“I Have Done For Him!”
He Exclaimed, As He Wiped His Knife; “But Let Us Fly.” “Not Without
Ayd,” Said I:
“No indeed,” he replied; “without him we should all be
lost.” We returned round the corner, and saw Ayd exerting his utmost
agility to come up with us.
At forty paces distance an Arab lay on the
ground, and three others were standing over him. We took hold of Ayd’s
arm and hastened to our camels, though we knew not where to find them.
Szaleh had frightened them so greatly by striking them with his gun,
that they went off at full-gallop, and it was half an hour before we
reached them; one of them had burst its girths, and thrown off its
saddle and load. We replaced the load, mounted Ayd, and hastened to pass
the rocks of Djebel Sherafe. We then found ourselves in a more open
country, less liable to be waylaid amongst rocks, and better able to
defend ourselves. Hamd now told me that Ayd had first seen four Bedouins
running down upon us; they had evidently intended to waylay us from
behind the corner, but came a little too late. When he heard Ayd cry
out, he had just time to strike fire and to light the match of his gun,
when the boldest of the assailants approached within twenty paces of him
and fired; the ball passed through his shirt; he returned the fire but
missed his aim; while his opponent was coolly reloading his piece,
before his companions had joined him, Ayd cried out to Hamd, to attack
the robber with his knife, and advanced to his support with a short
spear which he carried; Haind drew his knife, rushed upon the adversary,
and after receiving a wound in the foot, brought him to the ground, but
left him immediately, on seeing his companions hastening to his relief.
Ayd now said that if the
[p.515] man was killed, we should certainly be pursued, but that if he
was only wounded the others would remain with him, and give up the
pursuit.
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