Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-08-17
A Dangerous
Journey
By JAMES BRAINARD

1t or have only vague suspicious. l
was about to happen, but did not know
how much dependence could be placed
upon them. To all outward appear
ances everything was moving on as
usual.
1 was obliged to go to Ismailia on
business. If l had known the condi-
ton of the people Of the country l
should not have trusted myself out of
Port Said, where Europeans were COM
paratively safe. To make a journey
into the interior was madness, but /
did not know it. Indeed, l only real
lied that under the circumstances l
would rather not go. A matter of or
binary gain and being murdered were
the alternatives.
I went on a night train. Being some
what fnieal about my diet, 1 took with
me a hamper filed with as succulent
leatables as 1 could get together and on
the top placed a box of cigars from
which only a few Of the weeds mad
been taken. | got into my compart-
ment, put my hand baggage on the
rack and settled myself for a journey.
Being in a smoking compartment, l lit
a cigar.
The compartment was filed with ma
tives, I being the only European in it.
This in itself was not encouraging.
The train had hardly got under way
when an old Arab sheik sitting oppo-
site me leaned forward and calmly took
my cigar from between my lips and,
placing it between his own, smoked it
himself.
To have resented the insult would
have been equivalent to inviting the
man to stab me. I therefore paid no
attention to him and, taking q news
paper from my pocket, began to read
that is, l pretended to read, but l had
no idea Of what was on the sheet be-
fore me, my mind being taken up with
the fact that 1 was in a compartment
with seven Arabs and utterly at their
mercy. My eyes appeared to be fixed
upon the paper, but 1 was casting
quick glancss sidewise at the natives
and knew by their chatter and occa-
Sional looks at me that / was he sub
ject of their conversation.
Then a lucky thought occurred to
me. I reached up to the rack, got my
box of cigars from my hamper, took
out one for myself n handed the box
to the sheik who had robbed me Of the
n l had been smoking. He took it,
appropriated a handful of the contents
and passed it to the others, who did
the same, and the box was returned to
me empty.
Notwithstanding my peace offering
I expected every moment to feel cold
steel entering my vitals. Most of the
Arabs wore long knives where they
could be seen, and I knew not what
other weapons they had concealed. AS
for me, 1 was unarmed, and even If l
had been armed my opponents were
seven to one.
1 cannot describe the agony of that
night, expecting, as l did, death at any
moment. The Arabs in my compart-
ment paid no attention to anything
that was going on in the rest Of the
train, but l had a vague feeling that
something very important might be go
ing on. l can't account for this feel
ing, for / heard no sound to produce 1t.
1 only knew that I felt that there wa
murder in the air.
Finally their looks and acts were so
suspicious that l bethought myself Of
some other way similar to my offer OF
cigars to placate them. Then my
luncheon occurred to me. Reaching
up again to the rack, I brought down
my hamper, opened it and displayed
the %eatables. Every mans eyes were
on them, but not a man moved to
touch any of them. / offered the ham
per to the man who sat next me, but
he declined. In turn l handed it to
every man in the compartment; but,
though they all looked with eager Eyes
upon the viands, not a man would &C"
cept a morsel.
At first l was astonished at this.
Then l remembered that no Arab will
break bread with an enemy.
The moment this occurred to me 1
knew 1 was doomed. 1 put my hamper
back on the rack and, wrapping myself
in my overcoat, lay back in my seat,
with my eyes closed, to await what
ever was In store for me.
1 heard a great deal of wrangling
on the part of the Arabs, but l thought
I would rather rely on my weakness
than on being prepared for resistance
that would be useless. So l did not
open my eyes. Presently I felt a hand
on my arm. Thinking my time had
come, I looked, and there was the
sheik who had taken my cigar from
my mouth holding out a piece of dry
bread. l took it and, biting from it,
chewed vigorously.
A food of relief and Joy seemed to
have been poured over me. I knew
from that moment I was safe. Reach