This Englishman, As I Afterwards Found, Was A Military Man
Returning To His Country From India, And Crossing The Desert At
This Part In Order To Go Through Palestine.
As for me, I had come
pretty straight from England, and so here we met in the wilderness
at about half-way from our respective starting-points.
As we
approached each other it became with me a question whether we
should speak. I thought it likely that the stranger would accost
me, and in the event of his doing so I was quite ready to be as
sociable and chatty as I could be according to my nature; but still
I could not think of anything particular that I had to say to him.
Of course, among civilised people the not having anything to say is
no excuse at all for not speaking, but I was shy and indolent, and
I felt no great wish to stop and talk like a morning visitor in the
midst of those broad solitudes. The traveller perhaps felt as I
did, for except that we lifted our hands to our caps and waved our
arms in courtesy, we passed each other as if we had passed in Bond
Street. Our attendants, however, were not to be cheated of the
delight that they felt in speaking to new listeners and hearing
fresh voices once more. The masters, therefore, had no sooner
passed each other than their respective servants quietly stopped
and entered into conversation. As soon as my camel found that her
companions were not following her she caught the social feeling and
refused to go on.
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