he had the water boiling, he put the tea
into a tin pot and poured the water over it, and when it had stood a few
minutes served it out. The verdict was universally unfavourable, and the
chief, in disgust at having brought a tin of useless stuff so far,
kicked it over and over. Seeing that Edgar had drunk up his portion with
satisfaction, the sheik's wife told him that if he liked the nasty stuff
he might keep it for himself, a permission of which he very thankfully
availed himself.

The uses of all the articles being explained, the sheik proceeded to a
distribution. He took the lion's share for himself, gave a good portion
to the two men who had followed him, and a very small one to each of the
other grown-up men and women in the camp. He ordered Edgar to carry his
portion into the tent, where, under the instructions of the sheik's
wife, the articles were all stowed away. The tent, which was a large
one, was constructed of black blanketing woven by the women from camels'
hair, and was divided into two portions by a hanging of the same
materials. The one next to the entrance was the general living and
reception room, that behind being for the use of the sheik's wife and
children.

There were two female slaves who slept in a tiny tent constructed of a
blanket in the rear of that of the sheik, and two negro slaves who
looked after the camels, tilled the ground, and slept where they could.

The sheik's wife was evidently pleased with Edgar, and regarded him as
her special property. Darkness had fallen long before the examination of
the booty had concluded, and as soon as he had carried the sheik's share
into the tent, she gave him a bowl of camel's milk and some meal in a
gourd, and also bestowed on him one of the black blankets, and pointed
out to him a place where he was to sleep just outside the tent.

"It might be a great deal worse," Edgar said to himself as he ate his
supper; "the sheik himself does not seem to be a bad fellow; and at any
rate I owe him my life for his obstinacy in sticking to me, instead of
handing me over to the Mahdi's people. His wife is evidently disposed to
be kind, and my work will be no harder than an agricultural labourer's,
at any rate as long as we stay here. This is an out-of-the-way sort of
place, and if it does not lie on the route between any two places, is
not likely to be much visited. It certainly looks as if the sheik
regarded it as his private property, which he would not do i