" Certainly I will give you every assistance if you will explain what you intend to do .sx " " I want to duplicate the itinerary of our friend El Khiyal the ghost .sx " " Not on a camel , I hope !sx " .sx Captain Moreton gave a smiling negative to the Colonel's jumpy query .sx " I'll borrow a horse and be on the safe side .sx No stampede this time .sx And I hope to prove that it is possible to pass right through your sentries , cross the Suez Canal , and even negotiate your ` footprint path .sx ' Please don't warn anyone of my attempt .sx That would give them an unfair advantage .sx " " That , of course , is understood , " said the Colonel .sx " And if you get past my men on horseback , I'll court martial every officer and man on this side of the canal .sx " " And what if I get my message across the log track ?sx " .sx " You mean without leaving any trace ?sx " Without detection , yes .sx " " Then I say that you are the finest long-jumper the world has ever seen , " declared the Colonel , and chuckled confidently at the outcome .sx 5 .sx BACK at his own tent , Captain Moreton beckoned Stockwell and .sx Willis inside and spread the map on his bed .sx " Well , boys , what is your opinion ?sx Did the sentry's story tell you any-thing ?sx " Not much , except to confirm our idea , " remarked Stockwell .sx " And this , I think , skipper , confirms it still more .sx " He dived into his pocket and poured out on to the bed a small handful of millet .sx " I picked that up near the chain-ferry on this side .sx " " Um !sx So that's where he tethers his camel when he crosses the canal,' mused Captain Moreton .sx " And I wandered along the banks of the Sweetwater Canal and discovered camel dung in two places , " announced Willis .sx " So that the C.O. is off the track when he says no camel can get past his sentries .sx " Captain Moreton rubbed his nose thoughtfully and then began to pencil a line on the map .sx " This is my idea , " he said , pushing the map towards his two pilots .sx " El Khiyal is undoubtedly a Turkish spy .sx To get his information through he must cross the canal to the desert on the Palestine side .sx " " Then why should he come through the camp when he has a clear run across between here and Geneffe or El Kubri ?sx " demanded Stockwell .sx " Because he is stationed inside the camp here and finds it easier .sx Now the only permanent units here are the Camel Corps .sx Therefore he must be a member of the Camel Corps .sx " " Another thing , skipper ; why should he use a camel for such a short journey ?sx It is only a bare mile from the Camel Corps to the spot where he must cross .sx " That's his only method of creating a diversion to cover his crossing .sx But how does he cross ?sx That is the one thing I haven't yet discovered .sx " Captain Moreton shivered instinctively .sx " I don't want to swim across to prove my theory .sx " That's where little me butts in , " said Willis , glad to know that at last he could be of use .sx " Last night I patrolled this side .sx There's a small boat under the chain-ferry wharf .sx The signallers use it for laying and repairing their D5 wires - that's a lead-covered cable they use under the canal .sx The despatch-riders also use it .sx I saw one of them cross .sx He answered the sentry with a couple of swings on his hurricane lantern .sx " " Ah-ha !sx That is my last difficulty overcome .sx Once on the east bank his task is easy .sx A confederate meets him on the desert on the opposite side of the .sx footprint track .sx He tosses his packet over and returns the way he came .sx No prints left on the track .sx " .sx " Then to prove all this , one of us two is due for a cold and sticky night on the desert , " observed Stockwell with a meaning glance at Willis .sx " Don't worry about that , buddy , " replied the little pilot , airily lighting a cigarette ; " I wouldn't rob you of the honour .sx The Duke here knows that you're the man for the wide open spaces .sx That's the reason he assigned to you the eastern bank .sx Isn't that so , skipper ?sx " .sx " Not exactly , " laughed Captain Moreton as he folded the map and placed it in his pocket .sx " But you know how I get lost - " .sx " The sooner you get lost , Nugget , me boy , the sooner we shall win this bloomin' war , " observed Stockwell .sx " If you think that by remaining on this side you'll get a chance of getting your paws on the joystick of that new Spad of mine you've got another guess coming .sx " " Cut it out , you two !sx Cut it out !sx " said Captain Moreton good-humouredly .sx " Stockwell stays on this side to-night because I want him to fly back to Moascar at dawn and ask them to send those spares for the Avro at once .sx As soon as I have proved El Khiyal's material existence we all three leave here and give him a chance of showing himself once more .sx I shall have one of the Lancashire battalions moved up here from Suez to give him some further information of troop movements to transmit .sx " " Does that mean there isn't going to be a chance of a scrap , Duke ?sx " asked Stockwell , and his face dropped .sx " Bar unforeseen accidents , no , " replied the flight-commander .sx " We shall leave the capture of El Khiyal to Colonel Wynn .sx Our job will be to wait at Moascar until we receive word that he has been caught , and then fly out at dawn to discover who comes in from the desert for the " 6 .sx CAPTAIN MORETON went over the ground several times that afternoon in order to be sure of his landmarks in the dark .sx He finally mounted the horse he intended to ride one of those belonging to the Patiala Lancers and broken in to camels .sx Setting out from the Camel Transport lines , he carefully counted the animal's paces as far as the Sweetwater Canal .sx Here he came across the signs of camel dung which Willis had mentioned .sx Obviously the enemy spy had forded the narrow canal at this spot , and proceeded along the other side under the shadow of the twenty-foot bank .sx Again counting the horse's paces , he reached the gap in the bank which led down to the pontoon bridge near which the first of the sentries guarding the horse lines was posted .sx His eyes took in every contour and every obstacle .sx The westering sun was beginning to cast long shadows when at length he finished his preliminary survey of the route .sx On his way back he met Willis , who had been across to the eastern bank on a similar errand .sx He was leaving nothing to chance .sx It depended entirely on the success of his night's work whether he could bait the trap for El Khiyal .sx Headquarters would not recommend the moving of a battalion of men on a mere whim ; they would require substantial evidence .sx " Well , Willis , " he asked ; " is everything watertight at your end ?sx " .sx " Too right it is !sx " was the assured rejoinder .sx " I've found out the exact time the ' Log patrol ' goes out to make the track round the camps , and also that just before sunset is the time the camel transport goes off to the desert outposts .sx They time themselves to cross the track again at dawn ; so that between sunset and dawn no one passes either in or out of camp .sx I've arranged with young Eccleston of the Camel Corps to take me out with him .sx " " Good !sx And I've arranged with .sx the Colonel that we shall plant a blue and white signal flag the other side of the log track to represent a message .sx He himself is so interested in the experiment that he intends to be present just before dawn and accompany me past the sentries on this side .sx You can expect me to toss you the flag across some time around four o'clock .sx " 7 .sx PROMPTLY at two-thirty a shivering batman drummed on Captain Moreton's tent in the Camel Transport lines and unlaced the tightly-drawn flap .sx " 'Ere y'are , sir , " he said with chattering teeth .sx " Get outside this cup o' corfee .sx It's enough ter freeze the toes off a brass monkey this morning .sx " " Thanks !sx " .sx Moreton stretched out his hand and lit the candle which stood on an empty bully-beef box by his bedside .sx " The C.O.'s already up , sir , " the man informed him as he retired to the warmth of the camp fire .sx Ten minutes later Moreton and the Colonel were riding slowly past the seemingly endless line of camels .sx When they had reached the limit of the area illuminated by the cook's fire they began to move more warily until their eyes became accustomed to the Stygian darkness .sx The clang of a dixie-lid echoed startlingly from their rear , producing minor echoes of uneasy grumblings from the squatting camels .sx Almost before they had passed from sight a figure crawled from one of the low tents occupied by the Arab camel drivers .sx Muffled to the eyes in the folds of a kuffiyeh against the cold , he moved silently to the last camel in the line .sx Man and beast soon merged into the darkness .sx " This is where we turn , " announced Captain Moreton , and put his horse to a low sand dune .sx " You can see that even on a moonlit night we are completely hidden from any of your sentries here until we strike the freshwater canal .sx " " Yes ; I can see that , " replied the Colonel testily .sx " And on a night like this there is nothing to prevent your er spy from reaching the cutting to the pontoon bridge .sx But there he is within twenty yards of a sentry .sx .. No ; you don't yet convince me , Moreton .sx This is a fool's journey .sx " A chuckle from the darkness caused him to add " You seem pretty confident ?sx " " Here is the ford , " announced Moreton , evading the question .sx " It's only about twenty feet across and only three feet deep at this spot .sx Follow me !sx " .sx Moreton's mount stepped confidently into the water , having already negotiated the crossing that afternoon .sx But the Colonel's horse required the spur to urge it forward .sx " Now we have a wait of about five minutes , " whispered Moreton .sx " We are well hidden by the embankment from the glare of those searchlights on the vessels approaching from Suez .sx The light mist rising from the water here is also in our favour .sx " " Damme !sx I don't see how those searchlights are going to help anyone to break camp , " said the Colonel .sx " Why , they pick out every object for nearly a mile ahead .sx " As the second vessel came opposite to them Captain Moreton drove his mount forward with a slight pressure of his knees .sx The Colonel's horse behind him showed a tendency to move sideways and investigate the darkness behind them .sx " Steady , sir !sx " Moreton exclaimed , " or that rattling bit will give me away at a vital point .sx " " Can't understand Shrapnel tonight , " was the apologetic reply .sx " He doesn't usually behave like this .sx " On reaching the pontoon cutting they pulled up .sx " No need to talk in whispers now , " declared Moreton .sx " The noise of the .sx ship's propellers will prevent our being heard .sx Now you can see your first sentry in the searchlight not thirty yards away .sx He is looking straight at us and yet can't see us .sx The searchlight coming over this bank causes a black patch .sx As soon as its beam crosses the cutting we follow .sx .. Now forward !sx " .sx They passed the sentry within twenty yards without being challenged .sx Moreton heard a low " Damme !sx " from the rear and smiled to himself in the darkness .sx " Now we are protected from view by the mist , " he observed .sx " I left Stockwell near your second sentry .sx It was from that spot near the stack of tibbin that El Khiyal was seen .sx " " But I don't understand yet how you imagine you are going to evade a sentry fifteen feet away , " whispered the Colonel .sx " Why , man , he will only be the width of the freshwater canal away from us .sx " " We don't pass him ; we climb the embankment here covered by the mist , " replied Moreton and put his horse to the slope .sx On the other side he pulled up .sx " Now you see how it was done , " he explained .sx