of Zanzibar claims it. The German government, for reasons of
its own, backs the Sultan's claim; ivory found in German East Africa
will be handed over to him in support of his claim to all the rest of
it. If you--Lord Montdidier and the rest of you--care to sign an
agreement with the Sultan of Zanzibar you can have facilities. You
shall be supplied with guides who can lead you to the right place to
start your search from--"

"Thought you wanted Lord Montdidier to say in London that you know
where it all is," Will objected.

She colored slightly, and glared.

"Perhaps I am one of the guides," she said darkly. "I know more than I
need tell for the sake of this argument! The point is, you can have
facilities if you sign an agreement with the Sultan. Otherwise, you
will be dogged wherever you go! Whatever you should find would be
claimed! Every difficulty will be made for you--every treachery
conceivable practised on you. Lord Montdidier can get influential
backing, but not influence among the natives! He can not get good men
and true information by pulling wires in London. The British
government once offered ten per cent. of the value of the ivory found.
The Sultan of Zanzibar offers twenty per cent.--"

"Twenty-five per cent.," corrected Hamed Ibrahim.

"Yes, but I should want five per cent. for my commission!"

"This sounds like a different yarn to the one you told on the stairs
this afternoon," said Will. "See Monty and tell it to him."

"It is for you to tell Lord Montdidier. He runs away from me!"

"I refuse to tell him a word!" said Will, with a laugh like that of a
boy about to plunge into a swimming pool--sort of "Here goes!"

"You are extremely ill advised!"

"Do your worst! Monty'll be hunting for us two in about a minute.
We're prisoners, are we? Suit yourself!"

"You are prisoners while I choose! You could be killed in this room,
removed in sacks, thrown to the sharks in the roadstead, and nobody the
wiser! But I have no intention of killing you. As it happens, that
would not suit my purpose!"

We both glanced behind us involuntarily. It may be that we both heard
a footstep, but it is always difficult to say certainly after the
event. At any rate, while in the act of turning our heads, two of the
three Arabs, who had previously left the room, threw nooses over them
and bound our arms to our sides with the jiffy-swiftness only sailors
know. The third man put the finishing touches