There were six of us in the wagon: myself, Alice, Monsieur Lasseur, Mr. and Mrs. Carling and, to my surprise, the tall man whom I had noticed in the hotel.

I wondered if he was going to join the steamer that was taking us to India or whether his destination, like that of Monsieur Lasseur, was merely Suez.

Soon the desert closed round us. It was now light enough to see the miles of sand. It was golden in the dawn light. I was fascinated. Then the driver whipped up his horses and we had to concentrate on keeping our seats.

"I told you," said Monsieur Lasseur, "it was hardly a comfortable journey."

We laughed as we were flung against each other. Mrs. Carling said it was a mercy it could not last for long, and Mr. Carling commented that when one undertook such a journey one must be prepared for discomforts. Monsieur Lasseur remarked that there were certain things in life that were wonderful to anticipate and look back on, but less agreeable to experience, and travel often proved to be one of them.

The tall man smiled benignly on us. He seemed to divide his interest between Monsieur Lasseur and me, and whenever I looked up I would find his eyes fixed gravely on one of us.

The horses rattled on.

"What happens if the wagon overturns?" I asked.

"Which," added Mr. Carling, "it might well do if it goes on like this. I don't think our driver realizes what he is putting us through."

"His idea is to get rid of one load, receive his money and then on to the next," explained Monsieur Lasseur.

"But if there is an accident surely that would delay him," I suggested.

"Oh, he is confident that Allah will look after him."

"I wish I shared his confidence," said Alice.

We were all relieved when the horses pulled up. Poor things, they must have been very weary. I knew we all felt considerably battered and we welcomed the short respite before the ordeal started again.

As we alighted I noticed the tall man stayed close to us.

The heat of the desert was intense, for it was round about noon. We had been going for some six hours and were glad of the shelter, although our resting place was like a hut, but the stables adjoining it were extensive.

Beverages were served, and I was glad to see that there was tea. There was food—bread and meat of some indefinable kind, which I declined.

We sat at tables—the six of us who had shared the wagon. I saw no one else from the ship's party and I presumed they would come later, as ours had been one of the first wagons to leave Cairo.

"At least we have come safely through the initial stage of the journey," said Alice.

The tall man replied, "There is still more of the same to come."

"I should not think it could be any worse," went on Alice with a grimace.

The man lifted his shoulders.

"I have heard of frequent breakdowns on the way," put in Monsieur Lasseur.

"How awful," I said. "What would happen then?"

"You wait until the message gets through and they come with another wagon."

"What if we didn't get to Suez in time to catch the ship?"

"They would find some means of getting you there," said the tall man.

"We don't know your name," I told him. "And it does seem as if we are to be fellow passengers on this hazardous journey."

He smiled. He had very white teeth. "It's Tom Keeping," he said.

"So ... you are English."

"Did you not think so?"

"I wasn't sure."

Monsieur Lasseur said, "I will find out when we are leaving."

He went to the table where a man who was obviously taking charge of the place was sitting.

Tom Keeping said, "I am an interloper. Your party have all come out from England, is that so?"

"Yes, we all sailed together."

"And Monsieur ... I forget his name ... the French gentleman."

"Monsieur Lasseur. Yes, he was with us also."

"And all good friends. People quickly become friends when they are travelling, I believe."

"They are thrown very much together," I explained.

"That must be so."

Monsieur Lasseur came back.

"We are leaving in half an hour."

"We had better brace ourselves," said Alice.

The next part of the journey was as hazardous as the first. I noticed that there was a pathway across the desert. Presumably it had been made by the wagons, and if the drivers had kept to this it would have been moderately comfortable, but the frisky horses, maddened no doubt by the frequent applications of the whip, kept straying into the sand, which sent up clouds of it over the wagon.

Several times during the trip to the second caravanserai I thought we were going to be overturned, but by some magic we survived and, after what seemed an interminable journey, we reached the second of the resthouses.

As we were making our way into the caravanserai Monsieur Lasseur slipped his arm through mine and drew me slightly away from the others.

He said, "That was a real shake-up. I feel quite bruised, don't you?"

I told him I did.

"I think," he went on, "I could get a better conveyance for us. Don't say a word. I couldn't take the others ... only you and Miss Philwright."

As he was talking Tom Keeping came up close behind us.

I said, "How could we leave the Carlings? They should be the ones to travel more comfortably."

"Let me arrange this," went on Monsieur Lasseur. "I'll find a way."

I felt a little uneasy. I wished that I could have asked Alice for her opinion. It was not just the fact of the two of us going off with Monsieur Lasseur. We had travelled with him and knew him well. How could we explain to the Carlings, who were less able to stand up to the journey than we were?

We sat down and refreshments were brought to us.

Tom Keeping said, "I have a bottle of wine here, which I brought with me. Would you care to join me?"

I declined, as did Alice and Mrs. Carling. We preferred tea, although it was not very good. Mr. Carling hesitated and finally said he, too, would take the tea.

That left Monsieur Lasseur and Tom Keeping. The latter went to the end of the room and procured a tray and two glasses, pouring the wine into them.

He brought it back to the table and offered one to Monsieur Lasseur.

"To a successful journey," said Tom Keeping, lifting his glass. "May we all arrive safe and sound at our destinations."

We chatted for a while and then Monsieur Lasseur left us. He looked at me rather conspiratorially as he went. Mr. and Mrs. Carling were so tired that they were dozing off. There was a small room where we could wash and freshen up a little before we began the next phase of our journey. I signed to Alice to accompany me there.

I said to her when the door had closed, "Monsieur Lasseur has plans. He thinks he can get a better carriage for us, but he can't take us all."

"Then he had better take the Carlings. They are elderly and we can stand up to it better than they can."

"I mentioned that, but he wants to take us."

"Why? We have endured the greater part of it."

"He seems to be going to a lot of trouble."

"It would be nice to travel in comfort, but it would be impossible to leave the Carlings. Mr. Keeping will be all right, but I really think Mrs. Carling has had enough."

"Yes, we'll insist that he take them."

"I don't think he'll be eager to do that. He wants to show you what a resourceful gentleman he is."

"I think he wants to be more comfortable himself. He said he was going to the stables to arrange it all."

"Well, let's see what happens."

We washed and prepared ourselves for the resumption of the journey.

When we went back to the table Mr. and Mrs. Carling roused themselves and went off to the rest room. There were two of them, naturally, one for men and one for women.

It was some time before Mr. Carling emerged with Tom Keeping, and as soon as I saw them I knew that something was wrong. Tom Keeping came quickly to the table at which Alice and I were sitting.

"I am afraid something has happened to Monsieur Lasseur," he said.

We half rose. "What is it?"

"Oh, don't get alarmed. He is a little unwell. I think it may be something he ate at the last stopping-place. It happens now and then. I am afraid he will be unable to continue with us."

"But ..." I began.

"Perhaps there is something that we could do," said Alice.

"My dear ladies," said Tom Keeping, "we have to catch the steamer. I believe Monsieur Lasseur's business was in Suez. If he is a day late in arriving that could be of little moment. For us to arrive after the steamer had sailed would be disastrous."

"But what can we do ... ?"

"He is in good hands. They are used to this sort of calamity here. They will look after him. He will catch a later wagon."

"Where is he now?"

"In the men's rest room. There is a little room there where people can lie down. He has asked me to convey his best wishes to you and tell you not to worry about him."

"Perhaps we could see him ..." I began.

"Miss Delany, he would not wish that. Moreover the wagon is leaving at any moment now. If you miss it there may not be room on the next."

Mr. Carling said, "This is the most uncomfortable journey I have ever undertaken."

"Never mind, Father," said Mrs. Carling. "We've come so far and this part is nearly over. Only one more lap to do."