"
Instantly they began to wave their handkerchiefs of embroidered silk,
such as Arab ladies use. But there came no answering signal. Evidently,
if the rider were looking at a white roof, he had chosen one which was
not theirs. And soon he would be descending the slope of the Zaouia
hill. After that they would lose sight of each other, more and more
surely, the closer he came to the gates.
"If only you had something to throw him!" Saidee sighed. "What a pity
you gave the brooch to Maieddine. He might have recognized that."
"It isn't a pity if he traced me by it," said Victoria. "But wait. I'll
think of something."
"He's riding down the dip. In a minute it will be too late," Saidee
warned her.
The girl lifted over her head the long string of amber beads she had
bought in the curiosity shop of Jeanne Soubise. Wrapping it in her
handkerchief, she began to tie the silken ends together.
Stephen was so close to the Zaouia now that they could no longer see
him.
"Throw--throw! He'll be at the gates."
Victoria threw the small but heavy parcel over the wall which hid the
dwellers on the roof.
Where it fell, they could not see, and no sound came up from the
sand-dune far below. Some beggar or servant of the Zaouia might have
found and snatched the packet, for all that they could tell.
For a time which seemed long, they waited, hoping that something would
happen. They did not speak at all.
Pages:
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507