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about with insolent vociferation. Our Sheikh of Kerek, a man of
sixty, far excelled all his people in these youthful exercises; indeed ¬
he seemed to be an accomplished Bedouin Sheikh; though he
proved to be a treacherous friend to me. As I thought that I had
settled matters with him, to his entire satisfaction, I was not a
little astonished, when he took me aside in the evening to announce
to me, that unless he received twenty piastres more, he would
not take charge of me any farther. Although I knew it was not
in his power to hinder me from following him, and that he could
not proceed to violence without entirely losing his reputation
among the Arabs, for ill-treating his guest, yet I had acquired sufficient ¬
knowledge of the Sheikh’s character to be persuaded that
if I did not acquiesce in his demand, he would devise some means
to get me into a situation which it would have perhaps cost me
double the sum to escape from; I therefore began to bargain
with him ; and brought him down to fifteen piastres. I then endeavoured -
to bind him by the most solemn oath used by the Bedouins
laying his hand upon the head of his little boy, and on the fore
feet of his mare, he swore that he would, for that sum, conduct me
himself, or cause me to be conducted, to the Arabs Howeytat, from
whence I might hope to find a mode of proceeding in safety to Egypt.
My precautions, however, were all in vain. Being satisfied that
my cash was reduced to a few piastres, he began his plans for stripping ¬
me of every other part of my property which had excited his
wishes. The day after his oath, when we were about to depart
from Ayme, he addressed me in the presence of the whole company, ¬
saying that his saddle would fit my horse better than my
own did, and that he would therefore change saddles with me.
Mine was worth nearly forty piastres, his was not worth more than
ten. I objected to the exchange, pretending that I was not accustomed -
to ride upon the low Bedouin saddle ; he replied, by assur¬
