day*, but the camels were all ihe-camels ; they are favourite
camels o f Shekh .Seide; we drove them fo ft ly ; the two you
faw at the tents are lam e ; befides there were fome others
unfound | there were alfo women and children.” “ Where
did that party, and their camels, go to from this ? and what
number o f men was there with them ?” “ There were about
three hundred camels o f all forts, and about thirty men
all o f them fervants; fome o f them had one lance, and
fome o f them tw o ; they had no ihields or other arms ”
“ What, did you intend laft night to do with my camels ?”
“ I intended to have carried them, with the women and
child, to join the party at the Nile.” 1 What muft have
become o f me in that cafe? we muft have died?” He did
not anfwer. “ Take care, faid I, the thing is now over, and
you are m my hands; take care what you fay.” f Why
certainly, fays he, you muft have died, you could not live*
you could not go anywhere elfe.” “ If another party had
found us here, in that cafe would they have flain us ?” He
hefitated a little, then, as i f he recollected himfelf faid “ Yes
finely, they murdered the Aga, and would murder any
body that had not a Biihareen with them.” A violent cry
o f condemnation immediately followed. “ Now attend and
underftand me diftinftly, faid I, for upon thefe two que-
ftions hangs your life : Do you know o f any party o f
Biihareen who are foon to pafs hen?; or any wells to the
north, and in what number? and have you fent any
intelligence fince laft night you faw hs here ?" He anfwer-
ed, with more readinefs than ulual, “ We have fent nobody
anywhere;
* It U no, here to be onderftood that the Arab defcribed the day by the yth, but by a»
interval o f time which we knew correfponded to the 5th.
anywhere; our camels are lame; we were to follow, as foon
as they could be able to travel, to join thofe at the Nile.
The parties o f the Biihareen are always pafling here, fome-
times more, fometimes le f s ; they w ill not come till they
hear from the Nile whether the grafs is grown. T h e f have
with them two dromedaries, who will carry the news from
the Nile in three days, or they will come in fmall parties
lik e the laft, for they have no fear in thefe parts. The wells,
to the north belong to the Ababde. When they pafs by
them with cattle they are always in great numbers, and a.
Shekh along with them ; but thofe wells are now fo fcan-
ty they have not water for any number, and they muft;
therefore all pafs this way.”
I g o t up, and called on Ifmael. The poor fellow thought:
he was to die. Life is fweet even to the moft miferable..
He was ftill upon his knees, holding his hands clafped round
the back o f his neck, and already, I fuppofe, thought he felt
the edge o f Ifmael s knife. He fwote that every word he
had fpoken was truth; and i f his wife was brought Ihe could
not tell another ftory.
I t h e r e u p o n left him-, and went to his wife, who, when,
ihe faw l lagi Ifmael with a drawn fword in his hand,,
thought all was over with her hufband, and fell; into a violent
fit o f defpair,crying.our, “ T h a ta ll the men were liars
and murderers, but that Ihe would have told the truth i f £
had afked her fifft.” Then go, Hagi Ifmael, faid I, tell:
them not to put him to death till I come, and now you have
your chance, which i f you do. not improve by telling the -'
truth, I will firft flay your child with my own hand before
your face, and then order you. all to be cruelly put tot
3» death.