Part 18 (1/2)

”Nevertheless,” said Gri, who styles himself Lion of Petra”

”Is that not the lady Ayisha?” he retorted ”True, I have only seen you in the dark, but have I not seen her at the least ten tied on a former occasion because he likened her to other wo to that Ayisha drew the embroidered head-cloth over her face, I suppose to hide a smile

”For what purpose did you visit Petra?” Grim inquired

_”Mashalla!_ Did I not receive payment from Your Honor? I do not understand!”

”It is I who do not understand,” said Grim ”Repeat to me what you did at Petra”

”But Your Honor knows!”

”Very well Return with ”

_”Wallahi!_ If it suits Your Honor's humor to make me tell you a tenth tiue that wags But I see that another has been telling tales ofme out a liar for his own purposes

_Inshallah,_ it shall be found that my tale varies by less than the ten-thousandth part of the width of a hair from what I have told already”

”Proceed,” said Gri received Your Honor's letter by the hand of Shabbas Ali, requestingasidewherever the trail of information ledI went and looked I made friends with subordinate officials, some of whom I bribed to shoritten orders re officers

”I ascertained all particulars and found this to be the fact: That whereas there are small bodies of troops scattered in certain places, those are needed for local protection of the places where they are; and that whereas there is at Ludd an arreat store of supplies, cavalry, and aeroplanes, that arypt and cannot for the present be sent against you

Moreover, the long ons, fro the hot season

So Your Honor is safe frorunted

You could almost hear the wheels click inside his head as he tried to puzzle out what use to h: the Lion of Petra ell infor less than fact that on no account could an expedition be undertaken against hi time And it was fair, therefore, to presume that in his Petra fastness the robber chief would be feeling confident, and would be that e of that land that yourespect Rather the contrary; the Arab values your decisions all the ht

Neither our own gang nor the prisoner was in the least disturbed by Gri his sleep, was anxious when Ayisha leaned her head close to Grim's and whispered Grinition of her presence--for a real Arab would not have dreaestion, although her intention was totally different from his

”You lie,” he said suddenly

”Allah!”

”There is an ar ready now to march on Petra”

”As Allah is ”

”You shall return to Petra”

”But Your Honor knows I areat haste My own slected How shall I spare time to return to Petra?”