The Sheik

A shade beside her made her turn her head. Mustafa Ali salaamed

obsequiously. "It is time to start, Mademoiselle."

Diana looked up in surprise and then back over her shoulder at the

escort. The men were already mounted. The smile faded from her eyes.

Mustafa Ali was guide, but she was head of this expedition; if her

guide had not realised this he would have to do so now. She glanced at

the watch on her wrist.

"There is plenty of time," she said coolly.

Mustafa Ali salaamed again. "It is a long ride to reach the oasis where

we must camp to-night," he insisted hurriedly.

Diana crossed one brown boot over the other, and scooping up some sand

in the palm of her hand trickled it through her fingers slowly. "Then

we can ride faster," she replied quietly, looking at the shining

particles glistening in the sun.

Mustafa Ali made a movement of impatience and persisted doggedly.

"Mademoiselle would do well to start."

Diana looked up swiftly with angry eyes. Under the man's suave manner

and simple words a peremptory tone had crept into his voice. She sat

quite still, her fingers raking the warm sand, and under her haughty

stare the guide's eyes wavered and turned away. "We will start when I

choose, Mustafa Ali," she said brusquely. "You may give orders to your

men, but you will take your orders from me. I will tell you when I am

ready. You may go."

Still he hesitated, swaying irresolutely backwards and forwards on his

heels.

Diana snapped her fingers over her shoulder, a trick she had learned

from a French officer in Biskra. "I said go!" she repeated sharply. She

took no notice of his going and did not look back to see what orders he

gave the men. She glanced at her watch again. Perhaps it was growing

late, perhaps the camp was a longer ride than she had thought; but

Mustafa Ali must learn his lesson if they rode till midnight to reach

the oasis. She pushed her obstinate chin out further and then smiled

again suddenly. She hoped that the night would fall before they reached

their destination. There had been one or two moonlight riding picnics

out from Biskra, and the glamour of the desert nights had gone to

Diana's head.

This riding into the unknown away from the noisy,

chattering crowd who had spoiled the perfect stillness of the night

would be infinitely more perfect. She gave a little sigh of regret as

she thought of it. It was not really practical. Though she would wait

nearly another hour to allow the fact of her authority to sink into

Mustafa Ali's brain she would have to hasten afterwards to arrive at

the camp before darkness set in. The men were unused to her ways and

she to theirs. She would not have Stephens' help to-night; she would

have to depend on herself to order everything as she wished it, and it

was easier done in daylight. One hour would not make much difference.

The horses had more in them than had been taken out of them this

morning; they could be pushed along a bit faster with no harm happening

to them. She eyed her watch from time to time with a grin of amusement,

but suppressed the temptation to look and see how Mustafa Ali was

taking it, for her action might be seen and misconstrued.