he assembled company, who clapped their hands to
the music or droned a low, tuneless dirge.

Shortly after our entrance the performance terminated, and the girl
retired through a curtained doorway at the farther end of the room.
Our presence being now observed, suspicious glances were cast in our
direction, and a very aged man, who sat smoking a narghli near the door
by which the girl had made her exit, gravely waved towards us the amber
mouthpiece which he held in his hand.

Harley walked straight across to him, I close at his heels. The light of
a lamp which hung close by fell fully upon my friend's face; and, rising
from his seat, the old man greeted him with the dignified and graceful
salutation of the East. At his request we seated ourselves beside him,
and, while we all three smoked excellent Turkish cigarettes, Harley and
he conversed in a low tone. Suddenly, at some remark of my friend's,
our strange host rose to his feet, an angry frown contracting his heavy
eyebrows.

Silence fell upon the company.

In a loud and peremptory voice he called out something in Arabic.

Instantly I detected a fellow near the entrance door, and whom I had not
hitherto observed, slipping furtively into the shadow, with a view, as
I thought, to secret departure. He seemed to be deformed in some way
and had the most evil, pock-marked face I had ever beheld in my life.
Angrily, the majestic old man recalled him. Whereupon, with a sort of
animal snarl quite indescribable, the fellow plucked out a knife! Two
men who had been on the point of seizing him fell back, and:

"Hold him!" shouted Harley, springing forward--"hold him! It's Ali of
Cairo!"

But Harley was too late. Turning, the strange and formidable-looking
Oriental ran like the wind! Ere hand could be raised to stay him he was
through the doorway!

"That settles it," said Harley grimly, as once more I found myself in a
cab beside him. "I was right; but he'll forestall us!"

"Who will forestall us?" I asked in bewilderment.

"The biggest villain in Europe, Asia, or Africa!" cried my companion.
"I have wasted precious time to-day. I might have known." He drummed
irritably upon his knees. "The place we have just left is a sort of
club, you understand, Knox, and Hakim is the proprietor or host as well
as being an old gentleman of importance and authority in the Moslem
world. I told him of my suspicions--which step I should have taken
earlier--and they were instantly confir