o load gifts on Grim--chickens, a
live sheep, melons, vegetables, and camel milk in a gourd. Grim
did not even deign to acknowledge them in person, but made a
gesture to Narayan Singh, who promptly took charge of the
prisoner himself and sent Ali Baba's sons back for the presents.
They had the good grace to find fault with everything, vowing
that the sheep especially was only fit for vultures. However,
with a final sneer or two anent the donor's manners they bore
sheep and all along behind us back to camp.

"Is it well?" called Ali Baba, watching on the ridge of a dune,
and coming to life like a heron as soon as we drew near.

"All's well," said Grim.

"Father of cunning! What now?" the old man answered.

CHAPTER V

"Let that Mother of Snakes Beware"

The terms that Grim had imposed on Abbas Mahommed were perfectly
well understood by every one concerned. The Arab is an individualist
of fervid likes and dislikes and the thing that perhaps he hates
most of all is to be observed by strangers; he does not like
it even from his own people. So there was nothing incomprehensible,
but quite the reverse, about that requirement that none from
the village should trespass in our direction all that day. And,
of course, only a bold robber conscious of his power to enforce
them would have dared to insist on such terms. But it was a
good thing that Mahommed Abbas did not call the bluff.

As it was, we slept all morning undisturbed, with only four
watchers posted, relieved at intervals of one hour. And the only
disturbance we suffered was from the lady Ayisha, who insisted
that the black-faced prisoner was hers, camel and all, and that
he should be taken to Petra for summary execution. She threatened
Grim with all sorts of dire reprisals in case he should let the
man go.

But setting every other consideration aside the man would have
been dangerous company on the journey. He was putting two and two
together in his own mind, and was not nearly as frightened as he
had been. But in Hebron he could do no harm, for once the Dead
Sea should be behind us it would not matter how many people knew
of Grim's errand, since we should travel faster than rumor
possibly could across the desert.

But if he should get one chance to talk with the lady Ayisha's
men, and even cause them to suspect that Grim might be in league
in some way with the British authorities, it would be all up with
our prospect of deceiving folk in fu