When half an hour later, they resumed their journey the sun was rising above the distant hills. They walked off alone, for Daniel had extracted an inviolable promise from their captive to rest where he was until noon before setting out on his return journey; and he had given the man a few biscuits and a slice or two of meat to keep him going. Both Muriel and Daniel had bathed their feet in the pool, and having eaten a square meal they fared forth once more with some degree of vigour.
As the sun increased in power, however, this sense of freshness vanished, and but five miles had been covered when Daniel was obliged once more to take his companion in his arms, in spite of her valiant protests. This time he set her upon his shoulder, clasping her about the legs, and every mile or two he varied the position.
From the pool to the hills which divided the plain from El Homra was, roughly, ten miles, and when at last they mounted, at about ten o"clock, on to the high ground, Daniel was already feeling the strain. For the next couple of miles Muriel limped along by his side; and now their practical immunity from capture permitted them to take an occasional rest in the shade of the rocks.
The last three miles of the journey were very exhausting to them both, for it was now noon, and the sun was intensely hot. Their water-bottles were nearly empty and their provisions were all gone; but the sight of the Oasis in the distance served to keep up their courage.
Muriel, much against her inclinations, had now to be carried almost continuously, but Daniel would not listen to her repeated requests that he would leave her while he went on to fetch help. He still feared a possible pursuit, for even so near to their goal they were travelling through uninhabited and utterly isolated country. He set his teeth, therefore, and carried her forward, now on this shoulder, now on that, now upon his back, and now, as originally, in his arms. He was aching from head to toe, and his feet felt like burning coals of fire, while the perspiration issued from every pore.
"Gee!" he said, as he set her down a mile from their destination, "this has been some walk!"
He took her in his arms again, and set out upon the last lap. The buildings of the police headquarters were now clearly visible against the palms, and near them stood the tents which told them that the Bindanes had returned from the north.
Muriel looked up at his haggard face. "I"m ashamed of myself for being so feeble," she said. "It is very humiliating for me to have to be carried by _you_, of all people."
For answer he suddenly bent her head down and kissed her.
Muriel uttered an exclamation. "Put me down!" she cried. "How dare you!"
Again he kissed her, holding her up in his arms as her legs kicked at his hip. She freed her hand and pressed it into his face.
"If you do that," he laughed, "I"ll drop you."
"How dare you!" she repeated. "Oh, you brute!"
He threw his head back, and looked up at the sun from under the brim of his battered old hat. "It"s been an extraordinary fortnight," he panted, as though he were addressing the heavens.
Muriel did not answer, but she was breathing hard as he looked down into her face once more, and her eyes were wide with anger.
"I"ve learned a lot about you," he said, "during these days; and I guess you"re worth winning, after all."
"In that case," she replied furiously, "I guess you"ll be sorry that you"ve lost me."
"Have I lost you, Muriel?" he asked.
"You have," she replied, shortly and decisively. "What else did you expect, after the way you have insulted and bullied me? You"ve lost me for ever."
The intensity with which she spoke silenced him; and thus they came stumbling into the camp.
CHAPTER x.x.xI-PAYING THE PRICE
"Kate!-where are you?" Muriel called, as she stood in the blazing sun in the midst of the silent camp.
Daniel had deposited her here, and was now hastening, in a last spurt of energy, towards the police headquarters, intent on gathering a force to return with him to El Hamran.
"Good Lord!-it"s Muriel," came a voice from one of the tents, and Kate Bindane ran out into the sunlight, shading her eyes with her hand.
She slapped Muriel l.u.s.tily on the back, and led her to an empty tent, where she put her arms about her and kissed her. "My word!-you"re looking tired!" she laughed. "Have you had a wonderful time?"
"Lovely," said Muriel, sitting down upon the camp bed.
"Where are your camels?-where"s Daniel?" Kate asked, somewhat bewildered.
"Oh, we walked back," Muriel answered, with a casual gesture. "I"m feeling quite tired." She began to laugh hysterically.
"D"you mean to say he made you walk?" her friend asked, incredulously.
"There wasn"t much choice," she replied. "Oh, for heaven"s sake, get me something to drink, something long-miles long, and cold. I"ll tell you all about it presently."
Kate hurried away to find refreshments, and as she crossed the hot sand once more, carrying an a.s.sortment of bottles, she encountered Daniel coming back with the local police officer. He pulled off his hat and shook hands with her, rapidly.
"How d"you do," he said. "Have you got a spare tent where I can have an hour"s sleep?"
Kate stared at him. "You seem very pleased to see me," she laughed.
"You"re bubbling over with news, aren"t you?"
"So sorry," he replied. "Muriel will tell you: there"s been a bit of trouble at El Hamran. I"m going back there with the police presently.
Can I doss down in here?" He pointed to the tent behind him; and, hardly waiting for her reply, walked into it, telling the officer to arouse him in an hour"s time.
Kate shrugged her shoulders, and went back to Muriel, whom she found pulling off her boots and stockings.
"Muriel, what"s happened?" she asked. "Daniel says he"s going back to El Hamran with the police in an hour"s time."
Muriel looked up, her face flushed. "Oh, the man"s mad!" she declared.
"He"s f.a.gged out. He carried me half the way."
Rapidly she told her friend of the trouble in the Oasis and of their escape, while Kate, uttering e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns of awe, plied her with refreshment and helped her to pull off some of her clothes. Muriel was far too exhausted to give a very intelligible account of their adventures; and while yet Kate was fussing around, dabbing her feet with eau de cologne, and rubbing her legs, she suddenly fell off to sleep.
Benifett Bindane listened, later, to his wife"s version of the story with marked interest.
"Well," he said, at length, "that settles our plans for us. We"ll start back for Cairo tomorrow." He looked at his wife curiously. "I wonder what Lord Blair will say to it all," he mused.
"He must never know that Muriel wasn"t with us," said Kate.
"That"s impossible," he replied. "I shall have to tell him the truth."
"Benifett!" exclaimed his wife, staring at him in horror. "You"re not going to give her away, are you?"
His mouth hung open for some moments. "I"ve been thinking it over," he said, at length, "and it seems to me that Lord Blair will have to be told. If it leaked out, and we were found to have lied to him, there"d be no hope of doing business with him in the future."
"Business!" Kate snorted. "Oh, man alive, is business the only thing in life?" She turned away in disgust.
"No," he answered, "it"s not the only thing, but it happens to be my hobby, Kate, as you knew quite well when you married me. And I may as well say now, that I am very hurt at the way you sneer at what is meat and drink to me. I hope you"ll think that over."
He looked very nearly pathetic as he spoke; and his wife was sufficiently touched by his dejection to turn an angry scene into one of affectionate conciliation.