where their village might be.

As all these things ran through the active mind, a party of men
moved out of the forest at the edge of the plain and advanced toward
the ruins of the burned bungalow.

Abdul Mourak, always watchful, was the first to see them, but already
they were halfway across the open. He called to his men to mount
and hold themselves in readiness, for in the heart of Africa who
may know whether a strange host be friend or foe?

Werper, swinging into his saddle, fastened his eyes upon the
newcomers, then, white and trembling he turned toward Abdul Mourak.

"It is Achmet Zek and his raiders," he whispered. "They are come
for the gold."

It must have been at about the same instant that Achmet Zek
discovered the pile of yellow ingots and realized the actuality of
what he had already feared since first his eyes had alighted upon
the party beside the ruins of the Englishman's bungalow. Someone
had forestalled him--another had come for the treasure ahead of
him.

The Arab was crazed by rage. Recently everything had gone against
him. He had lost the jewels, the Belgian, and for the second time
he had lost the Englishwoman. Now some one had come to rob him of
this treasure which he had thought as safe from disturbance here
as though it never had been mined.