y, and when evening comes, stroll out
behind us.'

She turned over some embroidered slippers on a booth, and seemed to be
inspecting them. 'But my children?' she murmured anxiously.

The Doctor interposed. 'Is it childern she has?' he asked. 'Thin they'll
be the Mohammedan gintleman's. We mustn't interfere wid _them_. We can
take away the lady--she's English, and detained against her will: but we
can't deprive anny man of his own childern'.

I was firm, and categorical. 'Yes, we can,' I said, stoutly; 'if he has
forced a woman to bear them to him whether she would or not. That's
common justice. I have no respect for the Mohammedan gentleman's rights.
Let her bring them with her. How many are there?'

'Two--a boy and girl; not very old; the eldest is seven.' She spoke
wistfully. A mother is a mother.

'Then say no more now, but keep us always in sight, and we will keep
_you_. Come to us at the gate about sundown. We will carry you off with
us.'

She clasped her hands and moved off with the peculiar gliding air of the
veiled Mohammedan woman. Our eyes followed her. We walked on through
the bazaar, thinking of nothing else now. It was strange how this
episode made us forget our selfish fears for our own safety. Even dear
timid Elsie remembered only that an Englishwoman's life and liberty were
at stake. We kept her more or less in view all day. She glided in and
out among the people in the alleys. When we went back to the camels at
lunch-time, she followed us unobtrusively through the open gate, and sat
watching us from a little way off, among a crowd of gazers; for all Wadi
Bou was of course agog at this unwonted invasion.

We discussed the circumstance loudly, so that she might hear our plans.
Dr. Macloghlen advised that we should tell our sheikh we meant to return
part of the way to Geergeh that evening by moonlight. I quite agreed
with him. It was the only way out. Besides, I didn't like the looks of
the people. They eyed us askance. This was getting exciting now. I felt
a professional journalistic interest. Whether we escaped or got killed,
what splendid business for the _Daily Telephone_!

The sheikh, of course, declared it was impossible to start that evening.
The men wouldn't move--the camels needed rest. But Dr. Macloghlen was
inexorable. 'Very well, thin, Mr. Sheikh,' he answered, philosophically.
'Ye'll plaze yerself about whether ye come on wid us or whether ye
shtop. That's yer own business. But _we_ s