e?" said Mr Burne shortly; "what pay?"

"Very moderate, gentlemen, and I promise you this, that if I can
persuade him to go with you, the cost of paying him will be saved out of
your expenses. I mean that you will spend less with him than you would
without."

"And he knows something of the country?"

"A great deal, gentlemen. Shall I see if I can get him to go?"

"By all means," cried the two elders in a breath.

"If he consents I will bring him to you. I beg pardon, I am wrong. I
must bring him to see you first before he will consent."

"Then, as I said before, he is to be the master, not we," said the
professor.

"No, no, sir, you must not take it like that. The man is independent,
and need not undertake this journey without he likes. Is it surprising,
then, that if he should come and see you, and not liking your
appearance, or the prospect of being comfortable in your service, he
should decline to go?"

"You are quite right," said Mr Burne. "I would not."

CHAPTER EIGHT.

YUSSUF THE GUIDE.

At breakfast-time the next morning the landlord came and announced that
Yussuf was in waiting. A few minutes later he ushered in a rather
plain-looking, deeply-bronzed, middle-aged man, who, at the first
glance, seemed to have nothing whatever to recommend him. As a nation
his people are good-looking and dignified. Yussuf was rather
ill-looking and decidedly undignified. He did not seem muscular, or
active, or clever, or agreeable, or to have good eyes. He was not even
well dressed. But upon further examination there was a hardened wiry
look about the man, and a stern determined appearance in the lines of
his countenance, while the eyes that did not seem to be good, so sunken
were they beneath his brow, and so deeply shaded, were evidently keen
and piercing. They seemed to flash as they met those of the old lawyer,
to look defiant as they encountered the professor's searching gaze, and
then to soften as they were turned upon Lawrence, as he lay back in his
chair rather exhausted by the heat.

A few questions were asked on either side, the newcomer speaking very
good English, and also grasping the professor's Arabic at once. In
fact, it appeared evident that he was about to decline to accompany the
party; but the words spoken sonorously by the professor seemed to make
him hesitate, as if the fact of one of the party speaking the familiar
tongue gratified him, but still he hesitated.

Just then, h