slave for life upon the other. You have no cause to doubt it.”
“Well, go on!”
“You know the black man who spoke with you—the one who had been with Hicks?”
“Yes, what of him?”
“He has been speaking with me during the night. I have had a long talk with him. He said that he could not very well understand you, nor you him, and so he came to me.”
“What did he say?”
“He said that there were eight Egyptian soldiers among the Arabs—six black and two fellaheen. He said that he wished to have your promise that they should all have very good reward if they helped you to escape.”
“Of course they shall.”
“They asked for one hundred Egyptian pounds each.”
“They shall have it.”
“I told him that I would ask you, but that I was sure that you would agree to it.”
“What do they propose to do?”
“They could promise nothing, but what they
