Did you ever come across an Arab called Abou Fatma ?" "Abou Fatma," said Willoughby, slowly, "one of the Hadendoas ?" "No, a man of the Kabbabish tribe." "Abou Fatma ?" Willoughby repeated, as though for the first time he had heard the name.

"No, I never came across him;" and then he stopped.

It occurred to Durrance that it was not a natural place at which to stop; Willoughby might have been expected to add, "Why do you ask me ?" or some question of the kind.

But he kept silent.

As a matter of fact, he was wondering how in the world Durrance had ever come to hear of Abou Fatma, whose name he himself had heard for the first and last time a year ago upon the verandah of the Palace at Suakin.