Presently she heard the crowd moving up the street toward The Sheik's
tent. Cautiously she stuck her little head around the edge of the
tent. She could not resist the temptation, for the sameness of
the village life was monotonous, and she craved diversion. What
she saw was two strangers--white men. They were alone, but as they
approached she learned from the talk of the natives that surrounded
them that they possessed a considerable following that was camped
outside the village. They were coming to palaver with The Sheik.
The old Arab met them at the entrance to his tent. His eyes narrowed
wickedly when they had appraised the newcomers. They stopped before
him, exchanging greetings. They had come to trade for ivory they
said. The Sheik grunted. He had no ivory. Meriem gasped. She
knew that in a near-by hut the great tusks were piled almost to the
roof. She poked her little head further forward to get a better
view of the strangers. How white their skins! How yellow their
great beards!
Suddenly one of them turned his eyes in her direction. She tried
to dodge back out of sight, for she feared all men; but he saw her.
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