“Seems to me,” he said, “that these people ought to be stopped. If I was Government I wouldn’t let people go about carrying swords and spears. With things like them fashionable it stands to reason that they’re sure to want to stick them into somebody.—Ugh! It’s very horrid. There ought never to be any other fighting than what is done with a fist.”
Sam had by this time sauntered up to the opening into the gentlemen’s tent, and there he paused to look round at the figures by that of the Sheikh, before stepping inside in search of what he required.
The low murmur of conversation came softly to his ears as he looked and then turned back to enter.
“Shouldn’t a bit wonder if they’ve got a nice hot cup of coffee there, and that’s just the thing that would suit my complaint exactly. I should be all right if I was at home, but I sha’n’t get it here, and—”
By this time he was half across the roomy, booth-like tent, where he stopped short as if turned to stone in his surprise. For dimly seen by the light from the hanging lamp, he could see a figure stooping down—through the opening into the inner tent where the water and brass basins stood ready for washing.
It was within this place that the leather cases containing the travellers’ clothes and various necessaries had been placed, and over one of these open portmanteaus the dimly seen figure was bending, and from the slight noises he made it was evident that he was ransacking the case in search of something.
“Oh,” thought Sam excitedly, “that’s why I couldn’t sleep—sort o’ warning like to do my dooty. Thieves, eh? and not a policeman on the beat!”
Just at that moment the figure straightened itself up, and quick as thought Sam stepped close back to the entrance and behind a hanging rug, which hid him from the figure but enabled him to watch its proceedings.
Sam’s first idea was to shout for help to capture the thief, but he checked himself.
“Wouldn’t do,” he thought. “This sort’s too slippery. He’d be off over the sands and gone before anyone came. I’ve got to catch my gentleman myself. Wonder whether he has a knife.”