rough the country. To attempt to
obtain Chando's liberty under these circumstances would have been
useless. Sayd and Ned therefore returned to their own camp. Ned did
his utmost to keep up Sayd's spirits, pointing out to him that he had
acted rightly and would have no cause to repent his decision, though he
himself was bitterly disappointed at having to leave Chando, whom he had
hoped some day to restore to his father.

"In what direction do you propose to proceed?" he inquired of Sayd.

Having consulted Sambroko: "I intend to march northward and then to turn
to the east. He tells me that we pass near many villages inhabited by
elephant hunters, who are sure to have a good supply of ivory; and as
the Arabs have not gone through that part of the country for a long
time, we shall obtain it at a moderate price, besides which, the people
are likely to prove friendly."

At daybreak Sayd's small caravan commenced its march, Sambroko uttering
a farewell shout to their fate companions, who replied by derisive
cries. "They may shriek as they like," he observed, "but they will
before long change their tone. They will either have to recross the
desert, or will have to go a long way round to avoid it, when they will
find enemies in all directions through whom they will have to fight
their way."

Ned would have rejoiced at getting free of Abdullah had Chando been with
him, though he did not despair of recovering the young slave on his
return to Zanzibar. Still he knew that many circumstances might prevent
this. Chando might succumb to the fatigues of the journey, as many
others had done, or might be killed should the caravan be attacked by
hostile natives, or Abdullah might ship him off with other slaves on
board a dhow, should they reach the coast. All Ned could do, therefore,
was to hope that none of these events would occur.

There was but little time for thought. Sayd was anxious, by forced
marches, to get away from the neighbourhood of the village which had
been so treacherously treated, lest the inhabitants of other villages--
supposing that he and his followers had been engaged in the proceeding--
should attack them and revenge themselves on his head. They marched on
therefore all day, with only a short halt to take some food, water being
abundant and the tall trees protecting them from the hot sun. At night
they encamped under a gigantic sycamore, the boughs of which would have
shaded twice their number from