"There is one slip of papyrus you have never seen, Mr. Fenshawe," he said. "Perhaps you have been surprised that such a careful scribe as Demetriades gave no details of the loot? I kept them back. There were fifty camel-loads of precious vessels and rare stuffs brought from the East. There were one hundred and twenty camel-loads of gold coins, and two camels carried leather wallets filled with pearls and rubies and diamonds." Irene could not restrain a little gasp of wonderment at von Kerber's amazing catalogue. Her grandfather looked at her. "You were wiser than I, little girl," he murmured. "You warned me that these people were deceiving me, yet I refused to listen." "Oh, one has to follow the path that promises success," interrupted von Kerber savagely. "Had I told you these things you would have been the first to inform the Italian government. Why do you prate of deceit? Had we found the treasure, you must have seen everything. I only meant to hold you to your bond and demand my third share. _Lieber Gott!_ if you were not a stiff-necked Englishman you would now, even at the twelfth hour, force these Italian hirelings to disgorge." "Meaning that you advise a surprise march on Suleiman's Well, and the massacre of every person who resists us?" inquired Mr. Fenshawe, acidly impatient. "Better that than turn back at the very threshold." "Excellent! The voyage of the _Aphrodite_ would then achieve an international fame which would survive the ages." The blank despair in von Kerber's face won Royson's pity. He could not help sympathizing with him. And there was something to be said for his point of view. If Mrs. Haxton had given the true version of the finding of the papyrus, the Austrian's methods were comprehensible. Seldom has poverty been tempted by a vision of such enormous wealth. "May I make a suggestion, sir?" he asked, seeing that no one was willing to resume a somewhat acrid conversation. "As to the form of attack?" Mr. Fenshawe was still amused by the idea of treating the Italians to a _coup de main_. "No. We have made a long journey, and it might at least be determined whether or not it was justified. Will you allow me and Abdur Kad'r, and, perhaps, one other Arab less widely known than the sheikh, to try a small experiment. Let us endeavor to enter the Italian camp and find out what is going on? I can pass easily as a member of a shooting party who has lost his way. They will not slay me at sight on that account. At any rate, I am quite prepared to risk it." "The very thing!" exclaimed Mrs. Haxton, springing out of her chair. "Abdullah is there, and you know him. You must not appear. Let Abdur Kad'r send one of his men into the camp by night. He will bring Abdullah to you at a preconcerted rendezvous, and Abdullah will tell you what Alfieri is doing. Better still, let Abdullah come here. If he knows I sent you he will accompany you without a moment's delay."