nts kneel. Rick and Hassan got off,
and the man with the camels hurried away without a word. The two walked
up to the car.

"Thank you for rescuing us," Rick said politely.

Moustafa had not spoken. Now he tugged at his mustache and nodded.
"Whether it was worth while remains to be seen. According to my man,
Youssef did not get the cat. This is correct?"

"Yes. Did you see my friend last night?"

"I did. Precisely at seven. He informed me that you were missing. Then,
sometime later, my man managed to leave Youssef's gang and report in. I
at once made plans for your rescue. Now tell me. Where is the cat?"

Rick was very, very tired of the Egyptian cat. He thought grimly that
when he returned home he and his sister would have a long talk about
volunteering services for strangers.

"The cat is under the back cushion of Hassan's car," he said tiredly.
"And the sooner you take it off my hands, the better."

"Hassan's car is at the hotel," Moustafa said. "Come. We will go there
at once."

Rick and Hassan climbed into the car and Moustafa raced the motor. He
meshed gears and spun his wheels as he got off to a fast start.

He's certainly in a hurry to get that cat, Rick thought. Well, he was
the legitimate receiver. Only it was too bad to let the animal go
without ever knowing what it contained.

No matter, Rick thought, as the desert road sped underneath. No matter
now. In a few minutes it will be finished.

CHAPTER XVII

Ismail ben Adhem

Rick awoke with the setting sun in his eyes. He yawned luxuriously and
turned over to look at the clock, then sat upright in bed at the sight
of Scotty and a stranger.

The stranger was young, with a friendly smile. He was relaxed as he sat
in a comfortable chair, but it was the same kind of relaxation one sees
in a panther or another of the great cats. Rick knew, without even
asking, that this lean, bronzed, good-looking Egyptian was a police
officer and that he probably was a very good one. He _looked_ like a
hunter.

"Thought you were going to sleep till tomorrow," Scotty said. "Rick,
this is Inspector Ismail ben Adhem of the Cairo Police."

The inspector held out a brown hand. Rick sensed the strength in it,
although the handshake was normal. "I'm glad you're here," the boy said
frankly. "Between Youssef and Kemel Moustafa, we're sort of in a jam."

The inspector smiled. "Well see if we can get you out of it. Suppose you
call me Ben, just to make things easy