The Press., 1891-03-26
RACING AN ARAB.

'eIhOu art SW1It or IOOG, 1rleuQ 1Snak, aS we have all seen, but these Faringhees Gu ropeans) have done wonders. Methinks they would press even thee hard if thou vert set to run race with them"
 The time was noon on a hot summer day in one of the most scorching regions in the world-viz., Southern Syria; the place was the courtyard entrance of a large house near the western or Jaffa gate of Jerusa- lem, and the speakers were two arabs of the town, who were discussing some pc destrian feats which my two English com rades and had performed q few days be- fore.
 ssWhat words are these. Yakoob?" (Ja- cob) cried the other man with a scornful laugh. "Faringhees, say'st thoua Show me the unbeliever who can keep pace in running, or in walking either, with Ishak Ben YOosoof" Gsaac, the son of Joseph).
 At that moment came up, just in time to hear this fSal boast, which the speaker pointed by facing toward me with a broad stare of defiance, filled with that supreme insolence in which any true Mohammedan can leave the London street boy or the Parisian gamin miles behind. There is no finer fellow alive than the Mussulman of the right sort; but the Mussulman of the wrong sort (as every one who has been in Egypt and Afghanistan knows to his cost) IS the most Surly ana Ill cOnulGlOneu DruCe on the face of the earth
 ssThe ass thinks his bray as loud as the lions roar,'' said contemptuously. "Come and walk round Jerusalem with me- and see where you will come in-un- less, indeed, you grease your feet with hog's lard, to slip along the faster"
 To Moslem this last suggestion was the worst of all possible insults, and the Arab evidently felt it as such. His dark face grew literally purple with fury, his large, black eyes glowed like live coals, and his hand went at once to his girdle in quest of the knife which, lucky for me, did not hap pen to be there.
 'Well," asked I, "do you accept my challenge, or are you afraid?"
 The first part of Ishak's reply consisted of about half dozen closely printed lines of epithets, too piquantly oriental for translation. Having concluded these re- marks he was graciously pleased to ob- serve that he did accept my challenge, and that, with the blessing of Allah and the prophet, he would soon show me how a true believer can deal with an infidel dog.
 Just then my two companions came upon the scene, and the instant they saw what was going on the sporting instinct of the true Briton awoke in earnest.
 "A racel racer' shouted the younger of the two. "Go it, cripplesl Ten thousand to nothing on the winnerp'
 But the older looked rather grave, and said to me in a whisper:
 Better not try it, Ker. These confounded Arabs don't care hang for the sun, you know, and it's hardly fair match on a day like this.''
 "Can't be helped,'' said doggedly; 'it's too late to back out now. This fellow says he can beat me, and I'll take the conceit out of him if I die for it."
 Little did think how nearly my words were to prove true. But it was indeed too late to draw back; for this man being (as 1 afterward learned) a noted local pedes- trian, an eager crowd had already gathered to. witness my discomfiture, and Ishak, having thrown off his loose white robe and frightened his waist-cloth, was standing ready for the start. The word was given, and we were offl
 Once fairly started, suddenly realized for the first time the formidable task that l had ndertaken-nothing less than rac- ing an active Syrian Arab (to whom 12O degs. in the shade was quite 8 normal tenn perature) over four and half miles of steep and broken ground, up hill nearly all the way, in the full glare of sun that had almost shriveled up like finder many man of thrice my strength. Only "a match against time"-but a match where Death himself was the umpire and our own lives were the stakes.
 It was true that was in splendid train ing for such race, having just come back from 'roughing itn with the Turkish in- yading army in one of the hottest districts of southern Arabia. But apart from the l sinewy strength and endurance visible in every line of my adversary's gaunt brown l limbs ], in my thick boots and European clothes. was naturally at a terrible disad- vantage in racing man who had hardly | anything on at all.
 There was only one thing to do, and | did it. knew that the ordinary Arabs idea of speed is neither walk nor run,
 but long, slouching trot, kept up with g | steady, unwearing tenacity that would tire down wolf, whose usual gait it close | ly resembles. But of fast walking he has | little or no idea, and his heavy, dragging | step makes poor show beside the springy | stride of any practiced western pedestrian. | determined therefore to make the pace as severe as possible from the very start, and tempt my opponent, if I could, into trying to keep step and step with me, which l from his want of science would be the
 most exhausting thing that he could pos
 sibly do. Away we went past the once famous l Pool of Hezekiah lnow green and slilny as
 ditch), round the corner of the marrow,
 uneven street leading to the Church of the
 Holy Sepulcher, along the front of the re
 nowned church itself. then off to the right
 down by street, toward the traditional I site of Solomon's Temple and the vast | shining dome of the Mosque of Omar. On any ordinary day this lane would
 have been empty during the burning hours
 of noon. but the crowd that followed us
 increased like rolling snowball as it went
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