houlder.

She had a good-looking, strong face, badly freckled, and was
probably about forty years old, although that much was hard
guessing in the moonlight; for the rest, she looked like the
incarnation of activity--standing still, but only by suppression.

"Now Jael Higg," said Grim, "we'll have no squeamishness about
sex. I'm in a tight place, and you'll obey orders or take the
consequences. We're going to Petra, the lot of us."

"You! Are coming with me? To Petra?"

"Yes. And we've escort enough. Who commands those men?"

"I!"

"Yes, yes. But who's at the head of them now?"

"Ibrahim ben Ah."

"Call out for Ibrahim ben Ah to come here to speak with Ali Higg,
and watch that he comes alone," Grim ordered, and two or three of
Ali Baba's men went off to obey. "Now, Jael, you do the talking.
Understand me, though; this pistol has a way of going off quite
suddenly when the trigger is pressed. Answer: What village were
you intending to raid?"

"None."

"No use lying. Ali Higg's spy brought word to him that the
British are engaged elsewhere. Raid follows promptly, of course.
Now, out with it! I don't need you at Petra; Ayisha will serve my
purpose there. You've ten seconds before I pull the trigger.
Where was this raid headed for?"

"El-Maan." "Why?"

"That place has become too independent. The tribes meet there and
plan raids on their own account."

"Uh-huh. That sounds fairly credible. Now, observe--I pass my
pistol to this Indian."

He handed it to me.

"He will shoot you dead if you make one false move. You will tell
Ibrahim ben Ah to take all his men at once to that next oasis on
the way to El-Maan, and to wait there for yourself and Ali Higg,
to wait as long as three days if necessary. Say you will join
them there and lead the raid. You understand me?"

"Yes."

"You understand that you will die immediately if you disobey?"

"Yes."

"He will ask what the shooting meant just now. You will answer
that there was a mistake owing to the darkness, and that Ali Higg
is in a great rage, and he had better make himself scarce. If he
asks others questions, curse him and tell him to be off.

"And one last warning, Jael Higg! Obey me exactly, and you shall
see your husband in Petra. Disobey by as much as a word or a sign
and you're dead. Do we understand each other?"

"You really mean it? You will go to Petra?"

"Yes."

"I have seen fools, and men in love, and gamblers, but you are
the greatest ma