Ali seemed to be adding persuasion to Anazeh's threats.

Whatever it was they were driving at, Ahmed began to look like yielding.

So, as I could not untangle more than one brief sentence at a time from all those galloping arguments, I pulled Ahmed away into a corner.
"What do they all want ?" I asked him.

"Tell me in ten words." But he was not a brief man.
"They say the Sikhs are after them.

They have put the stolen sheep into their boats, as I told you they would, mister.