he is paid to do it."

"Then why don't you trust him, sir?" said Lawrence, speaking out boldly.

"Because very likely he is doing all this to save us for himself.
Suppose he robs us and then runs away to Tadmor in the wilderness, or
some other outlandish place, what can we do? There are no policemen
here."

"Hush," said Mr Preston; "here he is."

Yussuf came gravely stalking down from above where he had been taking a
fresh observation inland.

"I can see nothing, effendi," he said softly. "We must sleep and see
what another day brings forth."

"Yes," said Mr Preston; "and we are all weary. But, Yussuf."

"Effendi?"

"How did you know that my friend, here, and I carried belts containing
gold?"

The Muslim looked from one to the other sharply, and it was plain that
he read the suspicion in their eyes, for his own flashed, and a stern
aspect came over his countenance.

It passed away directly and his face lit up with a smile.

"Simply enough, excellencies," he said. "Mr Burne, here, is always
feeling his waist to find out whether it is quite safe, or lifting it up
a little because it is heavy."

"I? What? No such thing, sir--no such thing," cried the old lawyer
angrily.

"Well, I have seen you do so a great many times," said Mr Preston
laughing.

"And so have I, Mr Burne," cried Lawrence, "often."

"I deny it, gentlemen, I deny it," he cried; and sitting up he
involuntarily placed his hands just above his hips, and gave himself a
hitch after the fashion of a sailor.

The professor burst into a hearty laugh; Lawrence roared; and Yussuf's
face was so comically grave that Mr Burne could not resist the
infection, and laughed in turn.

"There," he exclaimed; "I suppose, I do without knowing it, and I am so
cautious, too."

"But come," said Mr Preston, turning to Yussuf, "you have not seen me
do this, I think."

"No, effendi, never; but when we were busy baling the water out of the
boat for these dogs of Greeks to escape, your garments were wet and
clung to you tightly, and the shape of the belt could be plainly seen."

"Of course it could," said the professor bluffly. "Why, Yussuf, I
believe now in the story about the dervish who was asked if he met the
camel, and told the owners all about it: the lame leg, the missing
tooth, the load of rice on one side, the honey on the other, and all
without seeing it."

"Nonsense!" said Mr Burne testily, "how could he?"

"Why, my dear sir, you must hav