otection of the French. To reach one of their
outposts would, of course, be a difficulty; for, even supposing that we
could escape from the camp, a journey by ourselves of three or four
hundred miles across the Desert would be dangerous in the extreme, with
the probability of being pursued by the Arabs. Notwithstanding this, I
am inclined to the latter plan, provided my calculations of our position
should prove correct."

"So am I," I answered. "As for the dangers we may have to encounter, I
am perfectly ready to face them; so I am sure will Halliday, Ben, and
Selim--for we must not on any account leave the black lad behind."

The plans for escape formed the subject of our conversation whenever we
met. We were all of one mind about it, and we resolved not to desert
each other, but to remain or escape together.

Seeing I could converse with the Arabs with greater ease than the
others, Boxall charged me to try and ascertain exactly whereabout we
were, adding--"But be cautious about exhibiting any special interest in
the matter."

Whenever strangers came into the camp, therefore, I got into
conversation with them, and tried to learn whence they had come, and how
long they had been on their journey, hoping to find some one who had
visited either the Atlantic or Mediterranean shores of the continent;
but no one I had met with had performed less than a journey of thirty
days in coming from the city of Morocco, or forty or more from Fez--
which of course placed us still a long way to the south of Algiers. We
had therefore to wait patiently till the sheikh should move his camp
further northward. We heard, however, of several large cities in
different parts of the Desert: Timbuctoo, a long way to the south;
Tintellust and Agadly, to the east; Tafleet and the beautiful oasis of
Draha, to the north-west of us,--to all of which places travellers were
proceeding.

Ben was at this time in a better position than we were. Being a handy
fellow, and understanding something of smith-work, he had mended the
locks of some of the Arabs' firearms; and the whole of his time, when
not occupied in tending his camel, was employed in repairing the damaged
weapons of our masters. He held his position, however, among those
capricious people, by a very uncertain tenure. The marabouts fancied,
from his easy, good-natured manner, that they could without difficulty
induce him to turn Mohammedan, and set to work with him, as they had
done