184 THE SECRET OF SAHARA: KUFARA 



ing the truth. We have made a mistake." For at least 

 an hour arguments raged on every side, but we ignored 

 them and planned low-voiced revenge with Mohammed 

 in the tent. It was delightful to see how the man had 

 taken hold again. "Wallahi," he repeated five times 

 running. "May I never see my wife again if Abdullah 

 does not get his reward from the Sayed!" 



From the pleasant task of plotting the guide's down- 

 fall we were summoned by a smiling Yusuf. "Your 

 words are flames," he said to Hassanein. "The people 

 are feehng very foolish and thej^ regret what they have 

 done." I felt it was Hassanein's triumph, so left him 

 to receive the apologies of the Zouias with condescending 

 coldness, but even this did not content them. INIusa 

 Gharibeel and Bu Badr insisted on wishing me personally 

 a good journey on the morrow. "I shall be glad to rest 

 in the house of Sidi Idris," I said coldly. "He told me 

 it would be an easy journey, but I think he has been 

 mistaken." The Zouias were silent. 



Yusuf told me afterwards that Abdullah had insisted 

 that the caravan was to follow him to Jof the next day 

 without waiting for any news from Kufara. To make 

 things quite certain he had told the men of Hawari that 

 we were looking for gold in the mountains and we would 

 return with an army to conquer the land and take the 

 treasuie it contained! 



When it was dark the slave-girls, Zeinab and Hauwa, 

 crept into my tent. "We thought we should all die 

 to-day, but now we are happy. The people are bad here, 

 but we have been saved!" they said. Our greatest 

 triumph, however, was the moment when a very meek 

 Zouia deputation woke us up to ask us if we would care 

 to go to Hawawiri on our way to Kufara on the morrow. 

 They dared not approach the tent themselves, so sent 

 Yusuf to offer their oHve branch. 



