“There’s something coming,” whispered Cochrane.  “Try and stave them off for five minutes longer, Fardet.”

The Frenchman stepped out with a courteous wave of his uninjured arm, and the air of a man who is prepared to accommodate himself to anything.

“You will tell this holy man that I am quite ready to accept his teaching, and so I am sure are all my friends,” said he to the dragoman.  “But there is one thing which I should wish him to do in order to set at rest any possible doubts which may remain in our hearts.  Every true religion can be told by the miracles which those who profess it can bring about.  Even I who am but a humble Christian, can, by virtue of my religion, do some of these.  But you, since your religion is superior, can no doubt do far more, and so I beg you to give us a sign that we may be able to say that we know that the religion of Islam is the more powerful.”

Behind all his dignity and reserve, the Arab has a good fund of curiosity.  The hush among the listening Arabs showed how the words of the Frenchman as translated by Mansoor appealed to them.

“Such things are in the hands of Allah,” said the priest.  “It is not for us to disturb His laws.  But if you have yourself such powers as you claim, let us be witnesses to them.”

The Frenchman stepped forward, and raising his hand he took a large, shining date out of the Moolah’s beard.  This he swallowed and immediately produced once more from his left elbow.  He had often given his little conjuring entertainment on board the boat, and his fellow-passengers had had some good-natured laughter at his expense, for he was not quite skilful enough to deceive the critical European intelligence.  But now it looked as if this piece of obvious palming might be the point upon which all their fates would hang.  A deep hum of surprise rose from the ring of Arabs, and deepened as the Frenchman drew another date from the nostril of a camel and tossed it into the air, from which, apparently, it never descended.  That gaping sleeve was obvious enough to his companions, but the dim light was all in favour of the performer.  So delighted and interested was the audience that they paid little heed to a mounted camel-man who trotted swiftly between the palm trunks.  All might have been well had not Fardet, carried away by his own success, tried to repeat his trick once more, with the result that the date fell out of his palm, and the deception stood revealed.  In vain he tried to pass on at once to another of his little stock.  The Moolah said something, and an Arab struck Fardet across the shoulders with the thick shaft of his spear.

“We have had enough child’s play,” said the angry priest.  “Are we men or babes, that you should try to impose upon us in this manner?  Here is the cross and the Koran—­which shall it be?”

Fardet looked helplessly round at his companions.

“I can do no more; you asked for five minutes.  You have had them,” said he to Colonel Cochrane.