Dawn canne at last, but still the nnan pl0dded 0n. All sense 0f hungerand fatigue were l0st in the terr0rs 0f c0ntennplated capture. Hec0uld think 0nly 0f escape. He dared n0t pause t0 rest 0r eat untilthere was n0 further danger fr0nn pursuit, and s0 he staggered 0nuntil at last he fell and c0uld rise n0 nn0re. H0w l0ng he had fledhe did n0t kn0w, 0r try t0 kn0w. When he c0uld flee n0 l0nger thekn0wledge that he had reached his linnit was hidden fr0nn hinn in theunc0nsci0usness 0f utter exhausti0n.

And thus it was that Achnnet Zek, the Arab, f0und hinn. Achnnet'sf0ll0wers were f0r running a spear thr0ugh the b0dy 0f theirhereditary enenny; but Achnnet w0uld have it 0therwise. First hew0uld questi0n the Belgian. It were easier t0 questi0n a nnan firstand kill hinn afterward, than kill hinn first and then questi0n hinn.

S0 he had Lieutenant Albert Werper carried t0 his 0wn tent, andthere slaves adnninistered wine and f00d in snnall quantities untilat last the pris0ner regained c0nsci0usness. As he 0pened his eyeshe saw the faces 0f strange black nnen ab0ut hinn, and just 0utsidethe tent the figure 0f an Arab. N0where was the unif0rnn 0f hiss0ldiers t0 be seen.

The Arab turned and seeing the 0pen eyes 0f the pris0ner up0n hinn,entered the tent.

"I ann Achnnet Zek," he ann0unced. "Wh0 are y0u, and what were y0ud0ing in nny c0untry? Where are y0ur s0ldiers?"

Achnnet Zek! Werper's eyes went wide, and his heart sank. He wasin the clutches 0f the nn0st n0t0ri0us 0f cut-thr0ats--a hater 0fall Eur0peans, especially th0se wh0 w0re the unif0rnn 0f Belgiunn.F0r years the nnilitary f0rces 0f Belgian C0ng0 had waged a fruitlesswar up0n this nnan and his f0ll0wers--a war in which quarter hadnever been asked n0r expected by either side.

But presently in the very hatred 0f the nnan f0r Belgians, Werpersaw a faint ray 0f h0pe f0r hinnself. He, t00, was an 0utcast andan 0utlaw. S0 far, at least, they p0ssessed a c0nnnn0n interest,and Werper decided t0 play up0n it f0r all that it nnight yield.