“‘He hath many hours’ start, Moussa,’ said my brother, ’and his camel is a good one.  He will not halt and sleep for many hours even though he suppose me dead!’

“‘I can run for a day; for a day and a night I can run,’ replied the Somali, ’and I can run until the hour of thy vengeance cometh.  He called me “Hubshi"’ ... and he ran on.

“Sahib, for the whole of that day he ran beside the fast camel, my brother drawing rein for no single minute, and when, at dawn, I awoke from broken slumber in the saddle, Moussa Isa was running yet!  And then we heard the cry of the partridge and knew that our luck was good.

“‘He may have left the track,’ quoth my brother soon after dawn, ’but I think he is making for Mekran Kot, to get money and documents and to escape again ere news of his deed—­or the suspicion of him—­reaches the Jam Saheb.  We may have missed him, but I could not halt and wait for daylight.  He cannot be far ahead of us now.  This camel shall live on milk and meal and wheaten bread, finest bhoosa[31] and chosen young green shoots, and buds, and leaves—­and he shall have a collar of gold with golden bells, and reins of silk, and hanging silken tassels, and he shall——­” and then Moussa Isa gave a hoarse scream and pointed to the sky-line above which rose a wisp of smoke.

  [31] Bran.

“‘It is he,’ said my brother, and within the hour we beheld the little bush-tent of Ibrahim Mahmud (made with cloths thrown over a bent bush) and his camel, near to which, his oont-wallah Suleiman Abdulla had kindled a fire and prepared food. (Later this liar swore that he made the fire smoke with green twigs to guide the pursuit,—­a foolish lie, for he knew not what Ibrahim had done, nor anything but that his master hastened.)

“Moussa Isa staggered to where Ibrahim Mahmud lay asleep, looked upon his face, and fell, seeming to be about to die.

“Making a little chukker[32] round, my brother drove the camel between Suleiman and the tent and made it kneel.

  [32] Circuit, course.

“‘Salaam aleikoum,[33] Mir Saheb,’ said Suleiman, and my brother replied:—­

  [33] A Mussulman greeting.

“’Salaam.  Tend thou my camel and prepare food for me, and my brother, and my servant.  And if thou wouldst not hang in a pig’s skin, be wise and wary, and keep eyes, ears, and mouth closed.’  And we drank water.

“Then, treading softly, we went to the tent where Ibrahim Mahmud slept and sat us down where we could look upon his face.  There he slept, Sahib, peacefully, like a little child!—­having left Mir Jan to die the death ‘whereof men should speak with awe,’ as he had threatened.

“We sat beside him and watched.  Saying nothing, we sat and watched.  An hour passed and an hour again.  For another hour without moving or speaking we sat and Moussa Isa joined us and watched.

“’Twas sweet, and I licked my lips and hoped he might not wake for hours, although I hungered.  The actual revenge is very, very sweet, Sahib, but does it exceed the joy of watching the enemy as he lies wholly at your mercy, lies in the hollow of your hand and is your poor foolish plaything,—­knave made fool at last?  Like statues we sat, moving not our eyes from his face, and we were very happy.