182 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



have insulted the Sayed's guests because you are hke the 

 foolish woman in the suq who buj^s the first thing that is 

 offered to her!" He whispered to Hassanein in Arabic 

 too rapid for my comprehension, "By Allah, hear and 

 believe, for I speak the truth!" shouted the latter above 

 the babel of angry voices. Even Sheikh Zarrug of the 

 Hawaij ceased from exclaiming that if no messenger 

 came from Jof on the morrow the Zouias would know that 

 we had deceived them and it would go hard with us. 

 "You get no news here and you believe the first-comer," 

 continued Hassanein. "Abdullah told you that you must 

 prove to the strangers that you were brave and strong lest 

 they think that anyone can enter j^our country easily. Is 

 it not so?" They acknowledged uneasily, some ever 

 with crooked smiles, that this was the case. Then they 

 remembered the point which changed a bluff meant to 

 impress strangers into a grim reality. "Abdullah was to 

 send back a messenger if the ekhwan approved of your 

 letter and would receive you. It is a short journey and 

 none has come." 



At these words smiles vanished and the pale, cruel 

 faces grew more cunning and suspicious. The Tebus 

 grouped themselves behind us. It might be a good battle, 

 I thought, and wondered if the Zouia rifles were modern. 

 A fight is always stimulating and not like that awful, 

 helpless day of thirst when one could not war with nature ! 

 "Of course, no messenger has come," said Hassanein 

 triumphantly. "None will. You have been fooled and 

 so have we. To-morrow you would have prevented our 

 going. There would have been a fight. You are brave 

 but so are the slaves of the Sayed. Perhaps his guests 

 would have been killed and Abdullah would have been 

 saved. Do you know why?" Then followed the story of the 

 guide who had lost his head and his reputation at the same 

 time and I suddenly grasped Abdullah's neat little plot. 



