accompanied by a renegade Arab, had | made their appearance in the village, and changing their horses for camels, pushed on for the Desert, to give notice, as I afterwards found to my cost, of my approach. I suspected them, but I merely exchanged the ordinary Oriental salutations as they passed and said nothing. Off they strode, and disappeared in the burning sunshine.

At eight o'clock I parted from Lady and proceeded on my way, my faithful compass my only guide. We soon left behind us the village, our camels starting at the rate of about three miles an hour, which they quickened, as they acquired confidence and a knowledge of the ground, to about four miles an hour. At the third hour we turned off the right track, about five miles to the right, in order, if possible, to overtake the spies, or at least to elude the vigilance of others who might be behind us. About five o'clock all habitations of man, all green or golden patches of sesame, millet, or oats began to disappear, and half an hour before sundown we reached the outskirts of the actual Desert, by no means a mere plain of sand, but a grey ocean, with moss and thorny shrubs that seemed to float upon its surface. That I may not appear to exaggerate in the smallest degree the dangers into which I really fell, I must here explain to my readers that the trusty servants whom Lady had recommended to me were not outlaws in a bad sense. The Bedouins expel men from their tribes for the violation of their most trifling laws. They would expel an Arab, for instance, for contracting himself to a daughter of the tribe without her father's consent, or a youth who, discontented with a promised dowry, contracted himself to another maiden. His life being in danger for these not very tremendous sins, a man so compromised generally takes refuge in flight. It is this reason why there are so many Arabs now living in stone houses on the shores of the Persian Gulf, who have abandoned the customs of the race of Ishmael.

After pushing three miles in the straight course to Tadmor, I turned about a mile from my course and settled for the night, making holes about three feet deep, according to the Desert custom, for the fires, so that our pursuers, if there were any, should not see the flame by night. We set up our tents with spears, as the night air in the Desert, even in summer, is cold, especially when the wind is blowing from the Persian Gulf. The night dews also are very heavy. We then "hobbled "our camels, took some food, and went to sleep. After four hours' rest we started again, and continued without interruption till noon the next day; we then again alighted, prepared our fires to enjoy our usual coffee, having first fed our camels, and given them a bottle of English beer each, from a small stock I had brought with me from Beyrout. After two hours' rest we proceeded about three miles, till we reached a broad tract of damp sand, stretching for a space of about twenty miles long and twenty broad. Certain that I should find running water, I got off my camel and dug my spear down a depth of about nine feet, but no water would come, though the moisture clearly enough proved that it was to be found at no great distance.

At first, to my surprise I saw no animals here, where I should have expected gazelles to be numerous, but after a few minutes a large hawk flashed between my camel and that of one of my Arabs. At the same moment I heard a hare screaming like a child. The female hawk was up in the air, about fifty yards over head, watching the prey, ready to swoop down if it cowered, or to turn it back to its pursuing mate. The poor frightened hare, seeing death near, scuttled into a hole in the sand for protection; but, poor thing, she was out of the frying-pan into the fire, for she reappeared in a moment, and fell dead close by me. She had been bitten by a snake. In an instant I was off my camel digging up the hole with my spear, and soon secured the snake in a bag, thinking it might be of some use to me hereafter. I firmly believe my poor Arabs thought me mad for troubling myself at all about either hare or snake. Very soon after this things began to look black, for we came on fresh camel tracks, both in front of us and to the right of us.

The

Of this class of more or less harmless Bedouin outlaws, Damascus contains some thousands. But the worst robbers and murderers in the Desert are the outlaws of the outlaws, rascals expelled from the stationary Arabs, who then turn wild and ride forth into the Desert to live by blood-spies had been too quick for me. The shed and murder. The real Bedouin, born tracks were fresh, although the wind was and bred in the Desert, is seldom cruel blowing, a sure proof that they were not except to the Turk, and then only in re- far before us, probably on their way to the taliation for old cruelties, or to satisfy old wells at a Slebi station, so I pushed on, grudges. as once at the wells, no one dare molest us.

LIVING AGE.
AGE.

VOL. XXI. 965

We spent the night with these worthy people, whom even robbers will not molest. and after filling our bags with water and grain for the camels, at three o'clock in the morning we steered straight for Bagdad. We rode on unmolested, and neither saw nor heard anything of the spies or of our pursuers. We were not, however, to escape, and we had not gone far before we came upon fresh tracks in the sand. Our enemies were just ahead. Another moment, and they would be upon us. There was great need of caution. I at once ordered my men to strike off a mile to the right. We then halted, threw down our camels, gagged them with blankets, tied their legs, and raised a circular heap of sand round them to hide them from any watchful enemy. We took some food, and gave our camels corn, and a half ration of water having slept a couple of hours, we now turned back to the wells, where we had been the night before, and from there steered straight for Koubisseh, the frontier

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These Slebis are a mysterious people, | time for the handcuffs. I had my strategy and no one has yet discovered from whom ready to overcome the difficulty. Quickly they are descended. In fact, they are I told my men to lock the handcuffs on me, neither Bedouins, Turks, nor Jews. There and represent to the robbers that I was a are none of the lost tribes among them. mad soldier whom they were ordered to They are neither Mahomedans nor devil take home to his friends at Bombay viâ worshippers, but worship the one God. | Bagdad. My men were faithful and They neither rob nor plunder, but dwell prompt. They did as I told them. In a in stationary tents, possess vast flocks of moment the thieves dashed up, brandishwhite and black sheep, and seldom fight, ing their spears. They instantly noticed except, occasionally, among themselves. me, naturally enough, for I was dancing These good people are most hospitable, an insane hornpipe, and asked eagerly why and devote their lives to maintaining the I was manacled. My men said, "Don't be wells for the use of travellers. The only afraid, it is a madman we are taking to wants of these simple-hearted people are Bassorah, and he would kill himself if he grass and water. They have no chiefs. was not in handcuffs." They then gathThey are the missionaries of the Desert, a ered round me, as if I were a new sort of brotherhood self-organized to relieve dis- animal, and asked me if I spoke Arabic. tressed travellers, especially Europeans. My men, with pardonable mendacity, replied they did not know, on which I began jabbering nonsense in Arabic, and begged the robbers, as good fellows, to take my irons off and keep me from those cameldrivers, who had deprived me of liberty for no reason at all. The robbers at once took me for a madman. Ragh el Allah!" (God's own holy man), they call an insane person, and they fear and reverence such unfortunate men as specially inspired by Heaven, though not always with intelligible prophecies. The chief, a murderer from his boyhood I was sure, called for the key of the handcuffs. Quick!" he said; "you rascals take off the irons from the Lord's own man." Then threatening my men, who pretended to be reluctant, the thieves all dismounted, and sat down to examine my saddle-bags to see what they could find there worth carrying off. The robber sheik, a hideous rascal, more like an ogre than a man, with a flat nose, huge mouth, and staring, bloodshot eyes, was the first to rummage. The first thing he pulled out was a frieze coat of mine. They had no tents, and it was often cold camping in the Desert. The sheik at once fell in love with this old friend of mine. He had no patience to study how it should be worn, and at once drove his legs through the sleeves, in which they wedged fast. The tails he flung over his shoulder with a puzzled look at his admiring and envious followers. I could not help roaring with laughter, his gestures of discomfort were so irresistible. Knowing that no one would touch the madman, I got behind the entangled sheik, and pushed him over; then, with a yell, I ran at one or two others, thin slight fellows, I could almost have thrown over my head, and pushed them down. The rest only laughed at my gambols, and at the discomfiture of their

town.

We had not been half an hour on the new road before we heard a savage cry, more like the howl of a flock of pursuing wolves than the shout of men, and horsemen appeared bearing down on all sides of us. It was the war-cry of Bedouin robbers, who had been hired to intercept us. There were twelve of them, as savage and diabolical cut-throats as ever hemp was grown for. My men seized their doublebarrel guns and were eager for resistance. Three or four of the rascals shot, the rest might fly, and besides, our first bullets expended, we had still our spears. But this was not in the plan of my campaign. I was on a mission, as I well knew, of peace, and I was resolved not to shed blood except at the last extremity. Now was the

angry comrades. The sheik tried harder | deep draught, he passed the bottle on to than ever to adopt himself to his new costume, and floundered about like a man in a sack race.

ing, or falling on their faces before the sup- | down on us like locusts. Their army is posed fire from heaven, praying Allah to close at hand; they are going to attack avert the deserved punishment that had us." It was my tribe; they had seen what fallen on their heads for plundering a poor I had written. I looked at the robbers. holy madman. I ran after them laughing, their gibbet faces were perfectly livid. asking what was the matter, as I had heard They felt already the camel's-hair rope nothing. "Not heard it?" said the men, pressing their weasands. The chief dropped who were plastered all over with clay; his spoon. Between Achmet's blubber lips "why, there was a noise ten thousand times the porridge smoked unswallowed. Five louder than the loudest thunder, and the minutes after, nearly a thousand mounted flame sprang out at us like fiery snakes ten spearmen had surrounded our tent, and feet long." They then knelt all round me, were calling out for the robbers, and for struck their foreheads to the ground, and Hadji el Hur, whom the thieves had made prayed my forgiveness, promising in the prisoner. Another moment the black curname of the Holy Prophet, never again to tain of the tent-door was lifted, and the molest God's most holy man. To end all chieftainess strode in. It was the daughter this I had to give the infernal rogues my of the sheik, who, in the absence of her blessing a second time all round. father was governing the tribe, and gloried in this opportunity of doing me a service. I shall never forget the bewilderment and horror painted on the faces of the robbers as they stared from her to me. I recovered my senses with extraordinary rapidity.

They now agreed to take me to the nearest Slebi well on the road between Medina and Bagdad. On our way we crossed the bed of a brook. Now every tribe in the Desert has its own cipher, secret mark, or emblem, and its own flag. Lagging behind at this point I got off my camel. I wrote my name in full in Arabic, with words indicating that I was in the hands of robbers, and had gone on a certain route. I had once lived among the El Defir, a powerful tribe in this neighbourhood, and I knew well that if any of their horsemen or scouts passed that ford within the twenty-four hours, they would instantly set their spearmen on my track.

When my worthy captors arrived at the Slebi station, they never said a word to those good people about having robbed me. They merely said that I was a poor forsaken madman whom they had found wandering in the Desert, and they suggested that any food and protection afforded me would as certainly bring a speedy blessing on the heads of the hospitable Slebis as it had done on their own. The Slebis, who show toleration to all, and do not merely talk of it, and who are Christians in actions, though not in words, at once prepared a meal for the illfavoured rascals, whom they no doubt more than half guessed to be lying robbers and murderers. They made a huge bowl of porridge for us, and I was placed at the head of the circle on a bag of meal, the seat of honour. The tent in which we were seated was one of a row of black camel's-hair tents which opened one into the other, and would hold at least two hundred persons. Before our meal was half over, a Slebi rushed into the tent screaming:

"We are lost, the El Defir are coming

"Behold!" she cried to the swarthy men who surrounded her, "behold a member of your own tribe. This is Hadji el Hur, who is a prince of Europe - prince, indeed!— "and Allah has sent me here to save him. Hang those robbers at once. Bind them hand and foot. We have long wanted these men, for they are of the race of Satan."

The frightened wretches threw themselves grovelling down and kissed my feet. "Save our lives, Hadji,” they cried, did you no harm."

66

we

"No," I said, "Leila, there shall be no blood shed. I am here on a mission of mercy and peace. Forgive these wretches. Remember that your tribe also plunder and prey. In future let these accursed rogues be merciful to poor travellers, as I have been to them. Perhaps before they die they may repent of their misdeeds, and show charity to those more miserable than themselves. Take away their camel1, get them two asses to carry water, and let them tramp over the Desert on foot till they can find some refuge, and pray for the day to come when no Desert tribe shall rob or hinder the inoffensive traveller."

Off on their somewhat hopeless pilgrimage trudged the robbers, and in half an hour my tribe had pitched their tents. Lambs were killed-we ate, sang, and danced, "so merrily, three days of Thalaba went by." At the end of that holiday we mounted our camels, the friendly tribe escorting me two hundred miles towards Bagdad-which city I eventually reached in perfect health and safety.

From Good Words.
"QUEER JEAN."

BY THE AUTHOR OF "PEASANT LIFE IN THE
NORTH."

TWO PARTS.-I.

I just like the faces that lowly labour and uncomplaining suffering have given to her common sisters. Perhaps, when she turns her eyes to you, you may see in them something more than common. Hard work and sunshine and sorrow may dim A CLERGYMAN I met the other day said the eye most god-like feature of the he had always thought there was less poe-face human-but cannot utterly quench try in poverty than I had made to appear. its light, save by its total extinction in the I hinted that the correctness of that opin- darkness of death. And poor Jean's ion turned on the definition of "poetry," shines to you with a lambent light, feeble, which often was considered to be no doubtless, but still mingling fire with its more than the ornate expression of exag- bashfulness; a fitful; flickering light, gerated sentiments or unreal fancies. He changing from beams distinct that tell of then suggested to me that fustians and un-courage and strength to dare much, to bleached home-spuns, strained muscles watery gleams that acknowledge suffering and scanty fare, the stint that comes from for conscious wrong. the want of a shilling, waste of life through Is there poetry in her poor tale? Nay, want of food, death made gall and bitter- friends; but it has somewhat of sadness ness by the thought of dear ones left un- and sin, still more of humble self-sacrifice. provided for, while real enough, were Shall I shock you if I tell of sin? What, wanting in the picturesque, and quite as although it has been washed with many apt as other matters to be made the sub- tears, purged with dire suffering and hujects of picturesque ideal. I confess I miliation? Let it not be, so. Let pure have not thought out these things. My hearts told of wrong and shame, aboundtales of earth's poor ones are the por- ing in earth's lowly places, not be hardtraiture of human hearts and human suf- ened and sealed up, albeit the spring and fering, blended with such glimpses of hu- root of the woe is sin. Nay, learning thus man gladness as God vouchsafes to earth's that the plaint of the poor sinner is rising humblest sons and daughters-pictures continually from the dingy surface of earth as true as I can make them. There is no to the ear of the God of all life, rather unreality at least in the poetry of poverty, believe ye, whom He has enlightened and I think. As bigotry, in its highest-handed blessed with many blessings, it is His and cruellest day, evolved the noblest her- will that pure hearts sympathize with roism; so poverty, here and there, when the poor erring ones, that ready arms ruling hardest, touches bruised hearts with be stretched forth to succour - perhaps tenderest emotion, quickens poor souls to save, that, doing thus, is most to be with keenest hopes and fears, evokes the like Him. noblest self-devotion, and exercises a magnanimity such as you or I dare not pretend to, even such as doeth all it can, giveth all it hath.

Well, who is or was she? Boots it much to tell who she was? Oh, you are sure that, however she has erred and gone astray, this poor sheep had at first its homefold; that a mother's heart yearned over her with more or less of a mother's special joy, when the dawn of her poor life first flushed in its crimson pain; that a mother tenderly fondled her while yet her life lay in the mother's breast, and exulted over the toddling wee thing when first it tottered at her knee. Yes, nature is very bountiful, giving the humblest of us the treasures of a mother's love. But I will

But if poverty has such features, noble as humanity may exhibit, most certainly it has its peculiar blemishes, foul blotches on the fair humanity, outcome of eternal corruption unmodified, sore wounds and bruises, wages of crass and reckless ignorance, shameful, sorrowful sins, scarce hidden from the light. Thus, poverty hath its heroes not a few-its victims many. Sometimes victim and hero are blended in one poor sinning, suffering, sacrificing, lov-not bore you. I will tell my tale.

able soul. Her birth, although lowly, was not inSee here, in our back street, is Jean auspicious. She was the daughter of old Campbell, seated in her door in the evening Campbell, "the pensioner," who dwelt on sun, with children beside her two. She the south side of the village main street, is a common-place woman for the eye to hard by where it opens out into the rest on, untidy, as women of her class gen- Square. I remember him well, with his erally are; as tanned and yellowed by sun- thin hair iron grey, his erect, spare figure, glare and dirt as they; with face not much and his old trousers of regimental tartan. expressive of either thought or feeling-'He was a native of the village, had mar