against a harka--say, a hundred to one. . . . But you must hold them up until I am well away. . . . They won't charge while your shooting is quick and accurate. . . . When they do, they'll get you, of course. . . . Don't ride for it at the last moment. . . . See it through here, to give the impression that you are the whole party. I must not be pursued. . . . Die here. . . ."
"Oui, mom Commandant."
"Excuse me, Major de Beaujolais," cut in the voice of Miss Vanbrugh, icily cold and most incisive, "is it possible that you are talking about deserting your men? . . . Leaving them to die here while you escape? . . . Ordering them to remain here to increase your own chance of safety, in fact. . . ."
"I was giving instructions to my subordinate, who will remain here with the others, Miss Vanbrugh," I replied coldly. "Would you be good enough to refrain from interrupting. . . ."
My uncle's words burned before my eyes!--"A woman, of course! . . . He turned aside from his duty. . . . Exit de Lannec. . . ."
Miss Vanbrugh put her hand on Dufour's arm.
"If you'll be so kind as to enrol me, Mr. Dufour--I am a very good rifle shot," she said. "I shall dislike perishing with you intensely, but I should dislike deserting you infinitely more," and she smiled very sweetly on my brave Dufour.
He kissed her hand respectfully and looked inquiringly at me.
"And Maudie?" I asked Miss Vanbrugh. "Is she to be a romantic heroine, too? I hope she can throw stones better than most girls, for I understand she has never fired a rifle or pistol in her life. . . ."
"I think yon really are the most insufferable and detestable creature I have ever met," replied Miss Vanbrugh.
"Interesting, but hardly germane to the discussion," I replied.
"Listen, Miss Vanbrugh," I continued. "If the Touareg are upon us, as I have no doubt they are, I am going to ride straight for the Great Oasis. Dufour, Achmet, Djikki and Suleiman will stand the Touareg off as long as possible. Eventually my men will be rushed and slaughtered. If sufficiently alive, when overcome and seized, they will be tortured unbelievably. The Touareg may or may not then follow me, but they will have no chance of overtaking me as I shall have a long start. I shall have the best of the riding camels, and I shall make forced marches. . . . Now--I see no reason why you and Maudie should not accompany me for just as long as you can stand the pace. . . ."
"Oh, Major--we might conceivably hinder you and so imperil your most precious life, endanger your safety--so essential to France and the world in general. . . ."
"I'll take good care you don't do that, Miss Vanbrugh," I replied. "But, as I say, there is no reason why you and your maid should not ride off with me--though, I give you fair warning, I shall probably ride for twenty-four hours without stopping--and you will be most welcome. In fact, I pray you to do so. . . . Trust me to see to it that you are no hindrance nor source of danger to the success of my mission. . . ."
"Oh--I fully trust you for that, Major de Beaujolais," she replied bitterly.
"Then be ready to start as soon as we get word from Djikki that they are coming," I said. "Once again, there is no reason why you should not come with me . . ."
"Thank you--but there is a very strong reason. I would sooner die twice over. . . . I remain here," was the girl's reply. "I can think of only one thing worse than falling alive into the hands of these beasts--and that is deserting my friends, Mr. Dufour, Achmet and Djikki. . . . Why, I wouldn't desert even that evil-looking Suleiman after he had served me faithfully. . . . I wouldn't desert a dog. . . ."
"And Maudie?" I asked.
"She shall do exactly as she pleases," answered the girl.
Turning to Maudie, who was listening open-mouthed, she said:
"Will you ride off with Major de Beaujolais, my child, or will you stay with me? You may get to safety with this gallant gentleman--if you can keep him in sight. . . . It is death to stay here, apparently, but I will take care that it is death and not torture for you, my dear."
"Wouldn't the Sheikhs treat us well, Miss?" asked Maudie.
"Oh, Sheikhs!" snapped Miss Vanbrugh. "These are two-legged beasts, my good idiot. They are human wolves, torturing devils, merciless brutes. . . . What is the worst thing you've got in your country?"
"Burglars, Miss," replied Maudie promptly.
"Well, the ugliest cut-throat burglar that ever hid under your bed or came in at your window in the middle of the night, is just a dear little woolly lambkin, compared with the best of these murderous savages. . . ."
Maudie's face fell.
"I thought perhaps these was Sheikhs, Miss. . . . Like in the book. . . . But, anyhow, I was going to do what you do, Miss, and go where you go--of course, please, Miss."
"I am afraid you are another of those ordinary queer creatures that think faithfulness to friends and loyalty to comrades come first, dear," said Miss Vanbrugh, and gave Maudie's hand a squeeze. "But you'll do what I tell you, Maudie, won't you?"
"That's what I'm here for, please, Miss, thank you," replied the girl.
"Well, you're going with Major de Beaujolais," said Miss Vanbrugh. "I hate sending you off with a gentleman of his advanced views and superior standards--but I should hate shooting you, even more."
"Yes, Miss, thank you," answered Maudie, and I rose and strolled to my tent.
Ours is not an easy service. Duty is a very jealous God. . . .
* * *
Miss Vanbrugh came and dressed my arm, and we spoke no word to each other during the process. How I hated her! . . . The unfair, illogical little vixen! . . . The woman! . . .
A few minutes later Suleiman uttered a shout. He could see a rider on the horizon. I hurried towards him.
"It is Djikki, the black slave," he said.
"Djikki, the French Soudanese soldier, you dog," I growled at him, and at any other time would have fittingly rewarded the ugly scowl with which he regarded me.
"They are coming," shouted Djikki as his swift camel drew near; and we all rushed to work like fiends at packing-up and making preparations, for flight and fight respectively.
"They are more than ten hands of five fingers now," said Djikki, as he dismounted. . . . "More than a battalion of soldiers in numbers. . . . They are riding along our track. . . . Here in an hour."
"Miss Vanbrugh," said I, "I have got to go. If you stay here I shall go on and do my work. When that is successfully completed, I shall come back to this spot and shoot myself. . . . Think of Maudie, too--if you won't think of yourself or me. Do you want the girl to meet some of her 'Desert Sheikhs' at last?"
"Can you leave Dufour and the Brown Brothers, Major de Beaujolais? . . . I love that little Djikki-bird. . . ."
"I can, Miss Vanbrugh, because I must. And if I, a soldier, can do such a thing, a girl can. What could you do by stopping to die here?"
