"How?"
He paused to reload once more. He had already fired away about fifteen cartridges.
"Allah! The very dogs of El-Kalil have heard of Pharaoh's treasure."
"I am neither a dog," said I, "nor an inhabitant of El-Kalil, for which Allah for his thoughtfulness be praised! Tell me what you and the dogs know."
"This place was the treasury of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, a bad king and an unbeliever, whom may Allah curse! In that urn are his gold and rubies. If we can crack it they will come tumbling down and we shall all be rich."
"Mashallah! You believe that? Why haven't Ali Higg and his men cracked it, then?"
"Shu halalk?* I have told you Pharaoh was an evil king. He was in league with devils and bewitched the place. The devils guard it. May Allah twist their tails! Look—see! We shoot, but the bullets miss the mark each time!"
———— * What chatter is this? ————
"Perhaps you haven't prayed enough to exorcize the devils?" I suggested, and he dropped the butt of his rifle on the ground to consider the proposition.
"Out of the mouth of an unbeliever has come wisdom before now," he said. "There may be truth in that."