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"But was this beggar prowling round by the well?"

"We couldn't see ated and found foot directly to and from the well; and he is convinced that is what the brute was doing"

"How much water have we left?"

"Well, that's the very devil of it," said Garnett ruefully "It seeht froht thispermission she tipped it all into a kind of tin tub there was on the premises and performed her ablutions therein"

"Well, I confess I don't blaive a fiver for a bath ritty"

"Just so--and the tin basin ash in--in turns--isn't exactly luxurious!" Garnett's eyes twinkled "All the sas look pretty serious on the water question We must have water--unfortunately the desert thirst is no fancy picture--I'm like a lime-kiln myself at this moment--but if the well is poisoned, and Hassan seems convinced it is, we can't drink the water, can we?"

"Certainly not" Anstice hoped his voice did not betray his dismay at this disclosure "Where's the nearest well--outside of here?"

"Over in the village--or rather, there's one outside the village which would be less public" Garnett laughed a little "But I don't quite see hoe're going to fetch water fro a pretty s forth we'd be potted as sure as a gun And every available --"I suppose it would be quite iet out by the rocky side? I mean could one possibly cliuard that side, and one would be in the desert, well away from their band"

"Yes--but I doubt if it would be feasible Unless--what about a rope? I saw a great coil of rope in one of the dungeons downstairs this ht eyes "I say, let's go and reconnoitre, shall we? It would be great to outwit the beasts after all!"

"Right! Where shall we go and scout?"

"Place opposite--the only one with a decent-sized hole in the wall--have to find a place one could squeeze through, I suppose--and I'm such an infernally broad chap, too!"