"What—but, oh, yes, you told me! The way he came into the Legion, and all that. I wonder—I wonder if there are many men in the world who would do as much for a woman?"
"I think so," said Max quietly. "You don't count the cost very much when you are in love."
He was to remember that speech before many days.
"They're wonderful, men like that!" Sanda murmured. "And there's more risk to come, for Ourïeda and himself. A little for us, too, isn't there?"
"Not for you, please God! And very little for any of us. But I see you know what Manöel expects to happen."
"Oh, yes, that they'll run after us, thinking that he has followed with Ourïeda, to join our caravan. I do hope the Agha will send his men after us, for that will make us sure those two have got away. If we hear sounds of pursuit we'll hurry on quickly. Then the chase will have farther to go back, and Manöel and Ourïeda will gain time. The more ground we can cover before we're come up with by the Agha's camels, who'll be superior to ours, the better it will be, won't it?"
"Yes, for if the Agha lets Djazerta alone, Manöel may contrive to slip out of the town sooner than he dared hope, well disguised, in a caravan of strangers not of Ben Râana's tribe. In that case the Agha of Djazerta would have no right to search among the women. And Manöel's splendid at disguise. His actor's training has taught him that."
"I feel now that he will get Ourïeda out of the country. They've suffered too much and dared too much to fail in the end."
"I hope so; I think so," Max answered. But he knew that in real life stories did sometimes end badly. His own, for instance. He could see no happy ending for that.
They pushed on as fast as the animals could go when a long march and not a mere spurt of speed was before them. Through the mysterious sapphire darkness of the desert night the padding feet of the camels strode noiselessly over the hard sand. Sanda asked Max to offer extra pay to the men if they would put up with an abbreviated rest. Only three hours they paused to sleep; and then, in the dusk before dawn, when all living things are as shadows, the camels were wakened to snarl with rage while their burdens were ruthlessly strapped on again. As Max gave Sanda a cup of hot coffee (which he had made for her, as Legionnaires make it, strong and black) she said, shivering a little, "Do you think they'll have found Tahar yet if—if——"