"We'll ease the strain, perhaps," sneered Nahoum. He made a perfunctory
salutation and walked briskly from the room.

Mahommed Hassan crept in, a malicious grin on his face. Danger and
conflict were as meat and drink to him.

"Effendi, God hath given thee a wasp's sting to thy tongue. It is well.
Nahoum Pasha hath Mizraim: the Saadat hath thee and me."

"There's the Effendina," said Lacey reflectively. "Thou saidst thou
would 'square' him, effendi."

"I say a lot," answered Lacey rather ruefully. "Come, Mahommed, the
Saadat first, and the sooner the better."




CHAPTER XXXI

THE STRUGGLE IN THE DESERT

"And His mercy is on them that fear Him throughout all generations."

On the clear, still evening air the words rang out over the desert,
sonorous, imposing, peaceful. As the notes of the verse died away the
answer came from other voices in deep, appealing antiphonal:

"He hath showed strength with His arm, He hath scattered the proud
in the imagination of their hearts."