d."

They moved to the opening of the tent and sat looking out across the
silent desert. Laura took the flap of the canvas in her hand.

"What do all these marks mean?" she asked.

"They are cabalistic signs," the Professor replied, "part of the language
of the tribe. They indicate that this is the guest tent, and there are a
few little maxims traced upon it, extolling the virtues of hospitality.
Out in the desert there we met the Mongars as foes, and we had, I can
assure you, a very narrow escape of our lives. Here, under the shelter of
their encampment, it is a very different matter. We have eaten their
salt."

"It's a strange position," Quest remarked moodily.

Lenora leaned forward to where a little group of Mongars were talking
together.

"I wish that beautiful girl would come and let us see her again," she
murmured.

"She," the Professor explained, "is the Chief's daughter, Feerda, whose
life Craig saved."

"And from the way she looks at him," Laura observed, "I should say she
hadn't forgotten it, either."

The Professor held up a warning finger. The girl herself had glided to
their side out of the shadows. She faced the Professor. The rest of the
party she seemed to ignore. She spoke very slowly and in halting English.

"My father wishes to know that you are satisfied?" she said. "You have no
further wants?"

"None," the Professor assured her. "We are very grateful for this
hospitality, Feerda."

"Won't you talk to us for a little time?" Lenora begged, leaning forward.

The girl made no responsive movement. She seemed, if anything, to shrink a
little away. Her head was thrown back, her dark eyes were filled with
dislike. She turned suddenly to the Professor and spoke to him in her own
language. She pointed to the signs upon the tent, drew her finger along
one of the sentences, flashed a fierce glance at them all and disappeared.

"Seems to me we are not exactly popular with the young lady," Quest
remarked. "What was she saying, Professor?"

"She suspects us," the Professor said slowly, "of wishing to bring evil to
Craig. She pointed to a sentence upon the tent. Roughly it means
'Gratitude is the debt of hospitality.' I am very much afraid that the
young lady must have been listening to our conversation a while ago."

Lenora shivered.

"To think of any girl," she murmured, "caring for a fiend like Craig!"

Before they knew it she was there again, her eyes on fire, her tone
shaking.

"You c