The Washington times., 1910-11-05
CHAPTER III.
The Vision.

r. OR a full week I lay delirious.
- remember nothing that actually
happened during this time. or
the things that did not happen,
the scenes and creatures Of my delirium,
have the elearest memory.
Again and again l saw and talked
with my dead mother Many and many
a time did she steal out OF the past to
bend above me in the night and quiet
my restless tossing. Others came, too.
My father. big, blond. handsome; the
pTlm little Concord aunts; blur old Prof.
Reyes and his star-eved little daughter
IN pigtaAiS ami pinafore as l had last
seen her. once l thought Z was carry
ing the pigsk1n through the Yale line,
and l later SSrned that IL took all the
combined strength OF Jack and Said to
keep me from scoring the imaginary
touchdown.
When / was wildes. th1e vision Of my
mothers beautiful dark face above me
could alWoys calm my worst rawlings.
AT last 1 opened my eyes upon the
real world Weak, thin, deadly pale.
was, nevertheless. myself again. Three
days later we resumed our march, and
at the conclusion Of long days ride
came upon the outskirts OF the FL
hanah encampment
l WAS dead beat from the exercise:
strong as l am normally. my customary
vigor had been slow in returning. / de-
cided TO rest for the night before seek
ing out the Emir Basraoul for the for
nal interview which desert etiquette re-
quired.
sent Said on ahead 70 make the Gus
tomary claim on the emirs hospitality,
and, II possible, to find Prof Keyes and
bring him 70 me.
Jack went with Said. leaving the Ave
servants 20 pitch our little camp, sur
rounded by a wondering swarm OF
REFn in oh nd -
lay resting while the work went on. 1
was tired out and ached all over. The
fever, too. had come back ia & little
reminiscent wave, brought on by over
scorehing sun.
I had little fear OF our reception. Had
a tribe Of warlike BedOuins happened
upon US We would probably have been
seized or slain. But, coming to our
own free viii TO q Bedouin chief, and
calling upon him for hospitality, he and
his whole tribe were bound 10 harbor,
suCcor, and protect US for 80 long a
them and to be responsible for our
safety for fourteen days thereafter.
Thus reads the immutable and world
old guest law Of the desert
II is a wise and noble law. in a land
where hotels and police are unknown.
On IL relied
The tents were pitched by the time
Jack and Said returned. With the two
men were 6ENELd al DC40ulu SCI ANS
bearing food and wine Walking with
graceful haughtiness, a little IN
front, was a tall, slender Arab OF per-
haps thirty. In him the thin lips and
Bedouin were almost exaggerated
These and his small, graceful hands
and feet, as well as his rich dress.
marked him as a man Of high birth.
The desert Bedouin is the artstocrat
of the Orient. he ia as unlike and as
superior 20 the dusky Cairene Egyp-
tian as the blooded Arab race horse Is
TO the long-eared pack donkey. In
breeding, pedigree and all that goes
TO make rank or distinction, he has
little to learn from the Almanach de
Gotha's mobiles
As the newcomer drew near, in ad-
vance of my friends, I realized he was
an emissary from the enir sent to
make me welcome I struggled to my
feet, despite his polite gesture Of de-
probation, and copied his gesture Of
touching alternately my chest, lips and
forehead with my hnger-tips. This Is
the universal Oriental salutation. II
IS supposed TO imply greeting and per
sonaI unWoTthiness OF SO great an
honor.
The man spoke to me in musical
Arabic. I shook my head He then
turned to Said, much as one might to
a NANCY dOgA and spoke a sentence
or so to him.
The dral oman, with servile haste, In
formed M that my interlocutor was
the Sheik HanZ. nephew 70 the emir,
ION whom" he punctiliously added.
BE peace and the years Of the ages"
He had been sent to inform the how
adjis that the encampment and all
therein was at their devoted service
Also the ernir grieved 70 learn that
Allah had smitten me w.th the Nile
sickness: but that. as Allah was as
mercifui as He was great. I would
doubtless be well enough by the fol-