ce calling to me to come and save
him."

The Sheikh stood silently there beneath the palms, and for some minutes
no words came.

At last he repeated his former stereotyped expression.

"It is good. Yes," he said, "it is good, and God will go before you on
such an errand as this, my son. I am growing old now."

"And you--"

Frank began to utter his thoughts impulsively, but the professor laid a
hand sharply upon his arm.

"Silence," he said, and the Arab paused for a few moments as if to give
way, but as Frank checked himself he went on--

"--And old men grow to love money and greater flocks and herds, and more
and better camels, as they come nearer to the time when all these things
will be as naught. I have been much with the wise men from Europe, and
it has been pleasant to my soul to take their piastres to make my tribe
richer every year. His Excellency here has paid me much gold in the
past times, and I and my people have worked justly for him, so that he
has come to us again and again, till his coming has been that of a
friend, and my heart was sore when I heard that he was not to be with us
this season of the year. And now he has come for this as to a friend to
ask the help of me and mine. He has come to me as a brother in
suffering, and it is good. Yes, Excellency, you are welcome to the
tents of your brethren, and we will do all we can to bring the lost one
back. And what I bid my people do they will do, till I am gathered to
my fathers and my son takes my place. But when I go to my people
to-night and tell them of your words, they will say `O my father, this
is not work for money. Our master must not give us payment for such a
thing as this. Of a truth we will go and bring the young man back to
those who mourn for him. If we redden the sand with our blood instead,
well, we have died as men, and we shall sleep with the just.'"

The professor caught the old Arab's hand, and Frank snatched impulsively
at the other, the thin, nervous fingers closing tightly upon the English
grip, and they stood in silence for some minutes.

"Tell him what I feel," said Frank at last. "I can't find words."

"Neither can I," said the professor, "but I must try."

"Listen, Sheikh," he said, "you have made our hearts glad within us.
For when this news came to England I said to myself that I would seek my
old Arab friend and ask him to help me to find our young brother."

"It is good," said the Arab softly. "Y