as by no means easy to execute. The
Arab fuel consisted almost entirely of dried camels' dung, as the scrub
very speedily becomes exhausted for a considerable distance from a camp.
Edgar took a rough basket to which Amina pointed and was away for some
hours, following the track by which he had arrived and making a circuit
of the oasis, and returned with the basket piled up with the fuel.

Amina was evidently well satisfied with the result of his work, for fuel
is one of the great difficulties of Arab life in the desert. She
rewarded him with a calabash of meal.

"Has my lady anything more for me to do?" he asked when he had finished
his food.

"Not now," she replied.

"Then I will go out and help the others in the field;" and he walked off
to where the negroes were engaged in watering a plantation of maize. The
process consisted of drawing water from the well in leathern buckets and
pouring it into channels by which it was conducted to the plantation.
The negroes looked at him sourly as he took hold of the rope attached to
the long swinging beam that acted as a lever to bring the bucket to the
surface, and one of them muttered in Arabic, "Kaffir dog!" Slaves as
they were they despised this white Christian.

"Well, look here," Edgar said in English, letting go the rope, "the
sooner we come to an understanding the better. I am not going to stand
any nonsense from you fellows; and if you don't keep a civil tongue in
your heads I will give you such a licking as will teach you to do so in
future."

Although they did not understand his words they guessed the import of
them, and the biggest of the men, a powerful negro, repeated the word
Kaffir and spat upon him. Edgar's right arm flew out from his shoulder,
the blow struck the negro on the nose, and in an instant he was upon his
back upon the ground. His comrade stood for a moment stupefied, and then
with loud yells ran towards the tents, leaving the negro to pick himself
up at his leisure. Edgar continued the work of raising and emptying the
bucket until the negro returned, followed by the sheik, his wife, and
all the inhabitants of the village. By this time the negro who had been
knocked down had risen to his feet and was roaring like a bull at the
top of his voice, while the blood was streaming from his nose.

"What is this?" the sheik shouted in great anger.

The negro volubly explained that the Kaffir slave had struck down their
comrade.

"Why is this?" the sh