The other whispered softly to him, and Ali turned to his anxious companion, and interpreted in a relieved tone.
“Akmet says there is a little pocket ahead in the canyon wall,” he whispered. “He cannot see well because of the darkness. There are trees and bushes. He will not go in alone. Akmet,” said Ali, in a tone of scorn, “does not fear to find men, but he is afraid of spirits. He wants the Master to accompany him because he is a great wizard.”
In the darkness, unseen by Ali, Mr. Hampton smiled. This child-like fear of djinn or spirits he had noted among the men on other occasions. Early in their association, whiling away hours in camp as they crossed the Great Desert toward the oasis, he had performed some intricate tricks of magic which had made a great impression on the men. That they believed him a wizard, he knew.
“Very well,” he said, “tell Akmet to lead, and I’ll follow. Do the rest of you remain here until we return.”
Then the forms of the two men melted into the darkness. A considerable time elapsed before their return and Jack, alarmed despite the absence of shots or other sounds which would indicate his father had encountered trouble, was arguing with Ali who barred the way to be permitted to go in search, when his father and Akmet returned.
“Just the place for us,” said Mr. Hampton, in a tone of satisfaction, still speaking in a low voice. “A little grassy plateau, slightly above the level of the road and stretching back under a steep overhanging bulge in the rocky wall of the mountains as far as we could judge. Some wild fig trees have grown up there and the grass is luxuriant. There is a spring of water at the rear. The plateau is about an acre and a half or two acres in extent, running back under the rock rather than alongside the road. The trees will screen us, there is water, grass for the camels, and we will be protected from attack overhead. We could make a stand there against an army, if necessary.”
Expressions of satisfaction greeted this announcement, and with Akmet and Mr. Hampton in the lead, the whole party, which the rear guard had joined during its halt, proceeded to the retreat.
Things were as Mr. Hampton had described and, after bedding down the camels at the rear, and rearranging the screen of bushes where they had entered in order to hide signs of their passage, all lay down to snatch a few hours’ sleep except the two guards. Jack and Frank begged so hard to be given the task of keeping guard that Mr. Hampton, knowing their anxiety regarding Bob, gave his consent.
Two hours later came daylight without an alarm having been sounded. Then the two boys reluctantly summoned Ali and another Arab, as had been arranged, and rolling up in their burnooses flung themselves on the grass. They were firmly convinced that sleep would be impossible but nature had her way with their overwrought systems, and they sank fathoms deep in slumber. It was well past noon before Mr. Hampton aroused them, and their looks of astonishment at discovering they had yielded to sleep were so comical that he chuckled with silent laughter.
Before they could speak he laid a finger on his lips, enjoining silence, and then in a low voice added: