The Lion of Petra

Me-Same

The etiquette of the desert is more strict, and more dangerous to neglect, than that of palaces

that dignity that only warfare with the desert breeds, and they saluted Grim with the punctilio of men who know the meaning of a fight to him who doubtless understands it too. A very different matter, that, to raising your Stetson on Bro

ilkhair!" he rol

i Higg!" they answere

ely aquiline nose and dark-brown eyes that fairly gleamed from u

May Allah giv

peace!" Gr

stood as if he were used to being called by that name, but the rest of us did not dare look at one another. Once across that railway-li

ation yet. I held my breath, trying to remembe

Ali Higg, not knowing that your

ed a lion?" demanded Grim. "Wh

, boasting with proper pride that she is Your

aba wore a twinkle in a wicked eye; the rest of his face was as emotionless as the face of the d

rim. "It clatters unceasingly, and none can sil

O Lion

e from the West who are in any hurry to betray their business. There bei

t rise tomorrow?

n feelings, who had nothing at all to do but lo

at El-Maan-three hours after sun

y-side, but that hardly seemed to me to account for the way those five men had been driving their camels. However, as Grim

accordance with its moods. The men who live in the desert are of the same pattern-fierce, hot, cold, intolerant, cruel, secretive, given to covering their tracks,

irds. Shall He not decree a

ten, and that which is written shall befall. It is said there are

eave all the looting

They who slay wil

those who seek labor? In that case we crave permission to join Your Honor's party. It

such short time in Petra that men doubt who rules here? Have I not said the train shall pass El-Maan and come t

onferred for a moment

ook the

have failed or have fallen into bad hands on the way. Word has not come that you reserve this train for you

r saw a man look more pleased than Ali Baba, and Narayan Singh's face betrayed militant admiration. Nor have I ever heard such a str

to this point. And as to what happens thereafter that is my affair. Bid any and all

no doubt partly affected for the sake of flatt

who shall save our lives? Who are we

etorted Grim. "Let any touch

will not b

h's way to make blind those who i

o with us-one whom they will know an

longer chances in a crisis with a more unerring ai

d them a woman. Let us see who

that Grim was Ali Higg was to score off him, either by capturing him for herself, or in the alternative by ruining him for rejecting her advances. It was not clear yet w

er to the rock to fetch her, and I found her smiling serenely,

n of Petra summ

wned like a lazy cat that sees the milk being set down in a saucer-straightened her dress,

's bidding," she answer

woman who is addressed as often as not as princess; but if I had walked

her face. It was as good as a show to see her swallow back surprise and wonder at him ope

unharmed as far as this point. Moreover, say that none may trespass. What shall take place h

es El-Maan. Then you may leave your camel and

ce of admiration. We had all her baggage, for one thing, and it rep

, these five men and probably others would surely denounce her to her real husband. Sh

my lord? Alone wi

of your

er baggage and leave her to face the consequences. It seems you can fall

n I can trust. Give

e was surely not going to leave the captain of his gang behind. And no doubt she supposed I was valuable to Grim because of

might know she was one whom her lord delighted to honor. She tried to get a chance to whisper to him, but he

emissary, and the last I saw of Grim for a few hours he was squatting in the

but ride forward and watch points. I

be that as a Darwaish I could claim immunity. Failing that, I found myself able to hope with a really acute enthusiasm that my shrift at the crowd's ha

d two bandoliers. However, it was highly unlikely I would have a chance to

nk about, I made up my mind finally in case of trouble to let them take the rifle and the knife; they might then suppose me to be disarmed. After that,

of my business to advise him what to do with it beyond hiding it under his clothes. The old rascal's eyes gl

on Mujrim in addition to Allah and Mohammed and all the saints to witness that he spoke virgin truth, and, moreover, that he never lied, and would rather die ten ti

d try in vain to overtake a little one; but she had been born to the game, and there wasn't a man in the party who could have won a race against her, whichever of the animals she rode; for the camel knows quic

he cloths we kept across our mouths and nostrils did not keep it out. You felt like a mummy riding a race in hell, and how the ca

veniences; the others accepted them as in the natural order of things, an

on, with its hideous red water-tanks, was a mile and a half to the eastward of the place-a miserable

ifty men our five new acquaintances had spoken of, there were a hundred and fifty if one, all herded in groups, each with a rifle over his arm or slung across his shoulder. Their talk c

n, but affronted them from camel-back, having learned that method, no doubt, from her r

kals hunt ahead of him? Did the men of Dat Ras profit by coming between him and his prey? Go, look at Rat

would have made a passport clerk take notice; and her voice was raised to a shrill, harpy

n choosing! Who dares forestall him? Who dares slay one passenger, or loot one truck? W

uthority. Yet they looked capable of plundering a city, that company of stately cutthroats. Perhaps some of them had seen what actually happened wh

it to where the Lion of Petra waits. Who dares interfe

e primitive love of power, partly the animal instinct to subject and oppress-pride on top of that, and somethin

er all, too practical for that. We were but nine all told, to their seven or eight score, and they might have enforce

d to watching women carry loads. There was something revolutionary about it

l the world over to any threat, and if the laugh had spread that would likely have been the end of us. I had unslung my rifle and held it in full view resting on my thigh, being minded to look as

aising herself in the saddle to survey the crowd. "Who laug

nce dealt by an expert in terrorism. I know I didn't doubt she would have used the rifle, and I don't suppose they

nd, because an Arab must boast at every

mgrim she should tell the world she is his wife and he the veritable

down a signal. We got off the track and rode our camels round on to the platform. The crowd gave way before us, and Ayisha thrust herself this and

to where they might have regained something of determination, but let them stand there under her eye where they could see in herself the ruthless symbol of Ali Higg'

ination; the four guards armed with worn-out rifles that they did not dare use; the four passenger-cars with their window-glass all shot away; the half-dozen Arab artisans carried along for makeshift repairs en route; and the more than brave-the too-fatalist-to-care-much passengers wondering which of their number had an enemy at every halting-place; and alo

st. And he seemed to be an expert in symptoms of lawlessness. Leaning his grimy head and shoulders out of the cab, he l

ing up the situation in two

judgment without reservation, equivocation, or hesitation. I rather suspect that it can only be learned by sticking

t El-Maan, for the simply sufficient reason that you can't do business where governme

might pitch me into hell and roast me forever he wasn't exaggerating. But I got off my camel and boarded the engine nevertheless. Ayisha had handed over her mount to Ali Baba and entered the caboose, ign

tooted a silly little horn; a signal descended in the near distance a

rgo on rejoicing; and there was only one way to do that. What they saw fit to rejoice about I don't

hey could not resist repeating it, and by the time we had hauled

er about twenty men decided to follow them at a safe distance. The rest had begun to scatter before the train

ine-driver found time

e lingua franca that all India

the mother argot at a

o'll blow your train to hell," said I,

f a gu

re

ou learn

d I. "You bee

Goin' back

u get the hint, you won't. That gu

ehind it was a wheezy twenty miles an hour, and the track was so out of repair that even that speed wasn't safe. I was w

he repeated. "What

n to him. All he hankers for

'ell's a matt

imp in your machinery unless

steam. He'll run

e it. He's wise.

ot him. I shot

"This is love stuff. He's

t. You climb back along the cars an

ner kick a nes

er bro

you'd no

t th

arring that we're no

ers can't shoot for nuts. Let

f Ali Higg?"

ing hot track, wiped the sweat from his face and

You kn

asked if

! Him and me-

he's you

nod

you've got t

l on th

e th

ver the side of the engine with

for him. Son of a gun! If he b

mation or ask questions. But I was curious. It was possible that Ali Higg's brother had been given the task of runni

rating that engine-driver in any case as one of the world's heroes. I've

ed into the flattened egg-shaped rock, and then w

the car-windows. True to his word the driver came to a standstill, and Grim came u

the driver. "You would kill yo

then?" said Grim, cool

does not know the other by sight; but it must be disconcerting, all the same, to have a supposititious brot

face with the meat stripped off it! Nevertheless, thou

e in her hand, and turn to take aim at the open door, th

e thou and I are brothers,

nd the whole train came within an ace of bucking off the track. And before the caboose had passed u

!" she said, stamping

r are you that let

er's son?" Grim aske

rned to me

beat it?"