aking of generations-rooted conventions to deafen her, until
like a lost child she suddenly sobbed, and dropping the rein, held out
her hands to the man who, although she knew it not, had been watching
and waiting for just such an outburst.

For he worshipped the sand and pebbles and rocks and dunes and hills of
his adored desert, and knew the effect it sometimes made, even at the
paltry distance of a mile or two from some teeming city, upon both male
and female denizens of the West, who bloom palely in the heat of a
coal-fire, and lift their faces thankfully to the red lozenge which,
for eight months of an English year, represents the sun shining through
fog or cloud.

Also must it be confessed that Jill's head was beginning already to
swim a little with the sway of the camel, though of nausea she suffered
not at all, and it was with a feeling of joy that she felt the animals
come to a halt, saw the black one, upon a word of command, get docilely
to its knees, heard Howesha grumbling fiercely to the moon as she went
through the same gymnastic performance, and felt her own rocking and
pitching until it came to the ground. Whereupon she dismounted
lightly, and reeled against the man as the entire desert, herself and
camels included, turned a complete somersault, after which she meekly
sat down on Taffadaln's back and watched proceedings.

The pack-camel lay supinely as its master with strong deft fingers
unbound and unknotted the various ropes until everything desired was
found.

A rug of many colours was laid at Jill's feet, and cushions thrown
thereon, upon which, with a great sigh of relief, she laid herself
down, until something softly crawling round her neck brought her to her
feet shaking with disgust.

"It is doubtlessly a sand-spider," explained the man. "They are
perfectly harmless and to be found everywhere, and are even welcomed in
some houses as they help to reduce the plague of flies from which we
have suffered, with other things, since the time of Pharaoh. I am so
sorry, but insects are a nuisance we have totally failed to conquer,
though in your house, believe me, there will be none, not even the
smallest."

Upon which assurance Jill sat down, took off her hat, arranged her hair
in a pocket mirror, flicked a shadow of powder upon her nose, and
settled down to watch and wait.

The man's agile fingers arranged some charcoal, which he lighted
quickly in some desert fashion inside a square of four