he Massowah road, and it will not be so many
days longer a journey to Suakim than to Massowah. Osman Digma is lying
at Handoub and Tamai, so we cannot come down by the Berber road; but
there are passes by which we can descend to the low country near Tokar.
Once down there we can cross from the foot of the hills to the sea by
night, and then follow the coast until we arrive at Suakim."

"I think that is the best plan, sheik," Edgar said. "A few days will
make no difference, and it would be as well to avoid all risks."

Accordingly, on mounting, the camels' heads were turned to the
north-east. Yussuf rode behind Rupert and Edgar by turns, so as to
divide the labour between the two heiries. A few villages were passed,
but the inhabitants fled into their houses or into the fields on seeing
the approach of the party, the arrival of strangers meaning extortion
and demands for tribute. So they journeyed for several days, until one
afternoon they came to a large village, which was evidently inhabited.
They alighted and knocked at the door of the principal house. No answer
was at first returned, but on El Bakhat shouting that he would break
down the door if it was not opened, bolts were heard to unfasten. The
door opened, and an old man presented himself.

"Why did you not reply to our knocking?" El Bakhat asked angrily. "Is
this your hospitality to strangers?"

"My lord must pardon me," he said submissively; "but it was but last
week that a party of the Mahdi's soldiers came along here and stripped
the village of all it possessed, and drove off its bullocks and sheep.
Save our grain, we have nought that we can call our own."

"We do not belong to the Mahdi," Ben Ibyn said, "but are peaceful
travellers. We desire only to fill our bags with grain for the animals,
for which we will pay you the full value. For ourselves we need nothing,
although, if you have peradventure a kid or a sheep left among you we
will gladly purchase it."

"Enter, my lord," the old man replied briskly, evidently much relieved
at the announcement; "all that the village still possesses is at your
service."

He gave an order, and a boy brought out a basket of grain, which he
emptied before the camels, while the two Arabs, Edgar, and Rupert
entered the house. Ten minutes later a villager brought in a
freshly-killed kid, which Yussuf, after lighting a fire in the
court-yard, proceeded to cut up and cook. In the meantime the Arabs had
entered into a conv