Stephen looked in at the twins, as they scornfully inspected their
quarters.
"Where are the Arabs?" he asked, as he had asked the landlord.
"We dinna ken whaur they've ta'en theirsel's," replied Angus. "All we
ken is, we wull not lie in the hoose wi' 'em. Her leddyship wadna expect
it, whateffer. We prefair t' sleep in th' open."
Stephen retired from the argument, and mounted a steep, rough stairway,
close to the gate, which led to the flat top of the wall, and had
formerly been connected by a platform with the ruined heliograph tower.
The wall was perhaps two feet thick, and though the top was rough and
somewhat broken, it was easy to walk upon it. Once it had been defended
by a row of nails and bits of glass, but most of these were gone. It was
an ancient bordj, and many years of peace had passed since it was built
in the old days of raids and razzias.
Stephen looked out over the desert, through the blue veil of twilight,
but could see no sign of life anywhere. Then, coming down, he mounted
into each squat tower in turn, and peered out, so that he might spy in
all directions, but there was nothing to spy save the shadowy dunes,
more than ever like waves of the sea, in this violet light. He was not
reassured, however, by the appearance of a vast peace and emptiness.
Behind those billowing dunes that surged away toward the horizon, north,
south, east, and west, there was hiding-place for an army.
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