"It may save you a certain amount of hunger and pain," she said. "When you are dead, we will give it to one of our men, and your horse too. He's a beauty."
"I hope to God he may—" began Aladdin.
"Pretty!" said the girl.
She went away, and he heard her clucking to the chickens. After a time she came back. Aladdin was waiting with a plan.
"Don't move," he said, "or you'll be shot."
"Rubbish!" said the girl. She leaned casually back from the hole, and he could hear her moving away and clucking to the chickens. Again she returned.
"Thank you for not shooting," she said.
There was no answer.
"Are you dead?" she said.
When he came to, there was a bright light in Aladdin's eyes, for a lantern swung just to the left of his head.
"I thought you were dead," said the
