The Lion of Petra

es All Thi

ve survived competition with the biped. Unquestionably there were tamer, gentler, less assertive lions there

tors tell on huge stone monoliths when they got back home, they remain a pretty peppery line of potentates. But for imagination, self-esteem, a

back into ancient history. If, on the other hand, you elect to start at the end and wo

in reach, and enough health to keep him feeling normal-never mind whose camel it is, nor wh

r of Ali Higg ben Jhebel ben Hashim, self-styled Lion of Petra, Lord of the Wells, Chief of the Chiefs of the Desert, and Beloved of the Prophet o

, if it had been a real mess; but Grim, who gets fun out of side-stepping all regulations, had established a sort of semi-military boarding-house for junior

ecause they are all crazy about precedent) but what they were all very glad to have Grim do, because he was a bally American, don'

like his methods; and they did not want him to quit, because there is nothing on earth more convenient for men in charge of publi

t out from somewhere behind the scenes, carefully examined, and put away again. Far-sighted men with the desert smell on them, which is more subtly stirring and romantic than all ot

eled cart and sent off somewhere, along with a tent, camp-beds, canned goods, and all the

But it seemed to me that there was too much provision made for one man, even for a month, and I had hopes. However, Grim is an aggravating cuss when so disposed, and he

citement?" he

be had," said I, preten

t loose out

y m

otter than Billy-be- --, and no cops looking after t

e my shoes when

d of

f that place, where an inaccessible city was carved by the ancients out of solid

. I don't belie

mascus government to reach; too far north for the king of Mecca; too far east for us; much too far west for the Mespot outfit. East

do we

this way: I'll go on to Hebron. You think it over. You can overtake me at Hebron any time before tonight, and if you do, all right; but if second thoughts make you squeamis

st as much as I hate to sit and think, both being sure-fire ways of getting into trouble. The only safe thing I know is to follow opp

asn't yet tasted the enmity of the desert and felt the fear of its loneliness; and Grim, wh

ome along as

ar and feather

rgotten your

e of

ugh of it to deceive Arabs

flattering me about

. "It was his suggestion w

hat the enormous Sikh, Narayan Singh, had any use for me; I had always supposed that he had accepted me on sufferance for Grim's sake, and that in his heart he scorned me as a tenderf

en. Not even his alert brown eyes betrayed excitement. Like most Sikhs, he can stand looking straight in front of him and take in every detail of his surroundings;

ing ready?"

b. Sulima

hat's the mat

. He demands to

. "Is that lit

in a way that scandalized the missionaries. He and Narayan Singh took delight in the brat's iniquities, seeing precocious intelligence where other folk denounced hereditary vi

friend?"

dul

nine years old, he had picked up all the evil that a boy can learn behind the lines of a beaten Turkis

eeping. Don't hit him with your hand, Narayan Singh, for that might

a, sa

rs. It was good music. Nevertheless, quite a little of the prospect was spoiled for me by the thought of keeping company with those two J

ll I pack

ered. "Stick a tooth

you'll have small

can't go as

ing a cigarette with a gesture peculiar to him at times when he is using words to hide h

a. We're going to joy-ride in the wrong

of Jerusalem; Narayan Singh and the two brats were enjoying our dust in another car behind us. There being no luggage there w

m, which made him look matter-of-fact and almost commonplace-one of a pattern, as they stamp all armies. But have you seen a strong swimmer on his way to the beach-a man who feels hi

e I looked away from him and glanced back

ges of ribbed rock like glittering gray monsters' skeletons, and the next they were gone in the dazzle, or hidden behind a whirling cloud of dust. Up there, three thousand feet above sea-level, there w

we were riding to a wedding. "You've time to crawl out yet. We

e not so no new battles would be fought, and women would refuse to restock the world with trouble's makings. A reasoning animal man may be, but he isn't often

e district, came out to greet us like old friends; for it was only a matter of weeks since he and we and some ot

be the first to let go of an Arab's hand, so that tact is required as well as patience; but it was well worth while standing in the sun repeating the back-and-forth rigmarole of Arab greeting if that meant that Ali B

es of almost any alien race, yet constrains him more or less to the policeman's viewpoint. It isn't a moral viewpoint exactly; he doesn't invariably disapprove; but he i

remarked, looking down into Ali B

th his beautiful gray beard, the patriarch looked frail enough to be s

d sense, Sikh!" wa

d a man as big as the Sikh and a third as heavy again-Ali Baba's e

to shame by fathering those

youngest, who had saved Grim

e rising heat within. Suliman and the other little gutter-snipe proceeded to make friends with the whole gang promptly, giving as good as they got in the way of repar

imself. The instant de Crespigny set the bottle on the table

tuff as this," he said, blinking as he set the glass d

mels ready?

rel

use-food, I suppose, that had bee

the best. Never were such camels! They a

rged for each old camel for a month is more t

ave bought them. Shall there be ta

they're as good as you say I'll pay you a

e and mine there will no doubt be a profit from thi

en that you can tell the color of his eyes, but on occasions of that sort

nished the c

ty ne

li Baba's prope

es

his sons an

of it that'

t there was no more thieving left to do in Hebron, I told you you're rich enough to quit, and you admitted it

is not good."

t you couldn't keep you

talent. Shall they sit still and g

em some honest employm

t you know, Jimgrim, they are used to rich profits in re

their fill this

reward should b

Grim answered firmly

"the officer pocketed the pay, a

e for a Turk?

it, we go against Ali Higg, who calls himself the Lion of Petra. Sheikh Ali Higg has amassed a heap of plunder-hundreds

ween yourselves to stick with me until Ali Higg is mafish* and then bolt for the skyline with the plunder. Not a bit

corresponds to "na-poo

you are

to have government rifles served out to you that you'll have to account for afterward. Every rifle missing when we get back, and every scrap of loot yo

dark could understand i

seat, evidently meaning to debate the point. If an Arab loves one th

o light matter either. They are heretics without hope of paradise and bent on seeing hell before

disposed to stumb

on the level trouble

d the question as

oundrels are slain. Behold a blood-feud! Jimgrim and his friends depart for El-Ku

i Higg and his heretics, for it is written that we should smite the heretic and spare not

wers with a challenge, but the camels draw the plow in ten fields between them. That is like a blood-feu

ep the loot when we have

g to be no lo

ll

me send back to Jerusal

hose police would bungle everything. You need clev

Are you

e are re

my t

pay is

d to me-"gets no pay at all. Narayan Singh

at is th

jail this minute? Why did I invite you to come with me on this occasion? Because a man looks for friends where he has given favors!

y Allah turn its face cold! But you are

my t

ai

to wrath, is very slow over a bargain, and it is a point of doctrine besides, all the way from Gibraltar to Japan, to keep an American waiting if you hope to ge

e journey. It seemed that he was long on sanctity, and not allowed by his religion to touch grea

on the Sikh, and suggested such matters as pitching tents, cooking, gathering firewoo

orders to each man," Grim

to be done

mains to

vil with a

I'm

than a hundre

twice tha

shall be

ent

lah makes all

There was still a custom of th

els watered?

rel

all r

d up-eve

ready to s

" * [* Tomorrow,

We start tonight, at sundown. I'll go

mpossible. My son Mahomm

ind, then, to

of the camels are not paid for. The m

him with Captain de Cres

e camels are no

in that case. There'll be time if we

some mules to carry

em. Besides, there's no time for chan

be a better m

t to Petra. We start tonight. C

stink in the stables. Better

w. Are you co

d ones. They will make you proud. Better giv

. Let's loo

little girt

rogue, we start t