rt wastes.
She could see the caravans of camels coming citywards, could watch the
sunbeams falling upon the white walls, domes, and flat roofs of the
ancient town. She watched the cargo boats coming out with their loads,
and the familiar rattle of the steam crane and the shouts of the men
were in her ears. The deck was alive with curious forms of Arabs come to
display their wares. A turbaned man in one of the boats below was
eagerly offering a splendid-looking, sable-black Nubian for sale, and
Mr. Colquhoun was amusing himself by chaffering as though he meant to
buy, which he could have done for the sum of eight pounds; for there is
a slave market yet in Mogador, where men and women are driven in like
cattle to be bought and sold.

A duck had escaped from the steward's stores and was triumphantly
disporting himself in the green water. The steward had offered a reward
of half a dozen empty soda-water bottles to the person who would
recapture the bird, and two boats were in hot pursuit, whilst little
brown Arab boys kept diving in to try to swim down the agile duck, who,
however, succeeded in dodging them all with a neatness and sense of
humour that evoked much applause from the on-lookers. Marjorie heard
afterwards that it took three hours to effect the capture, and that at
least a dozen men or boys had taken part in it, but the reward offered
had amply contented them for their time and trouble.

Breakfast was quickly despatched that morning. Marjorie was almost too
excited to eat. She was full of delightful anticipations of a romantic,
independent day. Mr. Stuart's voice interrupted the pleasant current of
her thoughts.

"Would you like to come with me, Miss May? My friends would be very
pleased, I am sure. We could show you the town, and you would be sure of
a good lunch." He added the last words a little mischievously, because
Marjorie was often annoyed at the persistent way in which people made
everything subservient to meals. A bit of bread and a few dates or an
orange seemed to her quite sufficient sustenance between a ship's
breakfast and dinner.

But such a commonplace way of spending a day was not in the least in
accord with Marjorie's views. She thought she knew exactly what it would
be like to go with Mr. Stuart--a hurried walk through the town, an
introduction to a family of strangers, who would wish her anywhere else,
the obligation to sit still in a drawing-room or on a verandah whilst
Mr. Stuart told