I did not know how to answer her, although I knew she was wrong.  The way to organize a marching column is not to level down to the ability of the weakest, although the pace of the weakest may have to be the measure of speed.  We, who had to protect the column and shepherd it, would need our mounts; without them we should all be at the mercy of any enemy, with no corresponding gain to any one except the litter-bearers.  All the same, I did not care to take issue with that capable young woman then and there.  She would have put me in the wrong and left me speechless and indignant, after the fashion that is older than poor Shylock’s tale.

But Fred is made of sterner stuff than I, and was never above amusing himself at the expense of anybody’s dignity.

“Will is the youngest,” he answered.  “Besides, he’s keeping us all waiting with his love-affairs!  He ought to be made to walk!”

“His love-affairs?”

“He went into the woods to see a woman,” Fred answered imperturbably.  “Let him forfeit his mule.  Here he comes.  Did you find her, America?”

Will emerged out of gloom with a grin on his face.

“Just my luck!” he said simply.  “What are we waiting for?  I can hear the Kurds.  Let’s start.”

At that Gloria got excited.

“D’you mean you’re willing to leave a woman behind alone in that forest?” she demanded, and Will’s jaw dropped.

Fred nudged my ribs.

“Come on!  We’ve given ’em a ground for their first quarrel.  They’ll never thank us if we wait a week.  Mount!  Walk—­ride!”

We sent our two Zeitoonli in advance to show the way.  True to his word, Arabaiji had left us, mule and all, and we missed him as we strove to get the unwieldy column marshaled and moving in line.  We did not see Will and Gloria again that night, except when they passed between us, walking, arguing—­Will explaining—­we sitting on our mules on either side of the track until the last of the swarm tailed by.  Then we brought up the rear together, to drive the stragglers and look out for pursuit.

“Not that I know what the devil we’ll do if the Kurds get after us!” said Fred.

“Let’s hope they make for the castle to-night, and waste time plundering that.”

“Piffle!” he answered.

“Why?”

“Because, you ass, if they get to the place and find if empty they’ll deduce, being less than idiots, that we’re not far off and that we’re at their mercy in the open!  Let’s hope to God they funk attacking in the dark, and wait out of range of the walls until daylight.  In that case we’ve a chance.  Otherwise—­I’ve still got six rifle cartridges, and four for my pistol.  How many have you?”

“Six of each.”

“Then you owe me one for my pistol.”

I passed it to him.

“So.  Now we’re good for exactly twenty-two Kurds between us.  If we’re pursued I propose to give those two young lovers a chance by making every cartridge count from behind cover.”