rce of danger rather than of protection.

By the end of the week he had collected a party of twenty men, all of
whom were to provide their own horses. The sum agreed upon for their
escort was to be paid into the hands of the Egyptian officer, who was
to hand it to them on their return, with a document signed by Jethro
to the effect that they had faithfully carried out the terms of their
agreement.

Jethro found that the expense of the escort was less than he had
anticipated, for when the men found that the party would be a strong
one, therefore capable of protecting itself both on the journey out
and on its return, they demanded but a moderate sum for their
services. When the owner of the camels learned that they had decided
positively to pass to the east of the Salt Lake, he advised them
strongly, instead of following the valley of AElana to the Salt Lake,
where it would be difficult to obtain water, to take the road to the
east of the range of hills skirting the valleys, and so to proceed
through Petra and Shobek and Karik to Hesbon in Moab. This was the
route followed by all the caravans. Villages would be found at very
short distances, and there was no difficulty whatever about water.

"My camels," he said, "can go long distances without water, and could
take the valley route, but the horses would suffer greatly."

Jethro was glad to hear that the journey was likely to be less
toilsome than he had anticipated; and all the arrangements having been
concluded, the party started soon after dawn on the day at first fixed
upon.

The girls were still in male attire, and rode in large baskets, slung
one on each side of a camel. The camel-driver walked at the head of
the animal, leading it by a cord. Its fellows followed in a long line,
each fastened to the one before it. Jethro, Amuba, and Chebron, all
armed with bows and arrows, as well as swords, rode beside the girls'
camel. Half the escort went on ahead; the other half formed the rear
guard.

"Which is the most dangerous part of the journey?" Jethro asked the
camel-driver.

"That on which we are now entering," he replied. "Once we arrive at
Petra we are comparatively safe; but this portion of the journey
passes over a rough and uninhabited country, and it is across this
line that the wandering tribesmen pass in their journeys to or from
the pastures round Mount Sinai. The steep hills on our left form at
once a hiding-place and a lookout. There they can watch fo