The Prince of India, Volume I

n Religion," said the Indi

e of the scheme the singular man wa

refinement of faith except God be its exclusive subject; and so certainly it lead

eligious Brotherhood, with God for its accordant principle; and he was now returned to present and urge the compromise. In more distinct statement, he was making the pilgrimage to ascertain from personal observation if the Mohammedan portion of the world was in a consenting

, where he scrupulously performed the observances decreed for the faithful at

n an eminence to the right of a road running thence south-west. These tents, connected by ropes, helped perfect an enclosure o

d. Water at a shallow depth nourished camel grass in patches, and Theban palms, the latter much scattered and too small to be termed trees. The water, and the nearness of the Holy City-only one

me up during the night in advance of the caravans. In other words, the Prince of India-the title by which he was now generally known-might, at the opening hour of the

hucksters, barbers, costume dealers, and traders generally, who, in anticipation of the arrival of the caravans, had come from the city to exercise their callings. Amongst them, worthy of special attention, w

nails to the experts, and bathed and perfumed himself, and was dusted with musk. Next the whole party put off their old garments, and attired themselves in the two white vestments El Ihram.[Footnote: A mantle and skirt of white cloth unsewn.] The change of apparel was for t

ants, and there performed the vows for himself and them. There also they all assumed the indispensable costume. Then, as he well might do, the law permitting him to seek the shade of a house or a tent, he had a rug spread before

, blent with peals of horns, the fine, high music yet cherished by warriors of the Orient. Presently a body of horsemen

enclosure looked as if they were smoking; the sky held nothing living except two kites which sailed the upper air slowly, their broad wings at widest extens

and the arms to the elbows; overalls of like material, save that the parts next the saddle were leather, clothed the thighs and legs. As the casque and every other link of the mail were plated with gold, the general effect at a distance was as if the whole suit were gold. A surcoat of light green cloth hung at the back half hiding

the warriors who followed Saladin! And when the stranger, reaching the summit of the eminence, turned out of

yed, mustached and bearded, and of a serious though pleasant expression. He kept his seat with ease and grace; if he and the broad-chested dark-

ce at him and at the camp; then, turning the horse, he looked the other way, making it apparent he had

ow silk hanging from a gilded staff. The ground of the standard was filled with inscriptions in red lettering, leaving the golden cresce

aykh, the Pri

or yonder?-He in

he Pilgrimage. The appointment was considered th

g?-Oh! a hero of the Serail. The

hallenge. He whom thou seest yonder alone dared go forth to meet him. The fought from morning till noon; then they rested. 'Who art thou?' asked Iskander. 'I am a slave of Amurath, the Commander of the Faithful, who hath commissioned me to take thee to him dead or alive.' Iskander laughed, and said, 'I know by thy tongue now

and at the end said

o, my black man.

ied away, leaving his patron with ey

Amurath! I will know him. If I fail, he

as if speaking

ir was question

he said, "appear

ensign a

of whom I have been heari

ast tho

anded, making free with his as

t mo

As the hours arrive, he lifts the curtains of his litter, and calls them with a voice like Belal's. T

mill

El Katif to Medina he travelled behind t

that. The hill-men love

uldst thou rather face, a

," said the o

ose in front abandon a ma

es

d t

d the jackals ha

left to die; of those, over one hundred were brought in by the Indian. They say it was for this he preferred to march in the rear. H

be not a Prince of Indi

ootnote: Holier

ciful! But how did h

Can he but reach the plague-struck before death, a drop on th

N

e Prophet.] as thou knowest, O Emir, hath m

n the house rich, and come out of it poorer than th

them; not with rice, and leeks, and bread ten days sour, but with dishes to rejoice a

re of the steeds, the order and regularity of the general movement, identified the body as some favorite corps of the Turkish army; while

ith coronets of drooping feathers, their ample neck cloths heavy with tasselled metallic fringing falling to the knees. Each one was covered with a mantle of brocaded silk arranged upon a crinoline form to give the effect somewhat of the curved expansion on the rim of a bell. On the humps rose pavilions of silk in flowing draperies, on some of which t

e the horsemen, moved like things afloat. One may not tell what calamities to body and soul

lowed by strings of camels loaded with military properties, and a horde of camp-followers known as farrash. Presently another camp was r

r own raising, and spread at large over the land; and when the young Em

Arab said, a

, and drums drowning his voice, he

" he sai

me he w

woulds

ro whose native blackness was intensified by the spotless white of the Ihram in which he was clad. Perhaps the bright platter of beaten copper the black man

he asked, slightly

aykh a

ji, my patron, whom tho

the most Holy of Cities; and he prays thou wilt accept from him a draught of this water of pomegranates, which he vouches cooling to t

persuasion there was in the sound and sparkle of the beverage, especially to one not yet d

lgrim then arisen and standing by the tent-door, drank it at a draught; whereupon, leaving the ensign to p

n keeping with the acts of mercy to thy fellow-men with which I he

answered, returning the bow he received.

rt a good man," the E

is mine, and as the sun is not declined to its evening quarter, perhaps, O gallant Emir, i

but the sun and I have become unmindful of each other, and duty is always the same in its demands at least. Here, because the valley is the micath, [Footnote: Meeting place.] th

d, waiting for

ffer, amend it as thou wil

e settled, and the plain is quiet, and I too have taken the required vows, I will return

ent to permit me to give thee of the fare I may yet have

it

t back to his stand overlooking the p