ne, the only
hope lay in doing it well and thoroughly. Sabine's acquaintance with the
boy and his guardian would be a great help.

"I've been thinking how we can best carry out this business," he said,
when the pact of friendship had been sealed by clasp of hands. "We can't
afford to have any row or scandal. It must somehow be managed without
noise, for the sake of--the ladies, most of all, and next, for the sake
of Captain Sabine. As a Frenchman and an officer, it would certainly be
a lot worse for him than for us, if we landed him in any mess with the
authorities."

"I care nothing for myself." Sabine broke in, hotly.

"All the more reason for us to keep our heads cool if we can, and look
after you. We must get the boy to go away of his own accord."

"That is more easy to propose than to do," said Sabine, with a shrug of
the shoulders.

"Well, an idea has come into my head. There may be something in it--if
you can help us work it. We couldn't do it without you. Do you know the
child and his uncle so well that it wouldn't seem queer to invite them
to the hotel for a meal--say luncheon to-morrow, or rather to-day--for
it's morning now?"

"Yes, I could do that. And they would come. It would be an amusement for
them. Life is dull here," Sabine eagerly replied.

"Good. Does the child speak French?"

"A little. He is learning in the school."

"That's lucky, for I don't know a dozen words of Arab, and even my
friend Caird can't be eloquent in it. Wings, do you think you could work
up the boy to a wild desire for a tour in a motor-car?"

"I would bet on myself to do that. I could make him a motor fiend,
between the _hors d'oeuvres_ and fruit."

"Our great stumbling block, then, is the uncle. I suppose he's a sort of
watch-dog, who couldn't be persuaded to leave the boy alone a minute?"

"I am not sure of that," said Sabine. "It is true he is a watch-dog; but
I could throw him a bone I think would tempt him to desert his post--if
he had no suspicion of a trap. What you want, I begin to see, is to get
him out of the way, so that Monsieur Caird could induce the little
Mohammed to go away willingly?"

"Yes."

"_Eh bien!_ It is as good as done. I see the way. Hassan ben Saad, the
respectable uncle, has a secret weakness which I have found out. He has
lost his head for the prettiest and youngest dancer in the quarter of
the Ouled Nails. She is a great favourite, Nedjma, and she will not
look at him. He is too old