He caught a train to Bedrashein, and the first person he bumped into at the little station was Ahri himself waiting for the train to Cairo. Fleming Stone went straight to the point. "Look here, Ahri," he said to the astonished Arab, who had never seen him before, "what have you done with Miss Stuart?" For once the phlegmatic Arab was caught off his guard. "What do you mean?" he stammered. "I have not seen her to-day." "Don't lie to me," and Stone gave him a look that cowed him. "Now listen. You're in Mr. Loria's pay. All right. He paid you well for the job you've just done. Now, I'll pay you twice,--three times as well to undo it. Moreover, I'll inform you straight that you'll never work for Mr. Loria again. He's a villain, a wicked man. Take my advice, Ahri, give him up and come over to me. By so doing, you'll not only escape punishment for your work to-day, but get a fresh start toward a good position. I don't believe you're a bad man at heart, Ahri. At least, I don't believe you'll continue to be if you're better paid to be good." Stone was right about this, and the talk ended in another expedition of two sand-carts into the desert. Ahri in one, with a native driver, Stone alone in the other, driving himself. Ahri's cart was driven by the same Moor that had driven Pauline only two or three hours before. Stone followed them, the wicked driver easily bought over to betray the place where he had left Pauline. And there they found her. Crouched at the base of a small hill, worn out by weeping and despair, racked by fright and terror, she had fallen into a fitful slumber from sheer exhaustion. Jumping from his cart, Stone waved the others back and went to her. On her face were traces of tears. Her gloves and handkerchief were torn in strips by her agonized frenzies. Her shoulders were huddled as if in frantic fear, and her face was drawn and pinched with anguish. But in spite of all this, Stone thought he had never seen her look so beautiful. Stepping nearer he lifted her to her feet, and unheeding the observers, he clasped her closely in his arms, and whispered endearing words. Pauline, her eyes still closed, murmured, "it's only a dream. I must not wake, I _must_ not!" "No dream, darling," said the strong, glad voice in her ear. "Does this seem like a dream?" and his lips met hers in a long, close kiss. Then her eyes opened, wondering, and lest she should faint from very joy, Stone carried her to the cart and placed her in it. Jumping in beside her, he ordered the other cart to lead and they started back. Neither Pauline nor Stone ever forgot that ride. At first, she was content to ask no questions, happy in his nearness and her own rescue from an awful fate. But, later, she inquired about Loria. "You must know the truth soon, dearest," said Stone, gently, "so I'll tell you, in part now. Your cousin is a wicked man, Pauline, and you must grasp this fact before I go on."