Early next morning came a message from Prince Kumal, inviting me to visit the caves of Shahr-Rogan, an excavated village of great antiquity, about ten miles from Beïla.

Following the stream, we gained the narrow ravine through which it flows, and, turning into one of the lateral branches, entered Shahr-Rogan.

" The caves of Shahr-Rogan are not the only sights of interest near Beïla.

Time, unfortunately, would not admit of my visiting the mud-volcanoes of Las, situated near the Harra Mountains, about sixty miles from Shahr-Rogan.

" On the way back from Shahr-Rogan to Beïla a herd of antelope was seen.

" I was not mistaken, and it did not take four hours to visit both Yarkands, the newer of which is called Yanji-Shahr.

The Meccans have been usurping the Black Stone, all these centuries, and these Jannati Shahr people have submitted because any conflict would have betrayed their existence to the world.

The rest will get us, all right enough, but Jannati Shahr will remember the coming of the white men!"

Lucky, eh?" "In Jananti Shahr," the memory of a sentence flashed to the Master, "we do not anoint rats' heads with jasmine oil!"

These gigantic mudirs, or Keepers of the Treasure, had expected the opening of the door to show them the Feringi, indeed, but preceded by Bara Miyan and surrounded by men of Jannati Shahr.

We're seeing something no Feringi ever saw beforethe hidden treasure of Jannati Shahr!" CHAPTER XLV THE JEWEL HOARD Men do strange things, at times, when confronted by experiences entirely outside even the limits of imagination.

"I hardly think the Caliph el Walid's gold was ever brought to Jannati Shahr," he answered.

No doubt the Jannati Shahr men, baffled, had sent for much gunpowder to blow in the massive planking.

Here are the jewels of Jannati Shahr.

My judgment tells me there'll be no explosive dropped on Jannati Shahr.

In a few minutes now, at most, the men of Jannati Shahr would be upon them.

Behind them lay the labyrinth, with what pitfalls none could tell and with the Jannati Shahr men perhaps already penetrating into the crypt.

If the Jannati Shahr men are waiting for us, there, don't be taken alive.

Then silence filled the black, rock-hewn chamber in the labyrinthine depths of Jannati Shahr.

Even though unmolested by pursuit from Jannati Shahr or by attack from any wandering tribes of the Black Tent People, what hope could there be?

Those Jannati Shahr devils may be after us, tomorrow.

It is a caravan going to Jannati Shahr!" Bohannan chuckled, and patted his revolver.

The four survivors, in addition to burying all the bodies, had buried the copper bars the caravan had been freighting to Jannati Shahr.

And now that they had both been tortured to death by Jannati Shahr men and been flung into Jehannum, how could there be any coast?

"Even if they escaped the explosion, the Jannati Shahr devils must have massacred them."