tainly be a great
inducement to him to be faithful. I know that the Arabs think as much of
these fast camels as we do of race-horses at home. And will you tell him
too that if we have to leave him and take the camels, I will see that
they are left, to be given up to him on his arrival, at some place he
may name. I think that it would be as well that he should feel that he
will get the camels anyhow in addition to payment; otherwise the
temptation to seize them might be so great that he might get rid of me
on the first opportunity."

"Yes, that would be as well, Clinton. A pair of such camels as these are
certainly a great temptation to an Arab. I have great faith in this man,
for he was very highly recommended to me by some Egyptian merchants at
Cairo who had travelled with him right down to the great lakes. At the
same time it is always better to throw no temptation in people's way. He
wanted a portion of the money down, but I would not hear of this. I said
that he knew he was certain of it when the duty was performed, and that
therefore there was no reason whatever for his making any demand
beforehand, except that he should have a sum just sufficient and no more
to enable him to pay any expenses he might incur for his own food and
that of the camels. That is little enough: dates, meal, a kid sometimes
for the men, and an occasional feed of grain for the camels, who as a
rule pick up their own living except when engaged on hard work."

What Rupert had said was explained to the sheik, who, although he showed
little outward satisfaction, was evidently pleased with the prospect of
some day owning the two fast camels. There was now a long discussion
between Major Kitchener and the sheik as to the best route to be
pursued, and the probabilities as to the course that Edgar's captors had
followed, and then the conference broke up, the sheik saying his camels
required another two days' rest, and that on the third day at daybreak
he should be ready to start. At the last moment Rupert suggested, that
as the Arabs had, they said, two spare camels before, and would now have
three, he should present them with a sufficient load of rugs, powder,
and other things they valued to form light loads for the three spare
animals. There would be nothing suspicious in their possessing such
goods, as many of the loaded camels had, especially on the night march
to Metemmeh, strayed away or fallen, and their loads had been plundered
by the Arabs