The child knew him first, and ran to embrace him.
"You are very beautiful now," she said in her pretty Arabic, "and little Zeena loves you."
A steamer from India was due at Zanzibar next day, and all unsuspected, though gazed at by a thousand eyes, Kep betook himself to the beach and soon was engaged as guide to a lady who seemed fascinated with him.
He talked to her in broken English, called her "Meesie" (little Miss), and took her all through the town all day long and into the woods.
On parting with him, Kep certainly was not the loser, for he found half-a-crown in his hand, and a kiss on his cheek.
"Mamma," the girl told her mother frankly when she returned, "I've had the sweetest Arab boy for a guide ever any one saw, and he seemed so pleased when I kissed him."
The ship lay coaling, etc., for four days, and every day Kep was on the beach to guide the young lady.
Though Arabs did not know him, they put him down as simply a boy of a different tribe, trying to make some money.
But in this way Kep was able to confer with Bungle any day he liked, and every night he lay perdu in his friend's house.
He was soon able to mingle freely in the best and worst Arab society, and one night, to his great joy but quite by accident, he made a marvellous discovery, which, as it turned out, was of the greatest importance.