“Chief,” he said, “my friends desire me to speak with you.  We are worn out with our adventures.  The young ladies who are with us are unused to and ill-prepared for this hard life.  We beg that you will allow us to remain here and await the arrival of the English soldiers.”

The Chief turned his head.  There was little friendliness in his tone.

“Wise man,” he replied, “I have sent you my bidding by him who is our honoured guest.  I tell you frankly that I am not satisfied with the explanations I have received of your presence here.”

Feerda leaned forward, her beautiful eyes flashing in the dim light.

“Ah! but I know,” she cried, “they would bring harm to the master.  I can read it in their hearts as I have heard it from their own lips.”

“What my daughter says is truth,” the Chief declared.  “Back, wise man, and tell your friends that you ride with us to-night, either as guests or captives.  You may take your choice.”

The Professor returned to where the others were eagerly awaiting him.

“It is useless,” he announced.  “The girl, who is clearly enamoured of Craig, suspects us.  So does the Chief.  Perhaps, secretly, Craig himself is unwilling to leave us here.  The Chief never changes his mind and he has spoken.  We go either as his captives or his guests.  I have heard it said,” the Professor added grimly, “that the Mongars never keep captives longer than twenty-four hours.”

They all rose at once to their feet, and a few moments later horses were brought.  The little procession was already being formed in line.  Craig approached them once more.

“You will mount now and ride in the middle of our caravan,” he directed.  “The Chief does not trust you.  If you value your lives, you will do as you are bidden.”

“I don’t like the idea of the jungle,” Lenora sighed.

“Gives me the creeps,” Laura admitted, as she climbed upon her horse.  “Any wild animals there, Professor?”

The Professor became more cheerful.

“The animal life of the region we are about to traverse,” he observed, as they moved off, “is in some respects familiar to me.  Twelve years ago I devoted some time to research a little to the westward of our present route.  I will, if you choose, as we ride, give you a brief account of some of my discoveries.”

The two girls exchanged glances.  Quest, who had intercepted them, turned his horse and rode in between the Professor and Lenora.

“Go right ahead, Professor,” he invited.  “Fortunately the girls have got saddles like boxes—­I think they both mean to go to sleep.”

“An intelligent listener of either sex,” the Professor said amiably, “will be a stimulus to my memory.”

2.

“You can call this fairyland, if you want,” Laura remarked, gazing around her; “I call it a nasty, damp, oozy spot.”

“It seemed very beautiful when we first came,” Lenora sighed, “but that was after the heat and glare of the desert.  There does seem something a little unhealthy about it.”