They saw figures glide past them, but these passed on, and they resumed their journey.
It was five long miles to the suburbs of this half-barbarian city. But once they began to come among the glimmering lights, Bungle and Kep separated. They knew when and where to meet again.
Kep held on now, boldly exchanging a "Yambo" or "Yambo Sana" with a stranger, until he entered a side lane and darted quickly into a house. The house of an Arab friend it was. He lived there all alone with his child, a soft-eyed little Arab maid of some ten years, whose life Kep had saved in the street by shooting dead in his tracks a hulking black naked and low-caste Arab, who had seized the child with the intention of abducting her.
She had been able to tell Kep, frightened though she was, where she lived, and the strong, hardy British boy had mounted her on his shoulder and carried her to her grateful father's house.
The fellow he had shot was buried out of the way, and no questions asked.
Such a favour as this no Arab could forget, so Kep knew he was safe enough there. But at first the Arab did not know the boy in his disguise.
The child knew him first, and ran to embrace him.
"You are very beautiful now," she said in her pretty Arabic, "and little Zeena loves you."
A steamer from India was due at Zanzibar next day, and all unsuspected, though gazed at by a thousand eyes, Kep betook himself to the beach and soon was engaged as guide to a lady who seemed fascinated with him.
He talked to her in broken English, called her "Meesie" (little Miss), and took her all through the town all day long and into the woods.
On parting with him, Kep certainly was not the loser, for he found half-a-crown in his hand, and a kiss on his cheek.
"Mamma," the girl told her mother frankly when she returned, "I've had the sweetest Arab boy for a guide ever any one saw, and he seemed so pleased when I kissed him."
The ship lay coaling, etc., for four days, and every day Kep was on the beach to guide the young lady.
Though Arabs did not know him, they put him down as simply a boy of a different tribe, trying to make some money.
But in this way Kep was able to confer with Bungle any day he liked, and every night he lay _perdu_ in his friend's house.