stume, and he increased his pace
to overtake him.

To his annoyance, just as he was about to come up with him, the
stranger turned into a squalid house, and Helmar was left to rail at
his ill luck outside.

Realizing that there was nothing to be gained by going on, he
thought he might as well wait in the hopes of the man coming out
shortly. He was really feeling very uneasy; the neighbourhood was
filthy, and the quietness of the street depressed him.

Sauntering quietly up the street, his attention was unexpectedly
drawn to the figure of an Arab emerging from a house on the opposite
side. It was now growing dark, and Helmar was quite unable to
distinguish the fellow's face; but his furtive movements made him a
little curious, and his interest in the man became riveted. He saw
the Arab looking sharply along the street from end to end, and,
apparently satisfied with his survey, quickly draw back into the
shadow of the doorway. Helmar's curiosity now grew keener, and so
engrossed was he for the time in the man's stealthy movements that
he forgot the real object of his waiting. Consequently he failed to
observe that the European had come out of the house he had a few
minutes previously entered. Suddenly the figure of a crouching Arab
darted from the shadow and walked swiftly and silently up the
street.

Looking up the road in the same direction, Helmar was astonished to
see the European he had been waiting for hurrying along at a rapid
pace, fast disappearing in the gloom of the deserted slum.

The street, except for the two men in front of him, was now quite
deserted, and our hero quickened his pace for fear of losing sight
of his quarry.

The native had crossed the road, and was now running along with
silent footsteps some distance ahead of him. Suddenly, as the fellow
passed under the light of a dingy lamp, Helmar caught the glint of a
long curved knife he was carrying in his hand.

"Hallo!" he muttered, "there's crime afoot!" and dodging on to the
sandy road he hurried on. The European in front was walking
leisurely along, totally unconscious of any danger that might be
threatening him.

George began to fear something serious was about to happen. The
stealthy footsteps of the Arab, his long knife, the pace with which
he was overtaking the man ahead, looked decidedly unpleasant.

Ten yards only separated one from the other, while thirty or more
separated the Arab from George. Could he get sufficiently near t