Kyle and Brick looked at each other with consternation in their eyes and a sinking in their hearts.

“So those fellows did overhear us that day when we were talking about the emeralds in Tuggurt!” exclaimed Brick. “Let me have those glasses a moment, Kyle!” and he, too, looked through the field glasses.

“I’m afraid they did hear us—and understand,” replied Kyle. “That was a most unlucky day for us.”

“Of course,” said Brick, clutching at a little shred of hope, “they may be on other business in the desert, and not have us in mind at all.”

“Not a chance,” replied Kyle. “If that were so, you’d see some packs on their camels. But if you’ll notice, there are just as many camels as there are riders. They’re traveling light.”

“There’s a pretty big crowd of them, too,” said Brick thoughtfully.

The boys counted the Arabs as well as they could, and made out that there were fully eighteen in the party. All of them had rifles, and it looked much more like a military expedition than an ordinary peaceful caravan.

“We must get back to camp as soon as possible and tell my uncles about it,” said Kyle, suiting the action to the word and hurrying down the trail, with Brick close at his heels.

Captain Kane was standing near one of the cars as the boys came up almost out of breath, and one glance at their faces was enough to tell him that something out of the ordinary had happened.

“What is it?” he asked quickly.

They told him of what they had seen, and the captain listened attentively.

“Eighteen, you say?” he queried.

“We counted that many,” replied Kyle. “But in the dust we might have missed one or two. There are fully eighteen.”

“That’s three to one,” mused the captain, “Pretty heavy odds. Get your rifles ready. How far off were they?”

“Not more than a mile when we came away,” replied Kyle, “and they were traveling fast.”

“They may be here at any minute then,” said the captain. “Ah, there’s one of them now!” he exclaimed, as a camel and his rider came into view at the top of the ridge.

Had the cars been ready to start, the captain would probably have considered it wiser to avoid trouble and resume the journey instantly. They could easily have outdistanced the newcomers, and perhaps have seen them no more. But the supplies had been unpacked while the repairs were going on, and half an hour at least would have been needed to get them in their places.

That the sight of the little encampment had been an unexpected one to the caravan was evident from the suddenness with which the foremost rider pulled his mount to a stop at the top of the hill. He came no farther until he had been joined by the rest of his companions. Then an excited parley ensued, at the end of which the party came slowly down the slope.

They halted at a distance of about two hundred yards, and then their leader rode slowly forward, after dropping his weapon to the ground and extending his empty palms to indicate that his intentions were peaceful.

“Go meet him, Alam, and find out all you can about him and what he wants,” directed the captain. “If he shows the least sign of treachery, we’ll fill him full of lead.”

Alam went to meet the leader, and an animated conversation ensued. At the end of a few minutes, Alam came back and reported.

The man had told him that the caravan was on its way to Insalah. The date harvest was at hand, and his party expected to go back, laden with the fruit, to Tuggurt. That explained why they were carrying no merchandise with them now. They had been surprised at coming upon the captain’s party. They had no idea that an auto expedition was in the desert. They had nothing but goodwill in their hearts, and were pained at the suspicious attitude of the foreigners. They would willingly stop and make camp with them, and then go on, for a little way at least together.

“Humph!” sniffed the captain unbelievingly. “That’s what he says. What do you think of it, Alam?”

“The man is a dog,” replied Alam. “His heart is black and his tongue is full of lies.”

“He told a falsehood when he said that he did not know of the expedition,” broke in Kyle, “for I saw him in the crowd when the cars pulled out of Tuggurt.”

“He is a bad man,” resumed Alam. “He rests under the frown of Allah. I knew him in Tuggurt. He has been in jail many times. A caravan carries goods both ways. These are riding camels, not pack camels that he has with him. His men are scum, robbers. He has followed you, traveling day and night. He means evil.”

“He is one of the men who tried to rob me the night I first met you,” said Brick. “I know him by his scar.”

“I guess that’s enough,” said the captain. “It only confirms what I suspected from the first. Go back to him, Alam, and tell him this:

“The Feringhee is glad to know that you cherish no evil intentions. This is well, for he has machine guns in his cars that could wipe out your whole company, if you meant him ill. He does not think that it would be well to make camp together, for the plateau is small. He urges, then, that you go forward while he stays, or, if you wish, he will go forward while you stay. Peace be with you.’

“I guess that will give them food for thought,” the captain remarked, as Alam went forward to deliver the message.

They saw a malignant scowl settle on the leader’s face as Alam talked to him. His lips were drawn back from his teeth in the same ferocious snarl that Kyle had seen on the night he had rescued Teddy. It was perhaps lucky for Alam that the man had dropped his gun before he rode out for the parley. He turned abruptly and rode back to his companions, and Alam returned to the group awaiting him.

“What did he say?” asked the captain.

“That he and his party would go on,” replied Alam. “That since the Feringhee did not wish his company, he would not force it upon him.”

The Americans and their two helpers stood alert and ready for any emergency as, after excited gesticulations, the newcomers filed past at a little distance, the leader casting a farewell glance at Kyle’s party that was like the glint in the eyes of a rattlesnake.

The relief they felt at getting rid of the unwelcome caravan was only momentary, for all felt that they had only deferred the problem instead of settling it. That evil gang was still to be reckoned with. No one believed for a moment that the Arabs had given up their purpose.

“They must have done some tall traveling to catch up with us,” mused the captain.

“They’ve probably done about eighteen hours a day,” replied the professor. “Even then they’d never have done it, if it hadn’t been for the delays we’ve experienced. As a matter of fact, they were surprised themselves when they came upon us so suddenly.”

“What do you suppose they will do now, Alam?” asked the captain.

“They will camp when night comes and lie in wait for us,” predicted Alam.

“Not an extremely pleasant prospect,” remarked the captain. “We’d be in separate cars, and it would be easy enough for them to surround and cut off one of the cars. Then by threatening to kill the captives they could try to bring the rest of us to terms.”

“If they are after the emeralds we’re supposed to be hunting for, I should think it would be wiser on their part to wait until we’d found them and then ambush us on our return,” remarked the professor, in some perplexity.

“That may have been their original plan,” returned the captain. “They may have meant simply to have kept within striking distance and attack us at the proper time. But now they’ve caught up to us, their purpose may be served just as well by capturing us now if possible and making us lead them in the search for the emeralds. After that our usefulness would be finished, and then—well, you can guess the rest.”

The others guessed very readily, and their guess was not a pleasant one.

“Let not the masters be troubled,” put in Alam placidly. “The dogs will wait in vain.”

“What do you mean?” asked the captain quickly.

“They will wait in vain, praise be to Allah,” Alam repeated. “Your servant knows another pass through these rocks that is known to few. The way is rough and long and roundabout, but when we come from it we will be far in advance of these robbers.”

“Good!” roared the captain delightedly. “Alam, you’re a brick! You may not know what that means, but you’re it. We made no mistake in bringing you along. Let’s pack and start.”

[Chapter 15 Maze: Help Kyle Escape]