A new edition of a lesser-known novel by the author of The Lost World and the Sherlock Holmes storiesAs a group of Western tourists travel down the Nile on the steamer Korosko towards the historical sites near Egypt's southern border, they are kidnapped by a marauding band of dervishes who demand their conversion to Islam. Cut off from the world, deprived of the comforts of civilized society, and shaken in their beliefs, they will have to overcome the most arduous obstacles to regain their freedom and safety. Written toward the end of the Victorian era and permeated with a sense of fear and uncertainty, this story calls into question the moral authority of Europe's presence in the Arab peninsula and the cultural supremacy of British colonialism, all the while demonstrating Conan Doyle's unparalleled ability as a storyteller.