woman."

He did not ask for suggestions. There was no need. Every one of
those cloaked and muffled rascals had a notion of his own on the
spur of the moment, and was eager to get it adopted.

"Allah!" said Ali Baba. "Let us fight, then, with Abbas Mahommed,
and plunder his harem instead! It is simple. We come on his
village before dawn when those sons of Egyptian mothers* are
asleep. We set fire to the thatch, and thereafter act as seems
fit, slaying some and letting others escape!"

-----------
* To call any one an Egyptian is an Arab's notion of a perfect insult.
-----------

_"Wallah!_ Let us ride straight through the village, set a light
to it, and run," suggested Mujrim. "There isn't a woman in that
place I would burden a camel with."

"Nevertheless, we should take some women to keep as hostages
against the time when a blood-feud begins."

"And surely we shall carry off some camels."

"Aye! They have a horse or two as well. Abbas Mahommed trades
with El-Kerak, and only last month acquired a fine brown mare
that caught my eye."

"What are fifty men! We can fight twice fifty of such spawn as
the Beni Yussuf."

_"Wallah!_ They ran when the police paid them a visit. Ran from
the police!"

"Yes, and were afraid to kill the Jew who sued Abbas Mahommed in
the court for arrears of interest. They are cowards who dare not
take their sheikh's part in a dispute."

"Better wait until dawn, and then ride by their village and
defy them."

But the lady Ayisha had the most astonishing suggestion. She came
out from under the curtains of the _shibrayah_ and sat against
her camel's rump to face the circle of armed men and instruct them.

_"Taib!"_ she said scornfully. "Let this Abbas Mahommed come and
take me. I have a knife for his belly in any event. You go on to
Ali Higg and say his wife is in the hands of that scum. Ali Higg
can cross the desert in three days, and by the evening of the
fourth day there will be no village left, nor a man to call Abbas
Mahommed by his name. If I haven't killed him already Abbas
Mahommed will be carried off to Petra with the women, who shall
watch what is done to him before they are apportioned with the
other loot. That is simplest. Let Abbas Mahommed lift me if
he dares!"

She was clearly a young woman not averse to experiences, as well
as confident of her lord's good will. But Grim had the peace of
the border in mind; and the gang were not at all disposed to
stand by meekly