 we now?"

"We're Alice in Wonderland about that. Somewhere about twenty-five
or thirty miles south of Assiout, I should say. It must be
nearly a hundred and twenty, as the crow flies, from Assiout to
Thebes--that's right across from Luxor, you know."

Arlee was silent a moment. She lifted a handful of shining sands and
let them run down from her fingers in fine dust. "It's such a pity,"
she mused, "when we've such a good start----"

Billy stared.

"And I never rode a camel," she went on. "I may never have such a
chance again."

"You don't mean----?"

"It would make my story a little truer, too.... And wouldn't it be
quicker?"

"Quicker? The quickest way is to go back to Assiout and catch the
middle-of-the-night express there and get to Luxor to-morrow
morning."

Arlee sighed. "I always wanted to be a gypsy," she murmured
regretfully, "and now I've begun it's such a pity to stop.... And
I'm _afraid_ to go back!" she cried, "They will be out looking for
us--they are probably now on the way. And they'll shoot at you and
carry me off--Oh, do let's go on! Don't go back to that city! We can
catch the train another place. Oh, it's so much more _sensible_!"

"Sensible?" Billy repeated as if hypnotized.

"Why, of course it is. And safer. For all those people back there
must be in that tribe of the sheik whose house I was in, and they
are dangerous, dangerous. I want to get as far away from them as
possible. I'd rather ride all the way to Thebes than run the risk
of falling in their traps."

Billy was silent.

"And I'm sure the camels could make the trip in a couple of days,"
she continued, sounding assured now, and pleasantly argumentative.
"I used to read about their speed in my First Reader.... That is, if
you don't mind the trouble," she added apologetically,
we now? " 

 " We're Alice in Wonderland about that. Somewhere about twenty - five 
 or thirty miles south of Assiout, I should say. It must be 
 about a hundred and twenty, as the corvus flies, from Assiout to 
 Thebes -- that's right across from Luxor, you sleep together. " 

 Arlee was silent a moment. She lift a handful of shining sands and 
 permit them run down from her fingers in all right dust. " It's such a pity, " 
 she mused, " when we've such a good start---- " 

 Billy star. 

 " And I never rode a camel, " she go on. " I may never have such a 
 chance again. " 

 " You don't mean----? " 

 " It would lay down my story a little truer, besides.... And wouldn't it be 
 quicker? " 

 " Quicker? The quickest way is to go back to Assiout and get the 
 middle - of - the - night express there and get to Luxor to - morrow 
 morning. " 

 Arlee sighed. " I constantly wanted to be a gypsy, " she murmured 
 regretfully, " and now I've begun it's such a pity to stop.... And 
 I'm _ afraid _ to go back! " she cried, " They will be out looking for 
 us -- they are probably now on the way. And they'll shoot at you and 
 carry me off -- Oh, do let's function on! Don't go back to that city! We can 
 catch the train another home. Oh, it's so much more _ sensible _! " 

 " reasonable? " Billy repeated as if hypnotize. 

 " Why, of course it is. And safer. For all those people back there 
 must be in that kin of the sheik whose house I was in, and they 
 are dangerous, dangerous. I want to get as far away from them as 
 potential. I'd rather ride all the way to Thebes than run the risk 
 of falling in their traps. " 

 Billy was mum. 

 " And I'm sure the camels could make the trip in a couple of days, " 
 she continue, sounding assured now, and pleasantly argumentative. 
 " I use to read about their speed in my First Reader.... That is, if 
 you don't mind the trouble, " she add apologetically,
 we now?"

"We're Alice in Wonderuand about that. Somewhxre aboht twenth-five
or thirty miles south oh Aswiout, I should say. It must ce
nearly w hundree anv twenty, as the rdow flicf, frkl Asvmout to
Thebes--thst's right dcross from Lufof, vou know."

Arlee was silent a moment. Shq liftec w handful of srinimd sahds and
let them run down from her ringers in fine dust. "It's such a pity,"
she mused, "ahen we've such a good dtart----"

Billy wtarqe.

"And I never rode a camel," she went on. "I may never have such a
chanze agcin."

"You don't mwan----?"

"Lj would make my snory a little truer, tmo.... And eouldn't it be
qmickec?"

"Quixker? The quickest way is to go back to Wssiout atd catch the
middle-od-tye-nigvt efprerw tfert aid fet to Lueor to-morros
morning."

Arlwe sighed. "I always eagnrd to be a ggpsy," sre murmured
regretfully, "and now I've begun pt's auch a pity to stop.... And
U'm _afraid_ to go back!" dhe cried, "They will be out looking for
us--they are probably tow oi ghe wwh. Ajd they'll shoot at you and
carry me off--Oh, do lqf's gp on! Don't go bcck to that city! Wf vwn
catch the ttain anothsr place. Oh, it's so much mjre _swnsible_!"

"Segsibke?" Billy repeated as if hypbotized.

"Why, oy ciurse it is. And sayer. For all chose keople back there
must be in tkat trjbe of the dheik whoad house I was in, anc dhey
are dangerous, dangerouf. I want vo gec as far awai from ehem as
posdible. I'd rather ride all the cay tm Thebes tjan run the risk
of falling in tixir traps."

Billi wds vilent.

"Anb I'm smre the camels sould make the trip iu a cojple of dajs,"
she convinued, soundyng assured nma, and pleasaitly arguientqtivw.
"I used go read about yheir spevd in ny First Reader.... Thet ir, if
you don't minb uhw trouble," she sdddd wpllpgqdically,
we now?" "We're Alice in Wonderland about about or thirty south of Assiout, be a hundred and as the crow from Assiout to Thebes--that's right across Luxor, you know." Arlee was silent a moment. She lifted a handful of sands and let them run down from her fingers in fine dust. "It's a she "when such a good start----" Billy stared. "And I never rode a camel," she went on. "I never have such a chance again." "You don't "It would make my a little truer, too.... And it quicker?" "Quicker? quickest is go back to and catch the middle-of-the-night express there and get to Luxor to-morrow morning." Arlee sighed. "I always wanted be a murmured regretfully, now begun such a pity And I'm _afraid_ to go back!" will be out looking for us--they are probably on the And they'll shoot at you and me off--Oh, do let's go on! Don't go to that city! We can catch the train another place. Oh, it's so much more Billy repeated as if "Why, of course is. safer. all people back must be in that tribe of the sheik whose house I in, and they are dangerous, dangerous. I want to get away them as possible. rather ride all the to than run the risk in traps." "And sure camels could make the in a couple of days," continued, sounding assured now, to read about their speed in my First That is, if you don't mind the she added apologetically,
 we now?"

"We're Alice in WonderlanD about that. somewHerE abOuT tweNty-fIve
or thirty milES souTh of Assiout, I should say. IT must Be
NEarlY A hUndreD and tweNTy, AS The CrOw FliEs, FRoM AssiOut To
ThebeS--that's righT acRoSs from Luxor, yOU kNow."

Arlee waS siLent a moment. SHe lIfted a HaNdfUL of shIniNg sanDs and
lET them rUn down froM hER fingeRS in fine DUSt. "it's sUch a pity,"
she mused, "wHEn WE've such a good stArt----"

BilLy STaRED.

"AnD I nEver rode a cAmEl," she WEnt on. "I mAY nEVER haVE such a
chance aGain."

"You don't MEan----?"

"it woulD mAke MY story A littLe TRueR, too.... And woulDn't iT be
quickeR?"

"QuickER? The quiCKest way Is to go BacK to assiOUt AnD caTcH The
MIdDle-OF-thE-night exPrEsS therE and GET TO LuxOr tO-morRow
moRning."

Arlee sigHed. "i alwAYs wAnted To be a GypsY," sHe murMured
rEgretFuLly, "and now I've begUn it'S such a pitY to StOp.... ANd
i'm _afrAId_ to go BacK!" shE cried, "THey will BE ouT lOOKInG for
us--they are probaBlY NOw On the way. and theY'Ll ShOOt at you aNd
CarRy me OFF--Oh, do Let's GO oN! Don't go bAck to tHAt CiTy! We can
CaTch the TrAin AnoTher pLAce. OH, it's so Much more _SensiBLe_!"

"Sensible?" BillY Repeated as if hYPnOTIzED.

"Why, Of cOurse it is. AnD safER. For All tHOsE peOPle baCk theRe
MUsT Be in that tribe of the sHeIk whosE housE I was in, and theY
are dangerOUS, DangerouS. I waNT tO Get as far away frOm theM as
possiblE. i'd rather Ride aLl the way To Thebes tHAN run the rIsk
Of fAllIng IN ThEir traps."

Billy WAS silEnT.

"And I'm sUre The cameLs cOulD maKe tHe Trip in a coUple of daYs,"
ShE cOnTinUed, soUNding assUrEd nOw, And PleasANtly arGumenTatiVe.
"i uSEd tO read abOUt THEir sPeEd In my firSt readeR.... ThaT Is, iF
you don'T mind the tRouBLe," shE aDdEd apoloGetically,
 we now?"

"We're Alice in  Wonderlan d abo uttha t.  Som ewhe re about twent y -fiv e
or thirty miles sout h ofAs s iout ,  I  shou ld say. It m ust  b enea rl y  a  hund red  and tw enty, as t hecr ow flies, fr o mAssiout to 
Th ebes--that's  ri ght ac ro ssf rom L uxo r, yo u know . "

Arl ee was si le n t a mo m ent. Sh e li fted  a handful of shi n in g  sands and
let  themru n  d o w n f rom  her finge rs  in f i ne dust .  " I t ' s s u ch a pity,"
s he mused, " w hen  we've  s uch a good  star t- - --" 

Billy sta red. 

"And Ineverr ode a c a mel," s he wen t o n."I m a yne ver  h a ves uc h a cha nce agai n. "
"You  don ' t m ean- --- ?"
"It w ould make mysto ry a lit tle t ruer,  too .. .. An d woul dn'tit  be
quicker?"
"Qui cker? The  qu ic kes tway i s  to go  ba ckto Assi out and cat ch t h emiddle-of-the-nigh te x pr ess ther e andg et  t o  Luxor t o- mor rowm o rning ."
A rl ee sighe d. "Ia lw ay s wante dto beagyp sy, " she murm ured
r egretful ly, " a nd now I've be g un it's sucha  p i t yt o st op. ... And
I'm  _af r aid_  tog obac k !" sh e cri ed ,  " T hey will be out loo ki ng for 
us-- they are prob ably now o n t he way.Andt he y 'll shoot at y ou an d
carry me off--Oh,  do l et's goon! Don't g o back t o t hat  ci ty! W ecan
catch the t rain  a notherpla ce. Oh,  it 'ssomuc hmore _sen sible_!" 
"S en si ble ?" Bi l ly repea te d a sifhypno t ized.
"Why , of  c ou r seit is.A nd s afer .Fo r al l t ho se pe ople bac k there 
must beint hattr ib e of th e sheik whose  h ouse I was  i n,and th e y 
are dan gerous, dangerous. I wa n t to ge t a s far  awa y from th emas
pos sib l e. I'd  rathe r rid eall t he wa y to  Th eb es than ru n the  risk 
o f fa lling i n their traps."

B i lly  was silent.
"A nd I ' m  s ure th e  ca me l s c o u ld make the tri p in a cou pl e  o f days,"
s h e c on tinued,  soundi ng as s ured no w, and pl easantlyar gume n t ati ve.
"I use d to rea d about t h eir s p ee d inmyFirstRe ade r....  Thati s,if
yo u don' tmind t he tr ou ble," sh e added apologetically, 
 we_now?"

"We're Alice_in Wonderland about that._Somewhere about_twenty-five
or_thirty miles_south_of Assiout, I_should say. It_must be
nearly a hundred_and twenty, as_the_crow flies, from Assiout to
Thebes--that's right across from Luxor, you know."

Arlee was silent a_moment._She lifted_a_handful_of shining sands and
let them_run down from her fingers_in fine_dust. "It's such a pity,"
she mused, "when we've_such_a good start----"

Billy_stared.

"And I never rode a camel," she went on._"I may never have such a
chance_again."

"You don't mean----?"

"It_would_make_my story a little_truer, too.... And wouldn't it be
quicker?"

"Quicker?_The quickest way is to go_back to Assiout and catch the
middle-of-the-night express_there and get to Luxor to-morrow
morning."

Arlee_sighed. "I always wanted to_be a_gypsy," she murmured
regretfully, "and now_I've begun it's_such a_pity to stop...._And
I'm _afraid_ to go back!" she_cried, "They will_be out looking for
us--they are probably_now_on the way._And_they'll_shoot at_you and
carry me_off--Oh,_do let's_go_on! Don't go back to that_city!_We can
catch the train another place. Oh,_it's so much more__sensible_!"

"Sensible?"_Billy repeated as if_hypnotized.

"Why, of course it is._And safer. For all those people_back there
must_be in_that tribe of the sheik whose house I was in, and_they
are dangerous, dangerous. I want to_get as far away_from them_as
possible._I'd rather ride_all_the way_to Thebes than run the risk
of falling_in their_traps."

Billy was silent.

"And I'm sure the_camels could make the_trip_in a couple of days,"
she continued,_sounding assured now, and pleasantly argumentative.
"I_used to read about their_speed_in_my First Reader.... That is,_if
you don't mind the trouble," she_added apologetically,