racked with rheumatism in all my old
bones. I know I shall, after this wild-goose chase."

"Let's hope not," said the professor; "but you will make some advances
to him, will you not?"

"You mind your own affairs, sir. Don't you teach me. My back's
horrible this morning. Can't you wait a bit. I was going to make
amends if you had left me alone."

"That's right," said the professor cheerily. "I want him to have a good
opinion of Englishmen."

Lawrence watched eagerly for Mr Burne's apology, but he did not speak
till just as they were going to start, when he stepped aside behind a
rock for a few minutes, and then came out again and walked up to Yussuf
with something coiled up in his hand.

"Look here, Yussuf," he said. "You're a stronger man than I am, and
used to the country. I wish you would buckle this round your waist--out
of sight, of course."

As he spoke he held out his heavy cash-belt, which was thoroughly well
padded with gold coin, and then threw it over the Turk's arm.

Yussuf looked at him intently, and a complete change came over the man's
face as he shook his head and held the belt out for Mr Burne to take
again.

"No, excellency," he said, "I understand you. It is to show me that you
trust me, but you doubt me still."

"No, I do not," cried Mr Burne. "Nothing of the sort. You think I do,
because I said ugly things yesterday. But that was my back."

"Your excellency's back?"

"Yes, my man; my back. It ached horribly. There, I do trust you. I
should be a brute if I did not."

"I'll take your excellency's word, then," said Yussuf gravely. "I will
not carry the belt."

"Nonsense, man, do. There, it was to make you believe in me; but all
the same it does tire me terribly, and it frets me, just where I feel
most tender from my fall. It would relieve me a great deal, and it
would be safer with you than with me. Come, there's a good fellow;
carry it for me. I beg you will."

The Turk shook his head, and stood holding out the belt, turning his
eyes directly after to Mr Preston and then upon Lawrence.

"Come," continued Mr Burne, "you surely do not bear malice because a
tired man wh