Yet it had to be done. I continued the conversation in French, George's weird English not being a good medium for the discussion of secrets. "If," I promised, "you help us to escape and come with us, we will give you not only money, but a job for life in Australia." George's face whitened suddenly, and for the rest of that evening his hands shook with excitement. "There is nothing I wish so much, _mon cher_" he said, "as to escape to the British. But it is very difficult and would need much money. Also I have so little courage." George went into the corridor to see if the guard showed suspicions. But the sentry--a black Sudanese--was sitting on the floor, gazing at and thinking of nothing, after his usual stupid fashion. George returned, and for half an hour we discussed and rediscussed possibilities. He pronounced the scheme of walking to the coast in a series of night marches, and then stealing a boat, to be impossible. The idea of joining a caravan to Akaba he judged more hopeful, but that would mean hiding in Damascus until the next party was ready to start. Hiding in Damascus would be not only highly dangerous but highly expensive. Anyhow, the Armenians who organized the secret caravans must be shy of adding immensely to their risks by taking British officers, and if they did take such risks they would expect to receive more ready money than we possessed. George was silent for several moments, and then announced that he would try to find an Arab, from among his acquaintances, who would lead us to Deraa, and thence through the mountains to the Dead Sea regions. For this also, he pointed out, money would be necessary--and gold, not paper. We could change our paper notes only at the rate of four and a half paper pounds for one in gold; and the sum obtained by this means would be too little. "But," I pointed out, "if we go below the Dead Sea to the country occupied by the Hedjaz army, we can get gold enough. Haven't you heard of the gold at 'X', of a certain Arab emir and of certain British officers?" "_Mon cher_, I have heard a lot of this gold, and so have many of the Bedouins around here. But perhaps I shall not be able to convince my friend that you could obtain money from it." I gave George arguments enough to convince his friend, and made him swear by his professed Christianity that he would keep secret our conversation. Soon afterward he left us, still trembling with excitement.