"I fear that he has made for Khartoum to report that you have a white
slave here. He hates Muley, and I think that it is to obtain vengeance
on him that he has fled."

"You are right, Amina; that is what the son of Sheitan intends to do.
Quick! bring up those camels," he roared.

Three of the men were ordered to accompany him. Then he gave orders that
the rest of the camels should be loaded at once with his goods, the
valuables of the village, and a portion of the crops, and that they
should start without delay to the oasis of Wady El Bahr Nile, or the
valley of the Dry River, two days' journey to the west, driving with
them the herd of goats.

"If I do not catch him we must break up the donar," he said, "and all
who do not wish to be found here by the Mahdi's men had best be in
readiness to start when we return. Let half a dozen men and women go to
the wady to look after the goats and guard the property. The camels must
be brought back as soon as they get there."

Ten minutes later he and his three companions had disappeared from sight
over the brow of the nearest sand-hill, while all in the encampment were
busy in preparing for their departure. A camel was allotted to each of
the ten tents of which the camp consisted; three camels were claimed by
Amina for the sheik's possessions; the remaining six were to carry the
food. All who were not engaged were at once set to work gathering the
maize that was fit to pluck and cutting and tying up into bundles the
forage for the camels.

In three hours a great change had been effected in the appearance of the
little valley. The sheik's tent and three others remained standing, but
the rest were levelled to the ground, their occupants preferring to
start at once rather than risk being caught by the Mahdists. It was
mid-day when the party started. Edgar could hardly help smiling at the
appearance the camels presented, each animal being almost hidden by the
pile of baggage, bundles, cooking-pots, and articles of all kinds, at
the top of which were perched a woman and two or three children. The men
walked, as did many of the younger women and boys and girls.

It would be a fatiguing journey, for they would travel without a halt
until morning, then rest until the sun was low again, and again journey
all night, when they would reach the wells soon after daybreak. As it
was but a two days' journey the camels carried far heavier loads than
would have been placed upon them had i