“You idiot!” broke forth Jack, in sudden contempt.  He was no longer able even to play with this rascal.  “Your offer is just as good as one of a million dollars would be.  I wouldn’t take either!”

“What!  You have been trifling with me?” demanded M. Lemaire, starting forward.

Now the meaning of those few words in Arabic became plain enough.  For Mlle. Nadiboff, who had bent over, her hand toying with the sand, suddenly clutched a handful of the fine grains and straightened up, hurling the sand full in Benson’s face.

In that same flashing instant Gaston darted behind the young American.  As the half-blinded young captain dodged back, the chauffeur caught him around the neck, dragging him to the ground, while Lemaire sprang a-top of the boy.

Jack fought desperately enough, but the two men rolled him over, struggling to hold his hands.  Then—­

Click!  Snap!

Jack Benson’s wrists were handcuffed tightly together.

Now M. Lemaire leaped up, looking down gloatingly at the boy.

“Benson, you young fool,” scoffed the Frenchman, “since you refuse to be treated as a friend, you shall know what it is to have us for your enemies.  You deem it easy to laugh at us—­to call us names!  Bah!  You will soon be glad to beg from us!  Your hours of misery are now before you—­perhaps days of torment that shall end in madness.  Defy us?  Balk our plans?  Pouf?  How little you know of the people with whom you have now to dealt.”

Then, at a sign from Lemaire, Gaston threw himself upon Benson’s legs, swiftly binding the ankles together.  This done, Lemaire himself added a gag to Jack’s mouth that shut off the last chance of making a sound.

This done, the two men bore Captain Jack to the larger auto, while Mlle. Nadiboff, chuckling softly, covered him completely under robes.

CHAPTER XI

JACK’S FRIENDS DO SOME FAST GUESSING

“So that’s the kind of people they are?” Jacob Farnum smiled softly as Reporter Hennessy finished repeating the information volunteered by Mr. Graham, the Washington correspondent.

To this Hal had contributed the little he was able to tell of Mlle. Nadiboff’s conduct.

“You will have to look to your young captain more closely after this,” wound up Hennessy.

“Why?” questioned the shipbuilder.

“Even at this moment he is away in the company of that clever woman.”

“Oh, he won’t be cross with her,” retorted Farnum, with an easy smile.  “Jack Benson is always courteous with women.”

“But aren’t you afraid your young captain will have his head turned by her?” pressed the reporter.

“Who?  Jack?” laughed Mr. Farnum.  “Say, it’s very plain you don’t know Jack Benson.”

The shipbuilder, two of the submarine boys and the reporter were seated by themselves at one end of the Hotel Clayton’s big front veranda.