et out at sundown; and whin ye
return by yerself on foot to Geergeh, ye can ask for yer camels at the
British Consulate.'

All through that anxious afternoon we sat in our tents, under the shade
of the mud-wall, wondering whether we could carry out our plan or not.
About an hour before sunset the veiled woman strolled out of the gate
with her two children. She joined the crowd of sight-seers once more,
for never through the day were we left alone for a second. The
excitement grew intense. Elsie and I moved up carelessly towards the
group, talking as if to one another. I looked hard at Elsie: then I
said, as though I were speaking about one of the children, 'Go straight
along the road to Geergeh till you are past the big clump of palms at
the edge of the oasis. Just beyond it comes a sharp ridge of rock. Wait
behind the ridge where no one can see you. When we get there,' I patted
the little girl's head, 'don't say a word, but jump on my camel. My two
friends will each take one of the children. If you understand and
consent, stroke your boy's curls. We will accept that for a signal.'

She stroked the child's head at once without the least hesitation. Even
through her veil and behind her dress, I could somehow feel and see her
trembling nerves, her beating heart. But she gave no overt token. She
merely turned and muttered something carelessly in Arabic to a woman
beside her.

We waited once more, in long-drawn suspense. Would she manage to escape
them? Would they suspect her motives?

After ten minutes, when we had returned to our crouching-place under the
shadow of the wall, the woman detached herself slowly from the group,
and began strolling with almost overdone nonchalance along the road to
Geergeh. We could see the little girl was frightened and seemed to
expostulate with her mother: fortunately, the Arabs about were too much
occupied in watching the suspicious strangers to notice this episode of
their own people. Presently, our new friend disappeared; and, with
beating hearts, we awaited the sunset.

[Illustration: CROUCHING BY THE ROCKS SAT OUR MYSTERIOUS STRANGER.]

Then came the usual scene of hubbub with the sheikh, the camels, the
porters, and the drivers. It was eagerness against apathy. With
difficulty we made them understand we meant to get under way at all
hazards. I stormed in bad Arabic. The Doctor inveighed in very choice
Irish. At last they yielded, and set out. One by one the camels rose,
bent th