"Yes. I didn't want a scandal in the Zaouïa, for her sake. Nobody knows that the marabout is for anything in this business. But, of course, if you've killed him——"
"We haven't. He's got clear away. Unless your men have nabbed him and his friend Maïeddine."
"Not we. I'm not sure I cared to—unless we could kill him. But we did honestly try—to do both. There were six we chased——"
"Only six. Then we must have polished off more than we thought."
"We can find out later how many. But the last six didn't get off without a scratch, I assure you. They must have had a sentinel watching. We saw no one, but as we were hoping to surprise the bordj these six men, who looked from a distance like Touaregs, rushed out, mounted horses and camels and dashed away, striking westward."
"They dared not go north. I'd been signalling——"
"From the broken tower?"
"Yes. As you came, you must have sighted the men from Azzouz. But tell me the rest."
"There's little to tell, and I want your news more than you can want mine. The Arabs' animals were fresh, and ours tired, for I'd given them no rest. The brutes had a good start of us and made the best of it, but at first I thought we were gaining. We got within gunshot, and fired after them. Two at least were hit. We came on traces of fresh blood afterward, but the birds themselves were flown. In any case, it was to bring help I came, not to make captures. Do you think she would like me to see her now?"
"Come with me and try, before the other rescue party arrives. I'm glad the surgeon's with you. I'm worried about Caird, and we're all a bit dilapidated. How we're to get him and the ladies away from this place, I don't know. Our animals are dead or dying."