never had a better equipped caravan left the gates of mekran to cross the gedrusian desert in the direction of kelat and civilization. the palanquins of the dromedaries were so comfortable that aunt lucy declared she felt as if on shipboard. the horses were the finest the famous monastery of mehmet had ever bred; the pack animals bore tents and material for the nightly camp that would have been worthy the great alexander himself, and everything that might contribute to the comfort and even luxury of the travellers had been provided with a liberal hand. here were the twenty afghans, too, glad of the chance to return to their own country again; but of the former party some were missing and some had been added.

dirrag was the guide, this time, and the faithful fellow lost no opportunity to implore howard osborne to take him along to america. “your highness will need a bodyguard,” he argued, “so why not take me, whom you may trust?”

“we don’t use body guards in america, dirrag,” was the laughing answer.

“but we have such things as true friends—when we can get them,” said janet, brightly; “so i shall insist upon having my old warrior by my side, wherever we may go.”

“that settles it, dirrag,” announced the doctor; “you’re half an american already. heigh-ho! i wish i could go with you. but bessie says i must return to her just as soon as i’ve bought the new furnishings for the palace and seen lucy well on her way home. you may expect me to end my days in this jumping-off place, my dear colonel.”

“it’s really a very fine country,” declared aunt lucy, with an air of proud proprietorship; “and it’s only natural, luther, you should wish to live with her serene highness the khanum of mekran and empress of baluchistan, who is your only daughter and my niece.”

“fiddlesticks!” said the doctor, laughing. “i really believe the only reason lucy is anxious to get back to new york,” he remarked to dr. and mrs. osborne in a loud aside, “is to air her relationship with the khanum. oh, by the way, colonel,” turning to his old friend, “how about that railroad?”

“bother the railroad!” growled the colonel. “i’d forgotten all about it.”

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