to march on Petra."

"As Allah is my witness, there is no such thing."

"You shall return to Petra."

"But Your Honor knows I am in great haste. My own small affairs
at Jaffa, God knows, have been neglected. How shall I spare time
to return to Petra?"

"And there you shall reverse your story."

"Allah!"

"You shall tell the very numbers and equipment of the army that
makes ready."

"May He who never sleeps preserve me! Am I mad, or dreaming? In
Petra I have told Your Honor a true tale; shall I return to Petra
in order to tell you a lie? O Lord of the limits of the desert,
listen to me! I have property in Jaffa; I must attend to it."

"I know you have. By the wharf where the Greeks land melons from
Egypt, isn't it? Three godowns and a cafe on the corner? A
nice property."

He paused, and I think he was turning over in his mind just how
far it would be wise to go with all those others listening; for
every word he let fall was sure to be discussed and discussed
again at the next halting-place.

"Which is better--to return to Petra and obey, or to lose
that property?"

"How shall I lose it? Hah! Your Honor is pleased to joke. You
will invade Palestine as far as Jaffa?"

"For those who live under British protection and yet spy against
the British are not so well treated by them as those who spy on
their behalf."

"Maybe. When they are caught! When they have caught a fox they
may skin him."

"And I am not Ali Higg, the Lion of Petra."

"Then who in the name of the Prophet are you, with the Lion's
wife at your side?"

"That is none of your business. You come back to Petra with me.
No, not your men; they go on. You alone. I have spoken."

In vain the man protested. He did not believe for a moment that
Grim was not Ali Higg, and he felt sure that he was being
kidnaped for some frightful fate, although Grim's mildness of
demeanor must have puzzled him; for according to accounts the
real Lion of Petra was a roaring beast.

Grim assigned two men to watch him, and gave the order to strike
camp, refusing to listen to any further argument. And since the
man's camels were too exhausted to march at once he ordered all
three left behind at the oasis and put the prisoner on one of our
baggage animals.

Just as we were ready to start he walked over to the two men and
threatened them with frightful torture unless they hurried
westward the minute the camels were fit to move on. It was pretty
obvious that they we