Page:Vance--Terence O'Rourke.djvu/159

 clever! … Then I went out to meet Monsieur Ibeni. He was waiting here in the gully with three camels: one for Monsieur l'Empereur, one for himself, one for me. I whistled the signal, low, but he heard and came and helped finish your pickets.

"But then there was trouble. He was going back on his bargain, the treacherous dog! He had seen madame, and preferred to abduct her. I did not understand until he made me, with the revolver which you so kindly gave him, Monsieur O'Rourke. He threatened, and—I gave in, and helped him. But when we got her out here in the gully, messieurs, and madame wept, then my heart turned, and I would have none of the business. I am a fore-damned scoundrel, beyond doubt, and hell will be my portion. But I love,the ladies, the pretty dears! Me, I am a Frenchman, and gallant where the sex is concerned. … So we quarreled, the Tawarek and I—and he did this to me, you remark. However, I evened up matters with the gentleman, somewhat. I shot one of his camels, and kept him away from the other, so that he had to go away finally afoot, with madame perched atop the other beast—and weeping. I tried to shoot him, too, but he kept away. The other camel is around the bend of the gully up there, messieurs; when the sun came up I had to crawl to this rock for shelter, and leave the brute.

"I trust that you will catch Monsieur Ibeni, and serve him as he served me. Otherwise … It has been a great farce, has it not, messieurs? We have all been fooled—myself and Monsieur le Prince and Monsieur Lemercier and madame. All—except the Tawarek, with whom God at least will deal. Ah-h-h!"

Thus blaspheming, he shuddered and died. By rights, wounded as he was, he should have been dead