When they had finished, I made my mehari walk beside Bou-Djema's.
"It will be better to resaddle the camels at the next stop. They will have to climb the mountain."
The guide looked at me with amazement. Up to that time I had thought it unnecessary to acquaint him with our new projects. But I supposed Eg-Anteouen would have told him.
"Lieutenant, the road across the white plain to Shikh-Salah is not mountainous," said the Chaamba.
"We are not keeping to the road across the white plain. We are going south, by Ahaggar."
"By Ahaggar," he murmured. "But...."
"But what?"
"I do not know the road."
"Eg-Anteouen is going to guide us."
"Eg-Anteouen!"