Wilt thou desert it ?" "The West lured me--by things that seemed.

Now I know things as they are." "They will lure thee again to-morrow," said David firmly, but with a weight on his spirit.

His eyes sought and held Kaid's.

"It is too late to go back; we must go forward or we shall lose the Soudan, and a Mahdi and his men will be in Cairo in ten years." For an instant Kaid was startled.

The old look of energy and purpose leaped up into his eye; but it faded quickly again.