demands of that virtue had been made upon us; and both the Sultan and Kaid Giluli having ordered our removal, it was not likely that undue force would be used to detain us. In any case such action would bring matters to a head, and anything was better than this intolerable suspense.

While we were still debating the question, a message was brought that the Khalifa was desirous of seeing Sabbah. Seizing my opportunity, I went with him, in spite of the protests of the messenger. We found the Khalifa and his 'suite' sitting near the side, or prison, entrance to the kasbah. On seeing me, he asked me what I wanted, and I told him. If he had had orders to send us to Mogador, I said, let us go. We didn't care about mules, but would walk barefoot if necessary. He smiled at my eagerness, and said he was sorry to part with us, as he was only just beginning to like us. However, he supposed we must go; and ordering us to go back to our room, and eat some dinner that he would send to us, he promised that we should set off immediately afterwards.

On our return we found that a dish of meat had already been sent in; and we had hardly tasted more than a mouthful or so, when another messenger came in to tell us all to follow him. Cramming into our pockets all the bread that they would hold, we took leave of our late guards, preparatory to turning our backs upon the dingy den which for sixty-three days had been our common quarters. To each of them we gave some little souvenir, such as a handkerchief— which would be used for cleaning brass trays or tying up lumps of sugar-a looking-glass, or a few empty bottles-which are much prized by country Moorsand we left with blessings instead of curses. Poor

little Arab, the black slave-to whom de Reya had given an old pink cotton shirt-was much affected. Probably he had never been so well fed in all his little life before we came (and our scraps and leavings became his perquisites), and as he said his salaamas, he lifted his hand, the cuff of his pink shirt dangling over his finger-tips, and wiped away the tears that were rolling down his dusky cheeks.

Sabbah was in lighter vein, and considered that he might now safely venture to chaff his late guards. During our detention at the kasbah the Khalifa had had orders from headquarters to provide us with good food, and plenty of it. Not daring to disobey, and yet not liking Christian prisoners to be better fed than their Moslem guards, he had changed their daily diet from the customary bread and oil and tshisha to meat and kuss-kuss, such as we were provided with. So Sabbah jocularly remarked to our junior gaoler, 'Well, Said, no more meat for you; you'll have to go back to bread and oil now.' But Said indignantly repudiated the assertion, declaring with some warmth that he often had meat for his dinner; in fact, he had bought half a peseta's worth about a month before we came !* and vehemently called upon Allah to burn his tormentor's father, grandfather, and ancestors generally.

Outside, we found the Khalifa still in the same spot. He was interviewing tribesmen, selecting our escort, and giving instructions generally. Another mule had arrived in the meantime, and one poor fellow was explaining to the little tyrant that he did not possess a

* In Southern Morocco a whole sheep can be bought for about two pesetas, or half a dollar.

mule, but he had brought his donkey instead, which he hoped Sid' Embarak would accept.

'All right,' said the Khalifa in his cheeriest tones, 'don't distress yourself; it will only cost you 30 dollars, but I'll take your donkey, anyhow;' and he waved his hand to signify that the interview was concluded. The poor tribesman shrank back, and, squatting himself on a mud heap, probably endeavoured to comfort himself with the reflection that 'it was written.' Anyhow, the 30 dollars would have to be paid, and the donkey would be held as security until it was. The poor wretch did not look as if he possessed 30 pesetas, let alone 30 dollars, but the prison door is always half open for such as he.

At length the time for our departure came. Calling us to him, the Khalifa handed to each of us a couple of dollars, and telling a man standing by to give us two loaves of white bread apiece, he shook hands with us all in turn, and, mounting our mules, we turned our backs on the kasbah at Eda Gilul, and set our faces towards Mogador.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

DELIVERED UP.

A last look at the kasbah-On the road to Mogador-A halt at Eda Igirt-The journey resumed-I kill a snake-Hydrophobia unknown in Morocco-The legendary founder of Mogador-A tedious wait-Arrival at Mogador-Our reception- Popular indignation in the town-A civilized Governor-European visitors-Departure from MogadorWe embark on board the Hassani—Arrival at Tangier— Beyerle is set free-Arrest of the British subjects-Concerning the British Consulate at Tangier-Conclusion.

DESCENDING the hill, we quickly left behind the mean and dirty-looking sôk on our right, and the fields of fast-ripening barley on our left, and, crossing the little stream at the foot, found ourselves following the path up the other side of the valley to which our eyes had been so often turned in the weeks that had passed. A few goats were browsing amongst the argan-trees as we passed, and some of them were even to be seen among the upper branches, where they had climbed in search of the fruit they like so well. At the top of the hill we all turned to take a last look at the huge fortress-like kasbah that had held us so long, and from which was misgoverned a province the size of Yorkshire-the largest of all the Moorish kaidships. What

* Market.

a fair picture it made, with its background of purple hills, and, in the near distance, its fields of waving corn, on which the unclouded sun smiled, surely in satire and yet what a world of tyranny and misery it emblemized and typified!

But I was too full of the thought of approaching freedom to indulge in speculations of this sort, and we were a light-hearted party that jogged along on our mules that afternoon.

Forest after forest of argan-trees we passed, and valley succeeded valley in one bewildering panorama of beauty; and while the sun was still high in heaven, from the crest of a ridge of hills-those same hills that we could see from Eda Gilul, and which seemed so close

we descried the distant mountains of the Atlas, miles and miles away, whose snow-clad peaks, that seemed vainly striving to reach the blue above that domed them, gleamed white and dazzling in the torrid sun.

Twice on the road a brief halt was called that man and beast might slake their thirst at some clear babbling brook, and it was all but dark ere we reached our appointed resting-place for the night—an apparently half-empty house at a place called Eda Igirt. If Kaid

Giluli had ordered that we should make one march of it to Mogador, the mandate was not carried out. As it was, after six hours' riding, we were still six hours' journey from Mogador; and we were glad enough, after our enforced spell of idleness at the kasbah, to jump down from our animals and rest. It was a relief, too, to get into our slippers again, and when the meat and kuss-kuss came along we were ready to do ample justice to it.

The stars were still bright in the sky when we were in the saddle again, and we had been on the road