nted and got the three animals to their feet, Jill laughed
delightedly, announcing her intention of starting the trio and leading
them for a short space, to which the man, craving to satisfy the
slightest wish, consented, fastening the pack camel to the off-side of
Jill's beast, so that she should be in the middle, upon which they
started off triumphantly, leaving the tent to the stars and moon.

For an hour they travelled over the sand, covered in patches with low
shrubs, and broken here and there by sand dunes, until Jill suddenly
stopped her chattering and pointed.

"There's a caravan or something over there, and we seem to be heading
straight for it--it's--yes--it's a tent under some palms--why!
Yes--no! yes it is--oh, it's our tent--how _can_ it be our tent when we
have been going straight ahead all the time, haven't we?"

Without the glimmer of a smile, the Arab shook his head.

"We have been describing a circle ever since we started."

"But no!" argued the girl, who was half mortified, half ready to laugh,
"there is no left rein, and I left the right one hanging------"

"Yes, but quite unconsciously you kicked your camel with your left foot
when we were some way from the tent--you didn't notice, but she
immediately began to turn to the left; after that, you patted her
continually on the left side, and camels, who, from pure stupidity or
hereditary instinct, will go straight on to eternity untouched, are
trained to turn in the direction of the side touched by hand, foot, or
whip; the single rein is of very little use, and hardly ever used by a
native, for once a camel bolts, nothing will stop him, excepting a
cloth flung over his head, or the birth of some passing fancy in his
head, which serves to divert the evil tenor of his benighted brain.
And I defy anyone unused to the desert and its markings to know if they
are really going straight or in a circle, and you were too taken up to
notice the stars. Try again! Keep that red star straight ahead, those
two close together, just behind your right shoulder, and you will
unfailingly reach the so-called mountain, in the shadow of which we
shall find our tent."

And the maker of sweet music bowed low from afar, and salaamed with
fervour, when, just before the hour of dawn, three camels came to a
halt, and knelt on the word of command of this veiled woman, who spoke
his language sweetly, but as a stranger.

CHAPTER XXII

Few have or ever will make use o