Desert Air | Page 5

Amis' that night. I knew in a moment that the aum?nier was right, and that I must get the lad away at once from the intoxicant which nature poured out over this far-away city. His eyes were shining feverishly, and when I mentioned Mr. Ruskin in a casual way he looked unutterably bored.
"'Ruskin and all those fellows seem awfully slow and out of place here,' he exclaimed. 'One doesn't want to bother about them in the Sahara.'
"I changed the subject.
"'There doesn't seem very much to see here,' I said carelessly. 'We might get away the day after to-morrow, don't you think?'
"He drew his brows down.
"'The horses won't be sufficiently rested,' he said curtly.
"'Oh yes; I fancy they will.'
"'Well, I don't fancy I shall. The long ride took it out of me.'
"'Turn in to-night, then, directly after dinner.'
"He looked at me with sharp suspicion. I met his gaze blandly.
"'I mean to,' he said after a short pause.
"I knew he was telling me a lie, but I only said: 'That's right!' and resolved to keep an eye on him.
"Directly dinner was over he sprang up from the table.
"'Good-night,' he said.
"And before I could reply he was out of the salle-��-manger, and I heard him tramp along the brick floor of the passage, go into his room, and bang the door.
"The aum?nier was getting up from his little table, and shaking the crumbs from his soutane.
"'You are quite right, monsieur,' I said to him. 'I must get my friend away.'
"'I shall be sorry to lose you,' replied the good priest. 'But--desert air, desert air!'
"He shook his head, half wistfully, half laughingly, bowed, put on his broad-brimmed black hat, and went out.
"After a moment I followed him. I stood in the doorway of the inn, and lit a cigar. I knew Marnier was not going to bed, and meant to catch him when he came out, and join him. In common politeness he could scarcely refuse my company, since he had asked me as a favour to let him come with me to Beni-Kouidar. I waited, watching the moon rise, till my cigar was smoked out. Then I lit another. Still he did not come. I heard the distant throb of tomtoms beyond the Bureau Arabe in the quarter of the freed negroes. They were having a fantasia. I began to think that I must have been mistaken, and that Marnier had really turned in. So much the better. The ash dropped from the stump of my second cigar, and the deserted camel market was flooded with silver from the moon-rays. I knew there was only one door to the inn. Slowly I lit a third cigar.
"A large cloud went over the face of the moon. A gust of wind struck my face. Suddenly the night had changed. The moon looked forth again, and was again obscured. A second gust struck me like a blow, and my face was stung by a multitude of sand grains. I heard steps behind me in the brick passage, turned swiftly, and saw the landlord.
"'I must shut the door, m'sieu,' he said. 'There's a bad sandstorm coming up.'
"As he spoke the wind roared, and over the camel market a thick fog seemed to fall abruptly. It was a sheet of sand from the surrounding dunes. I threw away my cigar, stepped into the passage, and the landlord banged the door, and drove home the heavy bolts.
"Then I went to Marnier's room, and knocked. I felt sure, but I thought I would make sure before going to my room.
"No answer.
"I knocked again loudly.
"Again no answer.
"Then I turned the handle, and entered.
"The room was empty. I glanced round quickly. The small window was open. All the windows of the inn were barred, but, as I learned later, a bar in Marnier's had been broken, and was not yet replaced when we arrived at Beni-Kouidar. In consequence of this it was possible to squeeze through into the arcade outside. This was what Marnier had done. My precise, gentlemanly, reserved, and methodical acquaintance had deliberately given me the slip by sneaking out of a window like a schoolboy, and creeping round the edge of the inn to the fosse that lay in the shadow of the sand dimes. As I realised this I realised his danger.
"I ran to my room, fetched my revolver, slipped it into my pocket, and hurried to the front door. The landlord heard me trying to undo the bolts, and came out protesting.
"'M'sieu cannot go out into the storm.'
"'I must.'
"'But m'sieu does not know what Beni-Kouidar is like when the sand is blown on the wind. It is enfer. Besides, it is not safe. In the darkness m'sieu may receive a mauvais coup.'
"'Make haste, please, and open the door. I am going to fetch my friend.'
"He pulled the