The horse's owner, however, showed no misgivings on this point. He
handed the bridle to Dick.
"_Attendez ici un moment, s'il vous plait, monsieur_" he said, and ran
off towards another hut. The horse tried to follow its master, and
Royson found distraction for a jumble of incoherent thoughts in the
need there was to restrain its fretfulness. The animal was afraid of
him; in all probability it had never before been handled by a European,
but Dick spoke to it in the _lingua franca_ of the stable, and he was
soon allowed to stroke the arched neck and twine his fingers in the
thick yellow mane.
Abdullah did not return so speedily as was his intent. He had gone to
borrow another mount, and met with delay, because the owner was in the
bazaar. But fortune helped him by sending the man back earlier than
usual for the evening meal, and when he cantered up after an absence of
ten minutes, he lost no more time.
"You are sure you can ride well, monsieur?" he demanded.
"Quite sure."
"Into the saddle, then, and let the reins hang loose.
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