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the　contents　of　the　pouch　you　wear　about　your　person。　Eh？〃



The　evil　eyes　narrowed；　a　vicious；　thin…lipped　smile

tortured　the　villainous　face；　as　Mohammed　Beyd　grinned

knowingly　into　the　face　of　the　Belgian。



Werper　was　both　relieved　and　disturbed　by　the　Arab's

attitude。　　The　complacency　with　which　he　accepted　the

death　of　his　chief　lifted　a　considerable　burden　of

apprehension　from　the　shoulders　of　Achmet　Zek's

assassin；　but　his　demand　for　a　share　of　the　jewels

boded　ill　for　Werper　when　Mohammed　Beyd　should　have

learned　that　the　precious　stones　were　no　longer　in　the

Belgian's　possession。



To　acknowledge　that　he　had　lost　the　jewels　might　be　to

arouse　the　wrath　or　suspicion　of　the　Arab　to　such　an

extent　as　would　jeopardize　his　new…found　chances　of

escape。　　His　one　hope　seemed；　then；　to　lie　in　fostering

Mohammed　Beyd's　belief　that　the　jewels　were　still　in

his　possession；　and　depend　upon　the　accidents　of　the

future　to　open　an　avenue　of　escape。



Could　he　contrive　to　tent　with　the　Arab　upon　the　march

north；　he　might　find　opportunity　in　plenty　to　remove

this　menace　to　his　life　and　libertyit　was　worth

trying；　and；　further；　there　seemed　no　other　way　out　of

his　difficulty。



〃Yes；〃　he　said；　〃Achmet　Zek　is　dead。　　He　fell　in　battle

with　a　company　of　Abyssinian　cavalry　that　held　me

captive。　　During　the　fighting　I　escaped；　but　I　doubt　if

any　of　Achmet　Zek's　men　live；　and　the　gold　they　sought

is　in　the　possession　of　the　Abyssinians。　　Even　now　they

are　doubtless　marching　on　this　camp；　for　they　were　sent

by　Menelek　to　punish　Achmet　Zek　and　his　followers　for　a

raid　upon　an　Abyssinian　village。　　There　are　many　of

them；　and　if　we　do　not　make　haste　to　escape　we　shall

all　suffer　the　same　fate　as　Achmet　Zek。〃



Mohammed　Beyd　listened　in　silence。　　How　much　of　the

unbeliever's　story　he　might　safely　believe　he　did　not

know；　but　as　it　afforded　him　an　excuse　for　deserting

the　village　and　making　for　the　north　he　was　not

inclined　to　cross…question　the　Belgian　too　minutely。



〃And　if　I　ride　north　with　you；〃　he　asked；　〃half　the

jewels　and　half　the　ransom　of　the　woman　shall　be　mine？〃



〃Yes；〃　replied　Werper。



〃Good；〃　said　Mohammed　Beyd。　　〃I　go　now　to　give　the

order　for　the　breaking　of　camp　early　on　the　morrow；〃

and　he　rose　to　leave　the　tent。



Werper　laid　a　detaining　hand　upon　his　arm。



〃Wait；〃　he　said；　〃let　us　determine　how　many　shall

accompany　us。　　It　is　not　well　that　we　be　burdened　by

the　women　and　children；　for　then　indeed　we　might　be

overtaken　by　the　Abyssinians。　　It　would　be　far　better

to　select　a　small　guard　of　your　bravest　men；　and　leave

word　behind　that　we　are　riding　WEST。　　Then；　when

the　Abyssinians　come　they　will　be　put　upon　the　wrong

trail　should　they　have　it　in　their　hearts　to　pursue　us；

and　if　they　do　not　they　will　at　least　ride　north　with

less　rapidity　than　as　though　they　thought　that　we　were

ahead　of　them。〃



〃The　serpent　is　less　wise　than　thou；　Werper；〃　said

Mohammed　Beyd　with　a　smile。　　〃It　shall　be　done　as　you

say。　　Twenty　men　shall　accompany　us；　and　we　shall　ride

WESTwhen　we　leave　the　village。〃



〃Good；〃　cried　the　Belgian；　and　so　it　was　arranged。



Early　the　next　morning　Jane　Clayton；　after　an　almost

sleepless　night；　was　aroused　by　the　sound　of　voices

outside　her　prison；　and　a　moment　later；　M。　Frecoult；

and　two　Arabs　entered。　　The　latter　unbound　her　ankles

and　lifted　her　to　her　feet。　　Then　her　wrists　were

loosed；　she　was　given　a　handful　of　dry　bread；　and　led

out　into　the　faint　light　of　dawn。



She　looked　questioningly　at　Frecoult；　and　at　a　moment

that　the　Arab's　attention　was　attracted　in　another

direction　the　man　leaned　toward　her　and　whispered　that

all　was　working　out　as　he　had　planned。　　Thus　assured；

the　young　woman　felt　a　renewal　of　the　hope　which　the

long　and　miserable　night　of　bondage　had　almost　expunged。



Shortly　after；　she　was　lifted　to　the　back　of　a　horse；

and　surrounded　by　Arabs；　was　escorted　through　the

gateway　of　the　village　and　off　into　the　jungle　toward

the　west。　　Half　an　hour　later　the　party　turned　north；

and　northerly　was　their　direction　for　the　balance　of

the　march。



M。　Frecoult　spoke　with　her　but　seldom；　and　she

understood　that　in　carrying　out　his　deception　he　must

maintain　the　semblance　of　her　captor；　rather　than

protector；　and　so　she　suspected　nothing　though　she　saw

the　friendly　relations　which　seemed　to　exist　between

the　European　and　the　Arab　leader　of　the　band。



If　Werper　succeeded　in　keeping　himself　from

conversation　with　the　young　woman；　he　failed　signally

to　expel　her　from　his　thoughts。　　A　hundred　times　a　day

he　found　his　eyes　wandering　in　her　direction　and

feasting　themselves　upon　her　charms　of　face　and　figure。

Each　hour　his　infatuation　for　her　grew；　until　his

desire　to　possess　her　gained　almost　the　proportions　of

madness。



If　either　the　girl　or　Mohammed　Beyd　could　have　guessed

what　passed　in　the　mind　of　the　man　which　each　thought　a

friend　and　ally；　the　apparent　harmony　of　the　little

company　would　have　been　rudely　disturbed。



Werper　had　not　succeeded　in　arranging　to　tent　with

Mohammed　Beyd；　and　so　he　revolved　many　plans　for　the

assassination　of　the　Arab　that　would　have　been　greatly

simplified　had　he　been　permitted　to　share　the　other's

nightly　shelter。



Upon　the　second　day　out　Mohammed　Beyd　reined　his　horse

to　the　side　of　the　animal　on　which　the　captive　was

mounted。　　It　was；　apparently；　the　first　notice　which

the　Arab　had　taken　of　the　girl；　but　many　times　during

these　two　days　had　his　cunning　eyes　peered　greedily

from　beneath　the　hood　of　his　burnoose　to　gloat　upon　the

beauties　of　the　prisoner。



Nor　was　this　hidden　infatuation　of　any　recent　origin。

He　had　conceived　it　when　first　the　wife　of　the

Englishman　had　fallen　into　the　hands　of　Achmet　Zek；　but

while　that　austere　chieftain　lived；　Mohammed　Beyd　had

not　even　dared　hope　for　a　realization　of　his

imaginings。



Now；　though；　it　was　differentonly　a　despised　dog　of　a

Christian　stood　between　himself　and　possession　of　the

girl。　　How　easy　it　would　be　to　slay　the　unbeliever；　and

take　unto　himself　both　the　woman　and　the　jewels！　　With

the　latter　in　his　possession；　the　ransom　which　might　be

obtained　for　the　captive　would　form　no　great　inducement

to　her　relinquishment　in　the　face　of　the　pleasures　of

sole　ownership　of　her。　　Yes；　he　would　kill　Werper；

retain　all　the　jewels　and　keep　the　Englishwoman。



He　turned　his　eyes　upon　her　as　she　rode　along　at　his

side。　　How　beautiful　she　was！　　His　fingers　opened　and

closedskinny；　brown　talons　itching　to　feel　the　soft

flesh　of　the　victim　in　their　remorseless　clutch。



〃Do　you　know；〃　he　asked　leaning　toward　her；　〃where　this

man　would　take　you？〃



Jane　Clayton　nodded　affirmatively。



〃And　you　are　willing　to　become　the　plaything　of　a　black

sultan？〃



The　girl　drew　herself　up　to　her　full　height；　and　turned

her　head　away；　but　she　did　not　reply。　　She　feared　lest

her　knowledge　of　the　ruse　that　M。　Frecoult　was　playing

upon　the　Arab　might　cause　her　to　betray　herself　through

an　insufficient　display　of　terror　and　aversion。



〃You　can　escape　this　fate；〃　continued　the　Arab；

〃Mohammed　Beyd　will　save　you；〃　and　he　reached　out　a

brown　hand　and　seized　the　fingers　of　her　right　hand　in

a　grasp　so　sudden　and　so　fierce　that　this　brutal

passion　was　revealed　as　clearly　in　the　act　as　though

his　lips　had　confessed　it　in　words。　Jane　Clayton

wrenched　herself　from　his　grasp。



〃You　beast！〃　she　cried。　　〃Leave　me　or　I　shall　call　M。

Frecoult。〃



Mohammed　Beyd　drew　back　with　a　scowl。　　His　thin；　upper

lip　curled　upward；　revealing　his　smooth；　white　teeth。



〃M。　Frecoult？〃　he　jeered。　　〃There　is　no　such　person。

The　man's　name　is　Werper。　　He　is　a　liar；　a　thief；　and　a

murderer。　　He　killed　his　captain　in　the　Congo　country

and　fled　to　the　protection　of　Achmet　Zek。　　He　led

Achmet　Zek　to　the　plunder　of　your　home。　　He　followed

your　husband；　and　planned　to　steal　his　gold　from　him。

He　has　told　me　that　you　think　him　your　protector；　and

he　has　played　upon　this　to　win　your　confidence　that　it

might　be　easier　to　carry　you　north　and　sell　you　into

some　black　sultan's　harem。　　Mohammed　Beyd　is　your　only

hope；〃　and　with　this　assertion　to　provide　the　captive

with　food　for　thought；　the　Arab　spurred　forward　toward

the　head　of　the　column。



Jane　Clayton　could　not　know　how　much　of　Mohammed　Beyd's

indictment　might　be　true；　or　how　much　false；　but　at

least　it　had　the　effect　of　dampening　her　hopes　and

causing　her　to　review　with　suspicion　every　past　act　of

the　man　upon　whom　she　had　been　looking　as　her　sole

protector　in　the　midst　of　a　world　of　enemies　and

dangers。



On　the　march　a　separate　tent　had　been　provided　for　the

captive；　and　at　night　it　was　pitched　between　those　of

Mohammed　Beyd　and　Werper。　　A　sentry　was　posted　at　the

front　and　another　at　the　back；　and　with　these

precautions　it　had　not　been　thought　necessary　to

c