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The distance was a thirty-six hours' journey, the danger was said to be nil, and the expense they estimated at about 250 piastres. I therefore hired two strong camels, one for me, the other for my servant and the camel-driver, and took nothing with me in the way of provisions but bread, dates, a piece of roast meat, and hardboiled eggs.
That evening, as Wassef the camel-driver went to the mosque to pray, Fatima cursed him, because now all the village laughed secretly at the revenge that Wassef had taken upon the lover of his daughter.
As soon as the camel-driver saw Mohammed he stopped him and said: "My mistress wishes to see you before noon. I think she intends to engage you to take charge of her caravans." Mohammed waited to hear no more. As quickly as possible he went to the house of Khadijah; for he was well pleased at the thought of being employed in so important a service. The widow received him in a very friendly way.
Our party consisted only of the camel-driver, Said, and myself, with three camels. I must say I felt rather queer knocking about in The Mountains, almost alone. 8th. Rose early, and pursued our way. The air of this elevated region invigorated my mind and body; and so by a mishap I took no coffee before starting.
None of them were pretty, but some were fine-looking, with aquiline noses, and rolling about their large, black, gazelle-like eyes. 10th. Spent the day in writing notes. Expect to remain three more days. I am, however, comfortably sheltered from the heat, which has been to-day excessive. Mohammed, my camel-driver, is useful to me as a writer of Arabic, giving me the names of places in Arabic.
"Yet of too mean lineage to mix with the blood of Plantagenet," said Richard haughtily. "Such may be your maxims in Frangistan," replied the Soldan. "Our poets of the Eastern countries say that a valiant camel-driver is worthy to kiss the lip of a fair Queen, when a cowardly prince is not worthy to salute the hem of her garment.
"Achmet," he said in a low voice. The figure stirred, the hand dropped from the beard and clutched the knee; but the head was not raised, and the body remained crouching and listless. "He escaped?" David said, turning to Ebn Ezra Bey. "I know not by what means a camel-driver bribed, perhaps, and a camel left behind for him. After the caravan had travelled a day's journey he joined it.
The business began during Ramadan; how it ended and where was in the mouth of every soldier between Beni Souef and Dongola, and there was not a mud hut or a mosque within thirty miles of Mahommed Selim's home, not a khiassa or felucca dropping anchor for gossip and garlic below the mudirieh, but knew the story of Soada, the daughter of Wassef the camel-driver.
"I do not know his name," answered Abdullah; "he was a camel-driver of the Sahara." "And your mother?" asked the lawyer. "How can one, born as I, know his mother?" replied Abdullah. "And you," said the lawyer, turning to Nicha, "who is your father?" "Ilderhim of El Merb," she answered. "And your mother?" asked the lawyer. "She died before I can remember."
Soada's trinkets and bracelets were perhaps no better than those of her companions, but her one garment was of the linen of Beni Mazar, as good as that worn by the Sheikh-Elbeled himself. Wassef the camel-driver, being proud of Soada, gave her the advantage of his frequent good fortune in desert loot and Nile backsheesh.
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