The tuft of hair, owing to the continual hops, covered again not only Nell's eyes but her whole face, her feet bounding as if they were made of India rubber.
A quarter of an hour later, Chamis came and bowed to both.
"Khanage (young master)," he said, "we leave after three hours by the first train."
"Where are we going?"
"To Gharak el-Sultani, and from there with the older gentlemen on camel-back to Wâdi Rayân."
Stas' heart beat with joy, but at the same time Chamis' words surprised him. He knew that Wâdi Rayân was a great valley among sandy hills rising on the Libyan Desert on the south and southwest of Medinet, while on the other hand Pan Tarkowski and Mr. Rawlinson announced on their departure that they were going in a directly opposite direction, towards the Nile.
"What has happened?" asked Stas. "Then my father and Mr. Rawlinson are not in Benisueif but in El-Gharak?"
"It happened thus," replied Chamis.
"But they ordered us to write to them at El-Fachn."
"In a letter the senior effendi explains why they are in El-Gharak."