“I’m glad I resolved to take you into my confidence,” said Yussuf Dakmar, nodding.  “Go on; I’m listening.  Tell me what he told you.”

“He plans to get hold of the letter between Haifa and Damascus.  He thinks that’s safest, because it’s over the border and there won’t be any British officers to interfere.  Somewhere up the Lebanon Valley, after most of the passengers have left the train, looks good to him.  But I think he knows who you are.”

“Yes, he knows me.  Go on.”

“And He’s afraid you’ll get help and forestall him.  So he’s going to watch Ramsden like a cat watching a mouse-hole, and he’s going to watch you too.  And if anybody tries to interfere at Haifa, or if men get on the train between Haifa and Damascus who look like being accomplices of yours, he’s going to murder Ramsden there and then, seize the letter, and make a jump for it!  You see, he’s one of those mean fellows—­a regular dog-in-the-manger; he’d rather get caught by the police and hanged for murder than let anybody else get what he’s after.  Oh, believe me, I didn’t trust him!  I laughed when he made his proposal to me.”

“Now that is very interesting,” said Yussuf Dakmar.  “To tell you the truth I had a little experience with him last night myself.  He came on me by accident in a certain place, and we conversed.  I pretended to agree with him for the sake of appearances, but I formed a very poor opinion of him.  Well, suppose we put him out of the way first; how would that be?  You look like a strong man.  Suppose you watch for an opportunity to push him off the train?”

“Oh, that would never do!” Jeremy answered, shaking his head from side to side.  “You mustn’t forget that Indian who sits in the corridor.  It was you yourself who told me he is an Administration spy.  If he suspects you already, he will suspect me for having talked with you, and will watch me; and if I try to push that fellow Omar off the train, he will come to the rescue.  Surely you don’t expect me to fight both of them at once!  Besides, you must consider Ramsden.

“That fellow Ramsden is big and strong, but he is a nervous wreck.  Give him the least excuse and he will yell for the police like a baby crying for its mother!  He looks on Omar as his bodyguard now that he has dismissed me; and if Omar should get killed, or disappear between here and Haifa, Ramsden would demand an escort of police.  In fact, I think he’d lose courage altogether and put that letter in a strong-room in the Haifa bank.  What is the letter, anyway?  What’s in it?  How much will you pay me if I get it for you?”

“Never mind what’s in it.  Will you get it, that’s the point—­will you get it and bring it to me?”

“That isn’t the point at all,” answered Jeremy.  “The point is how much will you pay me if I do that?”

“Very well, I will pay you fifty pounds.”

“Mashallah!  You must need it awfully badly.  I could have been hired for fifty shillings to do a much more dangerous thing!”