The litter of a recently disturbed encampment cumbered the ground. Rags, the feathers of lately plucked chickens, the ashes of recently extinguished fires abounded. But whether the camp had been struck days or only hours before it was impossible to determine. Night as well as day had been rainless, and the dry dust left no trail perceptible to European eyes. Daoud, however, examined the soil carefully. "They have gone south," he declared at last. "They have struck out of the forest and back towards the plain. This grows interesting." Perinaud gave a sniff. "The reason is obvious," he said a little contemptuously. "Where did they obtain water? From the spring which welled up at the foot of that cactus to the left. But now it is dry and cracking mud." Daoud nodded grudgingly. "Possibly," he allowed. "The nearest wells are at Ain Djemma." "Held in force by two companies of the Legion," said Perinaud. "They are hardly likely to show themselves there. No, if they have gone south they are seeking the Wad el Mella. They will follow the stream through the gorge towards their own foothills from which it issues." "This river? How far is it?" asked Aylmer. "Eight kilometres, possibly ten," said Perinaud. "There are _duars_ and encampments along its banks in a dozen places. We ought to get news of our men, even if we do not overtake them." "Our horses have come a matter of thirty kilometres already," said Aylmer. "Then as soon as possible they must do ten more," answered the sergeant, energetically. "Without water we cannot camp, any more than our friends of the Beni M'Geel. _En avance!_" Aylmer drew his horse up beside Perinaud's as for the second time they left the shelter of the trees and ambled out on to the plain. The westering sun was turning it to broad belts of dun, and yellow, and green, as the slanting beams fell upon earth, or marigold weed, or crops. Four or five miles distant to their front the rolling uplands culminated in a belt of squat but far-branching trees. "There, one may suppose, are the river and the gorge," he suggested. "The inhabitants of these _duars_, of which you speak? How will they greet us?" Perinaud shrugged his shoulders. "It remains for Fate to show us, Monsieur. There were some drastic whippings of the Moors within this district a few weeks back. How well they have learned the lesson taught them then we shall have to prove." Aylmer hesitated. "It is not with the purpose of getting embroiled in skirmishes that I have come," he said quietly. "You understand that my duty, for the moment, is to keep myself alive until my object is achieved." Perinaud grinned drily.