It was not a peaceful retreat by any means.  Time and again before morning we were fired on from the rear.  Our party deployed to right and left to answer—­always boasting afterward of having killed at least a dozen men.  I added up their figures on the fly-leaf of the pocket Bible, and the total came to two hundred and eighteen of the enemy shot dead and forever damned!  I believe Anazeh actually did kill one of our pursuers.

By the time the moon disappeared we had come too close to Anazeh’s country to make pursuit particularly safe.  Who they were who pursued us, hauled off.  We reached the launch, secure in its cove between the rocks, a few minutes after dawn.  Anazeh ordered his six wounded men into it, with perfect assurance that the British doctors would take care of them and let them go unquestioned.

When Grim had finished talking with Anazeh I went up to thank the old fellow for my escort, and he acknowledged the courtesy with a bow that would have graced the court of Solomon.

“Give the old bird a present, if you’ve got one,” Grim whispered.

So I gave him my watch and chain, and he accepted them with the same calm dignity.

“Now he’s your friend for life!” said Grim.  “Anazeh is a friend worth having.  Let’s go!”

The watch and chain was a cheap enough price to pay for that two days’ entertainment and the acquaintance of such a splendid old king of thieves.  Anazeh watched us away until we were out of earshot, he and Grim exchanging the interminable Arab farewell formula of blessing and reply that have been in use unchanged for a thousand years.

Then Abdul Ali produced his wallet again.

“Major Grim,” he said, “please take this money.  Keep it for yourself, and let me go.  Surely I have been punished enough!  Besides, you cannot—­you dare not imprison me!  I am a French subject.  I have been seized outside the British sphere.  I know you are a poor man—­the pay of a British officer is a matter of common knowledge.  Come now, you have done what you came to do.  You have destroyed my influence at El-Kerak.  Now benefit yourself.  Avoid an international complication.  Show mercy on me!  Take this money.  Say that I gave you the slip in the dark!”

Grim smiled.  He looked extremely comical without any eyebrows.  The wrinkles went all the way up to the roots of his hair.

“I’m incorruptible,” he said.  “The boss, I believe, isn’t.”

“You mean your High Commissioner?  I have not enough money for him.”

Grim laughed.  “No,” he said, “he comes expensive.”

“What then?”

“Don’t be an ass,” said Grim.  “You know what.”

“Information?”

“Certainly.”

“What information?”

“You were sent by the French,” said Grim, “to raise the devil here in Palestine—­no matter why.  You were trying to bring off a raid on Judaea.  Who are your friends in Jerusalem who were ready to spring surprises?  What surprises?  Who’s your Jerusalem agent?”