For the first time in my life I
have two men engaged to look after my wants. They did their duty
well, - were almost painfully attentive at times. But to-day I
thank them for their kind severity.
Not having spent more than a few hours on horse-back in the
previous ten years, I found, after riding a few miles, that it
required more than a beautiful horse to make riding comfortable to
an inexperienced rider. But our way led through such a beautiful
valley, and on either hand were mountains so suggestive of Bible
narrative that there was much in the earlier part of the afternoon
to divert my attention from any physical discomfort. Where we were
riding there was no road, - simply bridle-paths, and frequently not
even a path.
After we had been riding for an hour a young Arab on camel-back
joined us. I did not like his searching looks from a face almost
hidden in his head-garment. But he stayed with us for a half-hour,
and in that time had raced his camel with our horses; then he
suddenly turned from us toward the near mountains of Gilead. We
met a number of caravans in the earlier part of the afternoon, and
I noted that every man that I saw carried a gun, or some sort of
sword, or large knife. They were ready for defense, if occasion
should arise.
About two o'clock we passed a "memorial heap," or cairn. Some
tragedy occurred there, and the custom of the region is that the
passer-by places reverently on the pile of rocks already formed an
additional stone. Elsewhere I had seen this done when it seemed to
me the actor was under the spell of a superstitious fear.
About the middle of the afternoon a soldier, full armed, dashes up
to us in a mad gallop, hands a message to my dragoman, and then as
rapidly rides back again. I am a little alarmed at this until I
learn that he has entrusted a writing to us to be delivered in
Jerusalem. A little later I see another soldier leave the group in
which he is riding and gallop ahead across the open way to the
brow of a hill. There he dismounts, lays down his gun, takes the
robe, or blanket, on which he rode, spreads it upon the ground,
faces toward Mecca, and prostrates himself in prayer. The prayer
over, he dashes down to his party and they are off like the wind.
About four o'clock we passed near a little village, the only place
where I saw a house on that long afternoon ride.
