n, we would
have filled the large bags yesterday. I had intended to send down the
horses in the morning, therefore left them only half full, and they
must have leaked a good deal to get so low. See if one leaks more than
the other."

It was found that one held the water well, but from the other there was
a steady drip. They transferred the water from this to the sound bag.

"We must drink as little as we can, Zaki, and give the horses only a
mouthful, now and then, and let them munch the shrubs and get a little
moisture from them. Do you think there is any fear of the Dervishes
following our tracks?"

"No, my lord. In the first place, they do not know that there are two
of us, or that we are mounted. When those who camped near us notice,
when they get up this morning, that we have moved; they will only think
that we have shifted our camp, as there was no talk of horsemen being
concerned in this affair. No, I do not think they will attempt to
follow us, except along the caravan road, but I feel sure they will
pursue us on that line."

They rested for some hours, in the shade of a high rock, leaving the
horses to pick what herbage they could find. At four o'clock they
started again. They had ridden two hours, when Zaki said:

"See, my lord, there are two men on the top of Jebel Sergain!"

Gregory gazed in that direction.

"Yes, I can notice them now, but I should not have done so, if you had
not seen them."

"They are on watch, my lord."

"Well, they can hardly see us, at this distance."

"You may be sure that they see us," Zaki said; "the eyes of an Arab are
very keen, and could not fail to catch two moving objects--especially
horsemen."

"If they are looking for us, and have seen us, Zaki, they would not be
standing stationary there."

"Not if they were alone. But others may have been with them. When they
first caught sight of us, which may have been half an hour ago, the
others may have gone down to Abu Klea, while those two remained to
watch which course we took. The Arabs can signal with their lances, or
with their horses, and from there they would be able to direct any
party in pursuit of us."

"Well, we must keep on as hard as we can, till dark; after that, we can
take it quietly. You see, the difficulty with us will be water. Now
that they have once made out two horsemen riding north, they must know
that we have some special object in avoiding them; and will, no doubt,
send a party to Gakdul, if