Anstice said nothing, but his mouth was set in a hard line which betokened ill for anyone who attempted to bar his way into that same Fort, and with a half-strangled sigh Sir Richard continued his speech.
"It seems on the whole the best plan, though God knows it's hard to turn round and leave my only daughter in this damned hole. Still, I see the logic of the thing, and if you are willing to go forward, why, there's nothing left for me but to turn back."
"I'll go forward all right," replied Anstice quietly. "And if you will trust me, I will do my best to carry on until you arrive with reinforcements."
"In that case I'll go at once," said Sir Richard more briskly. "Which is the better horse? Yours, I think--and if so I'll take it and hurry back to Cairo. But first let's have a look at the provisions--I'm a tough old fellow and can do without a lot of stuff, but I daren't risk failing on the way. Luckily we are lavishly provided."
Hearing this speech the Arab smiled gleefully and produced from some mysterious recess in his robe a square package, tied with string, and handed it, still smiling, to Sir Richard, who took it with a rather mystified expression.
"It's food--what you call grub," explained Hassan proudly. "The ladees make it--say it carry the Effendi back to le Caire"--in common with many Arabs he gave the city its French name--"and it good grub too!"
Sir Richard slipped the packet into his pocket with a rather uncertain smile, and turned to the matter of transit without loss of time.
Anstice's horse was the fresher of the two, and it was decided that Sir Richard should start at once, and when at a safe distance dismount and rest until moonrise, after which the night hours might profitably be spent in journeying onwards, since night-riding in the desert is infinitely preferable to riding by day.
"With luck you should make Cairo very early on the day after to-morrow," said Anstice, who had been making a calculation. "And if you could get started again without loss of time you could be here in just under three days. But that would mean hard riding, I'm afraid----"
"I'm pretty tough," said Sir Richard again. "And after all you'll have the harder part. I suppose"--he turned to Hassan--"I suppose there is no possibility of getting help nearer than Cairo--no village or settlement to which I might apply?"