Azza avoided the square, and stole along the dark and narrow streets with a swift, cat-like tread.
Frank followed closely, making sure his revolvers were ready for instant use.
Both man and boy were enveloped in the hooded cloak so common in Tangier.
The shoes which Frank wore had cork soles, so his footsteps made very little noise.
At intervals they brushed against persons who were moving in the narrow streets, and Frank seemed to see sharp eyes peering at him from beneath beetling brows.
Tangier was not a pleasant city to roam about in after nightfall.
It seemed to Frank that it was a city well adapted to dark deeds—a place where crime might thrive with little fear of punishment.
As far as possible, Azza avoided the pedestrians who were moving on the streets.
In every nook and angle dark shadows lurked, like crouching assassins, and more than once the boy clutched his revolver, ready to draw and defend himself from attack.
They passed through a maze of winding streets, so that the boy became quite bewildered. He had thought to remember every turn, so he could return to the hotel without a guide, if necessary, but he was soon forced to confess to himself that such a thing would be beyond his ability to accomplish.