Oriental Encounters / Palestine and Syria, 1894-6

TING OF

s tent, and starlit night before I reached it-

h I told him to go back repeatedly, knowing how his mouth must water for the headman's feast. The dudgeon which he felt at my de

d him stretched on a deck-chair, with hands behind his head. He did not rise upon my entrance

vel and the flies; and asked me how I could endure

rrangement, we were to sleep upo

ke him laugh. Rash?d had spoken of the virtues of a certain shrub; but Suleyman declared the best specific was a new-born baby. This, if lai

ou, an Englishman, and apparently a m

of his attitude impressed me, he being a man, presumably, of wide experience, and, w

very stale European bread which he had brought with him. Confronted with such mummy food, I thought with longing of the good, fresh meal which I had left behind me a

to move in fear, and was addre

y put me through a kind of catechism. Finding out who I was, and that we had some fri

severely. 'At your age you should be at c

ings,' I told hi

trymen, imposed itself on me as I sat there before

to fleece me. He told me stories about Englishmen who had been ruined in that very way through making friends with natives whom they thought devoted to them. One story ended in a horrid murder. He wanted me to have no more to do with

n search of an old Greek inscription, mention of which he had d

vice to you. Go back to England. Come with me for the next few days, and share my tents. Then come and stay

who, at my first appearance, had detached himself from a small group which s

noise on our arrival in the place so short a while before, now took

a thing expected. Looking round upon those eager, friendly faces, I compared them with the cold face of the missionary, who suddenly appeared to me as a great bird of prey. I hat

We had lain down and said 'good night' to one an

ll never b

mean?' I ques

t to trust us, not to be so friendly with persons who

wer, and Sule

e desert people, and he who journeys on the sea trusts s

ories of his o

doubtless say that they are masters of the guile which brings destruction, deserving only to be clawed to death. Que

He never thanks them for their work, however perfect, nor has a word of blessing ever passed

e great stars, hearing the jackals' voices answer one another from hill to hill both near and fa

tice; which, in human life, is cruelty. He keeps a strict account with every man. We, when we love a man, keep no account. We never think of w

of honour,' I objected, with satirical int

ht so little at the time that you would take no action. That was the doing of a Greek, as was established. Say, can you of yo

f reflection. 'But the experience of

as they find them, and do th

rch of an old Greek inscription, not far off. Within four days he hop

er them. It was the hour immediately before the dawn, and life seemed hopeless. The missionary'

hat he pleases,' said

ighed Suleyman. 'Thou art the le

r. I cared no longer for the missionary's warning. I was content to face the dangers which those warnings threatened; to be contaminated, even ruined as an Englishman. The mischief, as I t

once,' I told Rash?d. 'Before the m

eve his ears. Then suddenly he swooped and kis

ith vast relief. 'The tiger in thee has

pigeon of the mosque,' I

towards the dawn, beginning to g