r accentuated the idiosyncrasies
of eyes, pendulous lip, pointed tusks and stiff, low-growing hair.
The latter was longer than that of the men and much heavier. It
hung about her shoulders and was confined by a colored bit of some
lacy fabric. Her single garment appeared to be nothing more than
a filmy scarf which was wound tightly around her body from below
her naked breasts, being caught up some way at the bottom near her
ankles. Bits of shiny metal resembling gold, ornamented both the
headdress and the skirt. Otherwise the woman was entirely without
jewelry. Her bare arms were slender and shapely and her hands and
feet well proportioned and symmetrical.

She came close to the party as they passed her, jabbering to the
guards who paid no attention to her. The prisoners had an opportunity
to observe her closely as she followed at their side for a short
distance.

"The figure of a houri," remarked Smith-Oldwick, "with the face of
an imbecile."

The street they followed was intersected at irregular intervals by
crossroads which, as they glanced down them, proved to be equally
as tortuous as that through which they were being conducted. The
houses varied but little in design. Occasionally there were bits
of color, or some attempt at other architectural ornamentation.
Through open windows and doors they could see that the walls of
the houses were very thick and that all apertures were quite small,
as though the people had built against extreme heat, which they
realized must have been necessary in this valley buried deep in an
African desert.

Ahead they occasionally caught glimpses of larger structures, and
as they approached them, came upon what was evidently a part of
the business section of the city. There were numerous small shops
and bazaars interspersed among the residences, and over the doors
of these were signs painted in characters strongly suggesting Greek
origin and yet it was not Greek as both the Englishman and the girl
knew.

Smith-Oldwick was by this time beginning to feel more acutely the
pain of his wounds and the consequent weakness that was greatly
aggravated by loss of blood. He staggered now occasionally and the
girl, seeing his plight, offered him her arm.

"No," he expostulated, "you have passed through too much yourself
to have any extra burden imposed upon you." But though he made a
valiant effort to keep up with their captors he occasionally lagged,
and upon one such occasion the guard