But At Last, At Half-Past Nine
O'clock, After Being In The Saddle For Nine Hours, I Am Aroused
From My Stupor By A Joyful Exclamation From My Dragoman.
A few dim
lights are seen, - IT IS GERASA!
My dragoman continued his exclamations of praise thus, "I thank my
God for saving my life once more." I said faintly, "Why such
words?" "Well," he said, "all natives are expected to be in their
villages by sundown, tourists at their destination earlier. It is
the custom of this region that tourists must have an escort of
soldiers or Bedouins, even in times of peace; and now THE FEUDS
ARE ON; and here we have come alone, at night, unarmed; and I am
responsible for these horses - they are not mine - and for your
life. The ride may have been hard for you, but the hours of
anxiety were more trying to me. I have now done it once, but I'll
never again assume such a risk - NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION POUNDS!" I
had no response that he heard, but mentally I said, "Never again
with ME, Mr. Barakat. NO, NEVER!
Yet I think I never experienced greater joy on entering my own
home than on that night when entering and riding through the
crooked, narrow lanes of that miserable village of Gilead.
"At Gerasa"
CHAPTER IV.
Though in the village, and therefore relieved of the feeling of
special danger, yet we had much difficulty in securing lodging for
the night. Our arrival seemed to disturb the peace of dogdom in
what otherwise would have been a quiet resting-place. No people
were outside their houses. We picked our way to the nearest light;
the occupant of the house would not come out, but showed his face
at the window - a hole in the wall about a foot square. My dragoman
pleaded for lodging, but in vain. We sought the next house in
which there was a light, but neither would the people of that home
open to us. We tried several other places, but at all of them we
were refused admission. They seemed to look with suspicion upon
our visit to the village. But, finally, a good old Mohammedan
consented to let us spend the night in his rock hut, and gave us
the privilege of putting our horses in his little walled space by
the house. Haleel must spend the night in this yard - he always
slept with the horses. When my dragoman helps me over the stone
door-sill, and we enter the hut, we find that the part allotted to
men consists of but one small room, having a floor of earth on
which are spread a couple of mats. In this room there is no
furniture. Two persons are already asleep on the floor. We do not
disturb them.
Not having eaten anything since noon, my dragoman begins at once
to prepare a light lunch for us. On a brazier that he finds here
he makes a little charcoal fire and quickly brews some of the tea
brought from Damascus; into this he squeezes lemon juice; then
finding some bread that he had stowed away in his saddle-bags, our
lunch is ready.
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