as
much again before they come to another well. When we have with certainty
made out that they are making for the wells of Orab, we will follow you
at full speed, but do not wait for us, and, save to give your horses a
drink, do not draw rein till you reach your people and deliver your
father's message. I don't suppose that I shall overtake you before you
get there, but I shall not be long after you, and my report may decide
him what he had best do."

Sidi at once picked out two men who were, he knew, among the best
mounted of the tribe, and told them to remain with Edgar and act under
his orders. Then at a much more rapid pace than before he pursued his
journey. Edgar and his men dismounted, sitting down on the sands until
the French were again within a mile of them, then they cantered on
ahead. The French had followed so exactly the line along which the party
had ridden that Edgar felt quite convinced that they were making for the
wells. However, he kept at the same distance ahead of them until the
Arabs told him that they were now within five miles of the water.

"Then we will go on," he said. "It is certain now that they are going
there, and as you say there are no camping grounds within many miles of
the wells, I think it is certain that they are bound for the oasis of
the Beni Ouafy."

They now rode at full speed to the wells. Here for a quarter of an hour
they halted, refilled their water-skins, gave the horses a drink and a
handful of dried dates, eat a few themselves, and then started on their
long ride. Had not Edgar had perfect confidence in the Arabs' knowledge
of the country he would have felt uneasy, as hour after hour they rode
across wastes of sand without, so far as he could see, any landmark
whatever to guide their course. He remarked this to them. Both smiled.

"You Franks can make your way over the sea when there is nothing
whatever to guide you," one of the men said; "it would be strange if we
could not do the same over the land that we have traversed many times
before."

"At sea they have a compass with a needle that points always to the
north, so that they know in what direction they are going."

"We have the sun," one of the Arabs answered; "but even without that we
could find our way, and do so even on the darkest night. The horses know
the way as well as we do. When they have once journeyed over a track
they never forget it, and even did they swerve a little it would not
matter, for the