Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-14

I had already found that his name
worked magic in Arabia.
However, my unlimited guests depart
ed obviously suspicious, and wondered
what their next step would be.
4 n
r SPENT miserable morning thinking
Of the unveiled appearance I had
presented at the quay, and trying to
remember the name Of the official who
had looked ct me most suspiciously
from the Sheridan boat. It was not till
the afternoon that remembered 1t was
Abdul Melek, the Sheridan wazir In
Cairo, whom I ought to have known as
well as my own brother, considering the
many times we had met. II only my
veil and sheet (meliya) had not been
torn of in the free fight among the
feluccas. all might have been well.
At the time had paid little attention
to it, because the arm py which I had
been roughly hauled out from wedged
position half under water between two
feluccas was badly wrenched, and sew
eral Of the women were in worse condi-
ton than myself. However. all these
memories now came to torment me, and
o0AAA0 AAAASs AA&NC AO0AAA AAAS VA
thusiastic companion as we bought
stores, arranged a camel string for
Medina, and visited certain I1otableS to
whom had letters OF introduction.
Nothing more happened that day, and
made all arrangements to start for
Mecca the following afternoon. We
bought q shug-duf, most amazing con-
struction in which two people balance
perilously on o couple of wide bed-like
trays slung on either side of the camel,
with the luggage piled In the middle. It
has lattice roof and sides, covered
with O carpet, so that the whole thing
resembles q sort Of clumsy tent; but,
unless both travellers are equal In weight.
and unless they both set In and out at
exactly the same moment, the whole
shug-duf overbalances.
We. wandered through the suqs in
search of provisions and bought dates,
melons, and bread, with olives and
onions for Bahia, who had odd tastes,
and clay Jars to keep the water cool,
and sheep each to give to the poor in
order to insure q successful pilgrimage.
Then we returned to our house and
watched the crowd Of pilgrims all pre-
pairing for the journey.
In the Egyptian pilgrim quarters. Con-
sequently all our friends of the boat
could be heard shouting and screaming
In various directions.
I should not have conceived 1t pos
sible that even 900 Threats could have
made such noise, and the babel only
increased with the darkness. The rich
er pilgrims hire couple or more rooms.
as we had done, but the poorer merely
pay few qurush for foor-space In an
immensely long hall. ana do most OF
their cooking In the street or on any
fiat available roof.
WE rose with the sun the next day
to see the departure of my Medina
camels. had to send them on ahead,
as this particular year there was to be
no regular pilgrim traffic between the
two holy cities, and all the canels IN
Mecca would be needed to bring back
the ordinary pilgrims. The Egyptian
caravan was not Que to start till late
afternoon. when It would ride all
through the night to Bahari. the hall
way halting-place on the way to Mecca.
but Abdulla went to fetch his charges
passports In the morning.
Then the blow fell. All were returned
except ours, and no reason was given
for this omission. All Abdulla would
say was that it was the win of Allah,
but his whole manner changed. Instead
of almost cringing politeness, he became
frankly threatening and expected we
should be turned out Of the house.
Bahia wanted to sit down and weep.
but I remembered the name OF q friends
friend, an Egyptian who lived in Jedda,
and determined to invoke his aid.
Nobody knew where he lived, So. for
three hours, we trudged YEARLY from
street to suq, from house to house.
yelled and muffied as was, the heat
was intoleranle and pilgrim sandals are
not conducive to comfort. Very soon
had huge blisters on my soles, but was
determined not to give in.
My friends friend was finally discov-
cred, Just as life had become flaming
river of heat that dripped from brow
to heel and with swift generosity he put
himself entirely at our service. But it
is to the English you must 60. Khadija
hanen--T know an officer here. He ar
ranges all the Egyptian passports. I
will take you to him and he will help
you at once"
found myself shutting along beside
him, almost weeping from my blistered
feet, out beyond the suqs to strange,
clean quarter Of the town where Eng
land occupies q large white house with
o wide view OF hill and sea. After a
short wait in a breezy hall, where o
Sikh gave me the first good water I'd
tasted In Jedda, my Egyptian friend
beckoned me upstairs into an ONCE re.
plete with every kind Of punkah and
fan.
q have told him. He win help, but
he does not speak good Arabic. Have
YOU no few words of English?"
regretted deeply that ! had not, but