The Talbot Mundy Megapack. Talbot Mundy

question wasn’t answered just then. Jael Higg came out, looked at the two of them, and laughed in that mean, metallic way that women use to one another. But I think that she, too, suspected that there might be a dagger to reckon with, for she made no direct comment.

      “I am ready,” she said in English. “My husband has agreed to my going with you. I shall bring a woman to keep me in countenance, but—” she glanced brazenly down the line of our men and raised her voice, finishing the speech in Arabic. “—I don’t suppose there will be a man among you rash enough to try any liberties!”

      I guess she was right, too, for her thin lips weren’t of the yielding kind.

      Some spirit of devilment took hold of me then; and, forgetting my rôle of Indian hakim, I horned in with a suggestion.

      “Won’t Ayisha serve the purpose, Lady Jael?”

      Well, that woman was used to handling men by brow-beating and overbearing them. I suppose she had tongue-lashed into subjection some of the toughest characters between the Dead Sea and the Persian Gulf, and you get out of the habit of mincing words when that sort of job occurs frequently. You get fluent—acrid—fiery; or at least that had happened to her.

      And she turned loose the full flood of her vocabulary on to me, speaking past Ayisha as if that young woman never existed, but making it perfectly obvious that we might divide the epithets between us. I dare say some of it was meant for Grim, too.

      The fact was that the situation had got on her nerves, and all her pent-up rage had to find some sort of outlet. I had simply provided her an outlet; and Grim his opportunity.

      He waited until she had finished, and then got to his feet and yawned.

      “Let’s have a clear understanding on two points to begin with, Lady Jael,” he said in English. “I’ll answer for my men. And two women on this expedition are enough.”

      The effect was as if he had struck her. She flinched away from him, and he followed up before she could recover and give tongue.

      “I’ll give all the orders. Everybody else obeys.”

      She bit her lip and turned her back on him. And then I realized that Ali Higg had been quietly watching us from inside the cave. She wasn’t used to being rebuked in front of him. He came out and stood in the entrance, smiling ironically. I don’t think he knew any English, but he appreciated that that termagant head wife of his had met a man who wasn’t in the least afraid of her, and who knew how to manage her; and he looked almost good-tempered as he watched that happen that he had never been able to achieve.

      “Call Yussuf,” ordered Grim, producing his writing-pad and fountain pen, and sitting down again as if the incident were closed.

      Now Yussuf was the spy, you may remember, with a home in Jaffa, who had brought word to Ali Higg about the plans and disposition of the British army in Palestine, and had fallen into our hands on his way back—a very dark-skinned man with little gold earrings, whose normal profession was spying for both sides to any quarrel. He was shoved along the ledge from his place at the end of the line by Ali Baba’s men, and stood shifting from one foot to the other in front of Grim, clasping his hands first in front and then behind him as he watched Grim write.

      Grim made considerable fuss with two envelopes, addressing both and sealing one inside the other. He evidently wanted to be seen doing that—wanted Ali Higg to see it; so I asked him in Arabic—

      “Why two envelopes?”

      There was no need to answer me, because Ali Higg made it clear that he was watching and listening. Jael, too, swallowed down her rage and faced about. Grim addressed himself to Yussuf.

      “What do you want me to do with you?” he asked.

      “Father of irony! What a question! Jaffa is my home. I was on my way thither when your honor decided otherwise. As a fish yearns for the sea I long for Jaffa.”

      “Can you make your way alone?”

      “Inshallah.”

      “Would you like to try?”

      “Give me but your permission and a camel, and see me put the telegraph to shame!”

      “If I give you a letter to take to Jerusalem, will you deliver it?”

      “Father of surprises! What is in the letter? Shall I carry then an order for my own arrest?”

      “No. But there is an order inside that you are to be paid a full week’s wages as a messenger, provided you deliver the letter without delay.”

      “Allah ykafik anni! [God reward you on my behalf!]”

      “You know what will probably happen if Ali Higg’s men catch you?”

      “Trust me! I know the dogs! They will find it easier to catch the wind!”

      “And you know what will happen to your Jaffa property if you try to play a trick on me?”

      “Your honor had no need to say that. I am a loyal man.”

      “I know you for a spy-for-both-sides,” answered Grim. “If one overtook you on the way and offered you money for the letter I shall give you, it would be your natural course to take the money and let the letter go. That is why I warn you about your Jaffa property. If you part with the one you shall lose the other.”

      “Trust me!”

      “I don’t trust you. I offer you payment and impose conditions. I give you clearly to understand that failure to deliver that letter in Jerusalem will involve a definite and heavy penalty. Now choose; will you carry the letter or remain here?”

      “As well ask a thirsty man what he will do for a drink of water! Give me the letter!”

      Grim gave it to him, and Jael returned into the cave to talk with Ali Higg. Despite the booing she had recently received, Ayisha got up and walked back toward the women’s quarters as if she had forgotten something, and we saw no more of her for several minutes.

      Grim’s whole manner changed instantly. With a glance over his shoulder to make sure that neither Jael nor Ali Higg could see him, he pulled out a loaded Army revolver from under his cloak and passed it to Yussuf along with a handful of extra cartridges.

      “Now go!” he ordered in a low voice. “One of Ali Baba’s sons shall go below with you and pick you out a camel. Ride straight for that oasis where Ali Higg’s army is camped.”

      “But they will capture me!”

      “Listen, will you? If you go now you’ll get there about nightfall. I don’t think they’ll be there, but if you see their camp-fires, make your camel kneel, and wait until they’re gone. Better approach the oasis from the northward. They’ll move off toward the south. The minute they’re out of sight, feed your camel and then make for El-Maan; from there on to Jerusalem the way is easy.”

      “But—”

      “You have your orders. Go!”

      One of Ali Baba’s sons went along with him to select a camel, and nobody except Yussuf worried on that score. We all knew which critter he would get; there was only one worthless specimen. Old Ali Baba laughed.

      “The crows will say Allah is kind!” he remarked. “They would prefer to pick the bones of a fatter man, but any corpse is meat to them. Both Jael and the Lion know he carries that agreement. Father of ruses, he will be dead and they will have the letter before midnight; but why? What is to be gained by that?”

      “Nothing,” Grim answered. “But he’ll live and they won’t have it, if you ride hard.”

      “I?”

      “Surely—you. The men at the oasis know you. I’m going to give you another presently, which Ali Higg will sign, ordering Ibrahim ben Ah to take those men southward at once and meet us at a place in the desert half-way between here and Abu Lissan. Take the best camel we’ve got, and keep