"You see, Hugh, I heard we were to be separated," explained Mr. Reeves. "Separated!" exclaimed both lads, in dismay. "When?" "We were to have been, I ought to have said. But sneaking the sheikh's salt altered the case. I don't think we shall be now. We may also be better treated, being sort of inferior guests of the sheikh. I only hope he won't put us under too much of an obligation, or it would be rather low-down to give him the slip." "If we do, where can we make for?" asked Gerald. "There are miles of sand, and not a thing to guide us." "Except the sun and the stars," replied Mr. Reeves. "But the time is hardly ripe to make an attempt yet. When we do, we must have a good chance of success. Failure would be worse than death." CHAPTER V The Sandstorm As Arthur Reeves had predicted, the captives were now better treated by their Arab masters. The camel's rope was cut off, although the iron chains still secured their wrists; and when the camp was struck, and the march southwards was resumed, they were allowed to take turns at riding upon one of the baggage camels. The two tribes parted peaceably at the oasis, with many shouts of farewell and firing of guns; but there was no doubt that had the followers of the Sheikh Abdullah been the more numerous, the disappointed bargainer would not have hesitated to take the desired Kafir from the Sheikh Wadherim's possession by force. True to his vow, the latter reached El Keifa ere morning. This stage of the journey was not so tedious as the first day's, the distance being shorter, while there were two small intervening oases where halts were made under the light of the stars. Here the Arabs rested for the following day, for the next stage, crossing a waterless tract of desert, where the only guide posts were the bleached bones of camels that had fallen out by the way, required at least forty hours to complete. Just after sunset the laborious task commenced. The three captives had each been provided with a dirty, ragged _burnous_, which during the heat of the day protected not only the head but also the back. Already the upper parts of their bodies were getting accustomed to the sun. At first the skin burned a vivid red, but it soon acquired a deep bronze tint. Well it was that the captives at this stage were unable to make use of water for washing purposes, or their flesh would have been raw with the effect of the fierce heat. Throughout the long night the march continued, and long before morning the lads, in spite of having a camel to ride between them--for Reeves firmly refused to avail himself of the animal--were almost crippled. Even the slow, measured, ungainly gait of the ship of the desert caused their bones to ache, till the alternate rests seemed to try them far more than tramping through the sand.