? ? ? ? To acknowledge that he had lost the jewels might be to arouse the wrath or suspicion of the Arab to such an extent as would jeopardize his new-found chances of escape. His one hope seemed, then, to lie in fostering Mohammed Beyd's belief that the jewels were still in his possession, and depend upon the accidents of the future to open an avenue of escape.
? ? ? ? Could he contrive to tent with the Arab upon the march north, he might find opportunity in plenty to remove this menace to his life and liberty--it was worth trying, and, further, there seemed no other way out of his difficulty.
? ? ? ? "Yes," he said, "Achmet Zek is dead. He fell in battle with a company of Abyssinian cavalry that held me captive. During the fighting I escaped; but I doubt if any of Achmet Zek's men live, and the gold they sought is in the possession of the Abyssinians.
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