At the entrance sat Mabunu,
muttering and chuckling.
In the camp of the strangers one was speaking rapidly to the other.
"There is no doubt of it, Malbihn," he was saying. "Not the slightest;
but why the old scoundrel hasn't claimed the reward long since is
what puzzles me."
"There are some things dearer to an Arab, Jenssen, than money,"
returned the first speaker--"revenge is one of them."
"Anyhow it will not harm to try the power of gold," replied Jenssen.
Malbihn shrugged.
"Not on The Sheik," he said. "We might try it on one of his people;
but The Sheik will not part with his revenge for gold. To offer it
to him would only confirm his suspicions that we must have awakened
when we were talking to him before his tent. If we got away with
our lives, then, we should be fortunate."
"Well, try bribery, then," assented Jenssen.
But bribery failed--grewsomely. The tool they selected after a
stay of several days in their camp outside the village was a tall,
old headman of The Sheik's native contingent. He fell to the lure
of the shining metal, for he had lived upon the coast and knew the
power of gold.
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