them.'

Then her mother said no more, but gave her a camel and some food, and a
negro and his wife to take care of her, and she fastened a cowrie shell
round the camel's neck for a charm, and bade her daughter go in peace.

During the first day the party journeyed on without any adventures, but
the second morning the negro said to the girl, 'Get down, and let the
negress ride instead of you.'

'Mother,' cried Udea.

'What is it?' asked her mother.

'Barka wants me to dismount from my camel.'

'Leave her alone, Barka,' commanded the mother, and Barka did not dare
to persist.

But on the following day he said again to Udea, 'Get down, and let the
negress ride instead of you,' and though Udea called to her mother she
was too far away, and the mother never heard her. Then the negro seized
her roughly and threw her on the ground, and said to his wife, 'Climb
up,' and the negress climbed up, while the girl walked by the side. She
had meant to ride all the way on her camel as her feet were bare and the
stones cut them till the blood came. But she had to walk on till night,
when they halted, and the next morning it was the same thing again.
Weary and bleeding the poor girl began to cry, and implored the negro to
let her ride, if only for a little. But he took no notice, except to bid
her walk a little faster.

[Illustration: THE NEGRO COMPELS UDEA TO WALK]

By-and-by they passed a caravan, and the negro stopped and asked the
leader if they had come across seven young men, who were thought to be
hunting somewhere about. And the man answered, 'Go straight on, and by
mid-day you will reach the castle where they live.'

When he heard this, the black melted some pitch in the sun, and smeared
the girl with it, till she looked as much a negro as he did. Next he
bade his wife get down from the camel, and told Udea to mount, which she
was thankful to do. So they arrived at her brothers' castle.

Leaving the camel kneeling at the entrance for Udea to dismount, the
negro knocked loudly at the door, which was opened by the youngest
brother, all the others being away hunting. He did not of course
recognise Udea, but he knew the negro and his wife, and welcomed them
gladly, adding, 'But who does the other negress belong to?'

'Oh, that is your sister!' said they.

'My sister! but she is coal black!'

'That may be, but she is your sister for all that.'

The young man asked no more questions, but took them into the castle,