Affair in Araby

mgrim sahi

y, hot journey with the stifling simoom blowing grit into our followers' throats, who sang and argued alternately nevertheless. For, besides our old Ali Baba and

ety, depends on his swift thinking; on the way home afterward reaction sets in sometimes, because Arabs are made li

chicken into two live ones by pulling it apart. They would pitch the tents without fighting if he would swallow a dozen eggs and produce them presently from under

y ballyhooing for himself in an amazing flow of colloq

mite turned by the sunshine of the world's warm smile. I don't mean by that that he isn't a tophole man, or a thorough-going friend with guts and gumption, who would chance his neck for anyone he likes

s way out of; he has never yet found a job that he cared to stick at for m

ting and amusing, and most folk so ready to make friends with him, t

eadily most of the way from Abu Kem, it seemed already about as stale and unattractive to him as some of his oldest tricks. And Jerusalem provided

having off the black whiskers with which Nature adorns my face whenever I neglect the razor for a few days, when an auto came tooting and roaring down the narrow street, and a moment later three staff officers took the stairs at a run. So far, good; that was unofficial, good-natured, human and entirely decent. The three of them burst through the bed room door, all grins, and took turns pumping with Jeremy's right arm-glad to see him-p

tables and began to question them

the crossed swords of a brigadier. "Grim tells

e thought they had touched a leper by the w

Oh, I say-this is a co

attitude: "I was made prisoner by Arabs and carried off. That's more than three years ago. The

to be considered. Let's see;

! I met Grim in the desert, a

jor Gri

oss him in the desert; he reported for duty; I gave

ith desertion and tried by court martial, I'm afraid. Possibly a mere formality, but it'll have to be done, y

that take?" J

means debate has ceased and quarrel started. It

vice to you is to keep yourself as inconspicuou

gnals to Jeremy in vain. Few Australians talk peace when there is no

o the Jordan Highlanders-fine force that-no advance without security-lost two men, if I remember-snakebite one; the other shot for looting. Am I right? So they've made you a brigadier! A

circumstances. The brigadier's neck was cr

inged him a bit. Suffers from delusions. Supp

See he gets no whisky, will you?

ry, contriving to look devilish

r and I'll kiss him on both cheeks while you hold him! But say; suppose that doctor's one of these swabs who serve out number n

you look altogether too dashed healthy-got to give the doctor-man a

and order me into a hospital. How about toothache?

de the pain should be. But it was artifice wasted, for Grim had turned a better trick. He had found an Australian doctor in the hospital for S

as-the three-day scrap at Nebi Samwil, when Australians and Turks took and retook the same hill half a dozen times, and parched enemies took turns drinking from one flask while the

hting too: dog fights, fist fights between bullockies on the long road from Northern Queensland, riots in Perth when the pearlers came in off the Barrier Reef to spend their pay, rows in th

everywhere, and they always have a wife along, who worships them and makes a home out of tin cans and packing-cases that would put the stay-at-home housekeepers to shame. They always have a picture on the wall of cows standing knee-deep in the water, and no matter what their ci

im to the Zionist hospital-swore a Jew knifed him and that the others would finish the job if they got half a chance. They'd have been arguing yet, and he dead and buried,

ere, Mabel and me beside him. Seeing I was paying for the cab, I didn't see why Mabel should walk. Of course, once we had him in there he was too sick to be moved; but the Army w

said Grim. "What's

st down from Damascus. I think he's one of Feisul's officers, although he's not in uniform- prob'ly on a secre

t Jeremy? What'

u want done

e here pending his discharge. No n

re mad. None of us need

u arres

t y

ed with. That runs in the blood. I order him off duty, and shall recommend him within twenty minutes to the P.M.O. for leave of absence at his

.M.O. fall?

amper and syrup three nights a week. You bet he'll sign it: Besides, he's white; pulled out of the firing-line

he long ward, next to a Pathan who's shy both legs. You can't mistake him. I'll write out a medical certificate for Jeremy and follow. And say; wait a minute! What pri

nciple that a bird in the hand can be strafed more easily than one with a medical certificate. The bush was the place for our bird until such time as the P.

; Grim's uniform would have passed him in, but he and Jeremy were still arrayed as Arabs, and my civilian clothes entitled me in the sentry's opinion to protection les

ventures along with us at Abu Kem. There was nothing whatever the matter with him. He recognized Grim's voice and emerged through the f

ncerned wasn't a language, but Narayan Singh spoke in turn in Punjabi, and the man

hority, Narayan Singh leading with the air of an old-time butler showing royalty to their rooms. He even ascert

e doctor sahib, it would be necessary to call him forth from the surgery, w

Grim, and neither man smi

emoves the half of

f interrupting him. T

the way they do when a man is dying, and had placed three chairs at the bedside contrary to the regulations printed on

eyes blazed with fever he seemed to have some of his wits about hi

mgr

you," said Grim, speaking the northern dialect of Arabic,

bed, speaking hoarsely as he sta

riend of mine,

that

aven face spell nothing reassuring to the Arab when in trouble

d Ramsden. Also a

mirikani?

t a man to fear. He i

hose

Grim a

e seemed willing to take

Jew stabbed you?" G

f all trouble? If a Greek should kill a Maltese it would be a Jew who planned i

the man who

es

s he a

who struck me was a hireling, who shall die by my hand, as Allah is my witness. But may Allah

asked, and the man in bed closed u

aint, with a scant beard turning grey, and hollow cheeks. He had thrown off the grey army b

g of all this land this minute!" he sa

ments when most cross-examiners would browbeat he grows sympathetic-humours hi

the French?

hem! They are all

ou pro

! That

g eyes of his twinkled with quiet amus

if you would listen I m

smiled more br

k the world is all leagued against you. Why should the

w who hold the reins

ou they'd have stop

h may determine.

friends in

rel

they haven't b

Not stran

out authority, who might make trouble

I have no

u could prov

instance, is a friend of mine, and these men with me are his friend

st High, I swear I had a letter

letter fr

the signature. If you can get that letter for me, Jimgr

ed you and I'll ge

Better tell the doctor of this place to hurry up

course, if you're here to sow sedition, and should there be a document at large in proof of it, which document should fall int

f you get

read it,

om will yo

to my fri

bound by y

l hold

him that the scent was hot; added to the fact that the rest of his expr

asually. "On my way here I saw one of Feisul's sta

oodless face grew ashy grey and livid blue alternately, and he would have screamed at Grim if the cough that began to rack his whole body woul

stabbed you and I won't mention your

n? Will they

d. Who sta

Allah cut him off

m into camp and get a receipt-drive 'em out again next night-bring 'em back in the morning- get a receipt again-drive 'em off-bring 'em back-us chaps too busy shifting brother Turk

self, playing piano on the

asked the fellow in bed,

? You've seen it work? Experienced it, maybe? Hah! You'll understand me. I'm a grain of the Epsom Salt that went through Beersheba, time the Turks had all the booze in sight and we were thirsty. Muddy booze it was too-oo

ggested Grim. "I've got

rest els

ore yet," Jeremy objected. "The plug'

nod

o much from him. Don't want t

ered Jeremy, "I've p

atue, deaf, dumb, immovable. Even his eyes were

you hear?" G

a sick man. I ha

m any

honour

over health more rapidly outdoors? Sick-leave con

's eyes

know I nee

ou. In case he signs a new cert

mgrim sahi