i.

So with palpitating heart, he waited for the reply of Idris who was
plunged in silence and only after a long interval said:

"You say that the father of the little 'bint' and yours will give us a
great deal of money?"

"Yes."

"But can all their money open for us the gates of paradise which only
the blessing of the Mahdi can do?"

"Bismillah!" shouted both Bedouins together with Chamis and Gebhr.

Stas at once lost all hope, for he knew that howsoever much the people
in the East are greedy and venal, nevertheless when a true Mohammedan
views any matter from the standpoint of faith, there are not any
treasures in the world with which he can be tempted.

Idris, encouraged by the shouts, continued, and evidently not for the
purpose of replying to Stas, but with a view of gaining greater esteem
and praise from his companions.

"We have the good fortune not only to belong to that tribe which gave
the holy prophet, but the noble Fatma and her children are his
relatives and the great Mahdi loves them. If we deliver you and the
little 'bint' to him, he will exchange you for Fatma and her sons and
will bless us. Know that even the water, in which every morning
according to the precepts of the Koran he makes his ablutions, heals
the sick and eliminates sins; and think what his blessing can
accomplish!"

"Bismillah!" reiterated the Sudanese and Bedouins.

But Stas, clutching at the last plank for help, said:

"Then take me and let the Bedouins return with the little 'bint' For me
they will surrender Fatma and her sons."

"It is yet more certain that they will surrender her for you two."

At this the boy addressed Chamis:

"Your father shall answer for your conduct."

"My father is already in the desert, on his way to the prophet,"
retorted Chamis.

"Then they will capture and hang him."

Here, however, Idris deemed it proper to give encouragement to his
companions.

"Those vultures," he said, "which will pick the flesh from our bones
may not yet be hatched. We know what threatens us, but we are not
children, and we know the desert of old. These men (here he pointed at
the Bedouins) were many times in Berber and are acquainted with roads
over which only gazelles roam. There nobody will find us and nobody
will seek us. We must indeed turn for water to the Bahr Yusuf and later
to the Nile, but will do that in the night. Besides, do you think that
on the river there are no secret friends of the Mahdi? And I