noon
Mugambi shook his head , and continued along the trail , but with redoubled caution . All day he traveled , stopping occasionally to call aloud the single word , `` Lady , '' in the hope that at last she might hear and respond ; but in the end his loyal devotion brought him to disaster . From the northeast , for several months , Abdul Mourak , in command of a detachment of Abyssinian soldiers , had been assiduously searching for the Arab raider , Achmet Zek , who , six months previously , had affronted the majesty of Abdul Mourak 's emperor by conducting a slave raid within the boundaries of Menelek 's domain . And now it happened that Abdul Mourak had halted for a short rest at noon upon this very day and along the same trail that Werper and Mugambi were following toward the east . It was shortly after the soldiers had dismounted that the Belgian , unaware of their presence , rode his tired mount almost into their midst , before he had discovered them . Instantly he was surrounded , and a volley of questions hurled at him , as he was pulled from his horse and led toward the presence of the commander . Falling back upon his European nationality , Werper assured Abdul Mourak that he was a Frenchman , hunting in Africa , and that he had been attacked by strangers , his safari killed or scattered , and himself escaping only by a miracle .