uch a total stranger.

"By Jove, Carden," he said at last, "I didn't know you had------" He
stopped, confused, horrified at the words which had almost escaped him.

"Turned native, Kelham? I haven't. I am an Arab, a Mohammedan by
birth. This"--he looked quickly at the leather curtain at the back of
his friend--"This is my natural environment. Harrow was a--a loving
thought on the part of my honoured mother, and------" He paused, and
raising his voice ever so slightly, looked steadily at the curtain
which seemed to move, perchance blown by the night wind--"and a great,
a terrible mistake. Yes, Kelham, a terrible mistake. Did you ever
think of the risk I ran, I, an Arab, of meeting some white woman, whom
I might love? Supposing I had met such an one, and had loved her, and
had wanted to marry her, tell me, you, all white as you are,--_could_ I
have done so?"

He took a simple wooden cigarette-case from his cummerbund and held it
out to his friend; they lit their cigarettes and sat smoking in an
intolerable silence.

There was no real need to ask the question, because it had been
answered even whilst the Englishman had swung himself from the saddle.
In a searing flash, by the sound of his friend's voice, the way he
moved, the whole Western look of him, Carden Ali had understood that
this man, born of the moors, the bracing climate, the cold skies, the
snows and springs of England, was the true mate for beautiful English
Damaris.

But, to turn the knife in the wound in his heart, he repeated the
question, and Kelham, who knew it could be answered only in one way,
wrenched at his collar and got to his feet, and crossed to the wall, to
finger the throwing-spear with his back to his friend.

"Well, you know, old man, I--well, don't you think it's best--as your
father is an Arab--well!--well, you know what--who was it
said--something about East and West?--I--don't------" He passed his
hand over the wall, then exclaimed, in an effort to change the subject,
"By Jove! it's leather! Why, I thought the wall was velvet."

Carden laughed and lit another cigarette as he watched Kelham out of
the corner of his eye as he walked slowly round the tent.

Keeping something from each other, they were ill at ease, where, under
ordinary circumstances, they would have talked without ceasing upon the
good old days at Harrow; of Houses and masters and schoolfellows; of
Ducker--the swimming-bath--and Lords and Bill--the roll-cal