The Prince of India, Volume I

endants, and issued directions for the entertainment of the Emir in the evening; this done, he cast himself upon the rug, and gave rein to

elf of the Valley, it will be well to refresh his memory with a few details. He should remember, in the first place, that it was not merely the caravan which left El Katif over on the western shore of the Green Sea, but two great caravans merged into one-El Shemi, from Damascus, and Misri, from Cairo. To comprehend these, the region they drained of pilgrims should be next considered. For example, at Cairo there was a concentration from the two Egypts, Upper and Lower, from the mysterious deserts of Africa, and from the cities and countries along the southern shore of the Mediterranean far as Gibraltar; while the whole East, using the term in its most comprehensive sense, emptied contingents of the devout into Damascus. In forwarding the myriads thus poured down upon them the Arabs were common carriers, like the Venetians to the hordes of western Europe in some of the later crusades; so to their thousands of votaries proper, the other thousands of them engaged in the business are also to be computed. El Medina was the great secondary rendezvous. Hardly could he be accounted of the Faithful who in making the pilgrimage would turn his

l sizes to a level, the line developed into unequal divisions, with intervals between them; about the same time the noise became recognizable as the voices fiercely strained and inarticulate of an innumerable host of men. Then the

was attained, sometimes not; the end was a confusion beyond description. The very inequalities of the ground helped the confusion. A group was one moment visible on a height; the

ed of animals and men-here horses, there camels-some with riders, some without-all, the burdened as well as unburdened, straining forward under urgency of shriek and stick-forward for life-forwa

y victors, would rest or, at their leisure, take of the many sites those they preferred; but no-the penalty attaching

ry, sleepy, worn-out-always reeling on as if looking for quiet places in which to slip their loads of whatever kind, and lie down and die; but the camel aroused, enraged, frightened, panic-struck, rebellious, sending forth strange cries, and running with all its might-an army of camels hurling their gigantic hulks along at a rate little less than blind impetus. And they went, singly, and in strings, and yonder a mass. The slower, and those turned to the right or left of the direct course, and all such as had hesitated upon coming to a descent, were speedily distanced or

leading straps on which they pulled with the combined strength of man and horse identified them as drivers; others rode as assistants of the drivers, and they were armed with goads which they used skilfully and without mercy. There were many collisions, upsets, and entanglements; yet the danger did not deter the riders from shari

f the rush the

e-"in the Prophet's name,

llent Hadji-if the carav

it u

so from the

of horsemen galloped into view-free riders, with long lances car

ir bearing," said he, with admiration; "but poss

ign, O lover of the Prophet, they are the Beni-Yarb. Every other one

melange turned towards them, bringing the spectacle in part to the very feet of the Wanderer; whereas he thought with a quicker beating of the heart, "The f

between them may

hile they pounded with the other-natives on beautiful horses, not needing whip or spur-natives on dromedaries so swift, sure-footed, and strong there was no occasion for fear. Men, and often women and children, on ragged saddl

xclaimed. "Here hath bar

drum. They were armed with long spears of Indian bamboo, garnished below the slender points with swinging tufts of ostrich feathers. Each carried a woman behind him di

rtaken struggling with a string of camels. The crash of bursting boxes, the sharp report of rending ropes, the warning cry, t

Shaykh. "Thou seest the tufts on their

d the Prince. "Their long wh

r their clothes, and cut their shaven crowns, and wail, 'Woe's me, O Ali!' then kiss the Ka

w it was a Sunite s

and people from the Himalayas, and beyond them far as Kathay, and China, and Siam, all better known to the Prin

s of the caravans-Moors and Blackamoors, Egyptians, Syrians, Turks, Kurds, Caucasians, and Ar

a halt; tents were rising, and the smoke of multiplying fires began to deepen the blue of the distance. It ac

ere reduced to faded fezes, marched in the van, followed closely by a rabble of Takruris, ragged, moneyless, living upon meat of abandoned animals. Last of all were the sick and dying, who yet persisted in dragging their fainting limbs along as best they could. Might they but reach the Holy City! Then if they died it would be as martyrs

tral figure, the superior in sanctity, the essential condition-the ONE! Knowingly or unknowingly, he left a standard of religious excellence behind him-Himself. And by that standard the thief in the wake of the mighty caravans robbing the dead, the Thug strangling a victim because he was too slow in dying, were worthy Paradise, and would attain it, for they believed in him. Faith in the Prophet of God was more essential than faith in God. Such was