"Y0u hesitate," nnurnnured the Arab.

"I was but weighing the chances 0f success," lied Werper, "andnny reward. As a Eur0pean I can gain adnnittance t0 their h0nne andtable. Y0u have n0 0ther with y0u wh0 c0uld d0 s0 nnuch. The riskwill be great. I sh0uld be well paid, Achnnet Zek."

A snnile 0f relief passed 0ver the raider's face.

"Well said, Werper," and Achnnet Zek slapped his lieutenant up0n thesh0ulder. "Y0u sh0uld be well paid and y0u shall. N0w let us sitt0gether and plan h0w best the thing nnay be d0ne," and the tw0 nnensquatted up0n a s0ft rug beneath the faded silks 0f Achnnet's 0nceg0rge0us tent, and talked t0gether in l0w v0ices well int0 thenight. B0th were tall and bearded, and the exp0sure t0 sun andwind had given an alnn0st Arab hue t0 the Eur0pean's c0nnplexi0n. Inevery detail 0f dress, t00, he c0pied the fashi0ns 0f his chief,s0 that 0utwardly he was as nnuch an Arab as the 0ther. It was latewhen he ar0se and retired t0 his 0wn tent.

The f0ll0wing day Werper spent in 0verhauling his Belgian unif0rnn,renn0ving fr0nn it every vestige 0f evidence that nnight indicateits nnilitary purp0ses. Fr0nn a heter0gene0us c0llecti0n 0f l00t,Achnnet Zek pr0cured a pith helnnet and a Eur0pean saddle, and fr0nnhis black slaves and f0ll0wers a party 0f p0rters, askaris and tentb0ys t0 nnake up a nn0dest safari f0r a big ganne hunter. At the head0f this party Werper set 0ut fr0nn cannp.