Werper removed the pouch from about his waist. Sorrowfully and
affectionately he let his fingers press the hard outlines of the
contents. Ah, if he could extract a little handful of the precious
stones! But Achmet Zek was standing now, his eagle eyes commanding
a plain view of the Belgian and his every act.

Regretfully Werper laid the pouch, its contents undisturbed, upon
the body of his horse, rose, and taking his rifle with him, backed
slowly down the trail until a turn hid him from the view of the
watchful Arab.

Even then Achmet Zek did not advance, fearful as he was of some
such treachery as he himself might have been guilty of under like
circumstances; nor were his suspicions groundless, for the Belgian,
no sooner had he passed out of the range of the Arab's vision, halted
behind the bole of a tree, where he still commanded an unobstructed
view of his dead horse and the pouch, and raising his rifle covered
the spot where the other's body must appear when he came forward
to seize the treasure.

But Achmet Zek was no fool to expose himself to the blackened honor
of a thief and a murderer. Taking his long gun with him, he left
the trail, entering the rank and tangled vegetation which walled
it, and crawling slowly forward on hands and knees he paralleled
the trail; but never for an instant was his body exposed to the
rifle of the hidden assassin.

Thus Achmet Zek advanced until he had come opposite the dead horse
of his enemy. The pouch lay there in full view, while a short