ENTERTAINING VARIETIES. 839 



Yet this was to be a day of disappointments, for when I returned 

 to our camp the Karman met me at the foot of the grove and informed 

 me that our dinner had disappeared. He had gone down to the creek 

 to fill our water-bottle, and when he returned our maniocs were gone, 

 as well as the contents of our oil-flask, and six pounds of dates which 

 had been taken from our traveling-bag. " The man who did it must be 

 the father of a wolf," * said he, with a mistrustful look at the pilgrim. 



But Ben Khelpus protested his innocence. " It is a perfect mys- 

 tery to me, O fathers of Khundistan," said he, " though it now occurs 

 to me that it may have been one of those swine we saw at the creek. 

 Swine, O brothers of my father, are gifted with an excessive appetite, 

 especially for maniocs. Dates, likewise, they eat with an exceeding 

 great relish." 



The Karman looked at me, pointing to the hilt of his cutlass. I 

 understood him, but I shook my head. Determined to get rid of this 

 man, I yet thought it better to let him depart in peace. 



" Is there nothing left ? " I asked. 



" Only a handful of parched durra f and a piece of goat-cheese," 

 replied the guide. 



" Cheese ? then let us eat it now," said Ben Khelpus " right now, 

 before it becomes too dry. For to-morrow is the weekly mourning- 

 day, when all true children of Yesha must abstain from cheese. As 

 the Good Book hath it : 



" ' Salvation is to him who observes the prescribed fasts, 

 And the foot \ is safe which avoids transgression.' 



What says my father ? " 



I made no reply, and not a word was spoken till we heard the 

 sound of approaching footsteps. It was Mak-el-Frit, returning to his 

 garden to refill his tub. His heart was heavy, and he tried to pass by 

 in silence, but the pilgrim stopped him. " O my father," said he, 

 "have you any rakee at your house, or any brand-acid? For, by Al- 

 lah (whose perfection be extolled !), my goat-skin is nearly empty." 



Mak-el-Frit sighed and shook his head, but the pilgrim repeated 

 his question. " Is there no pity in your heart ? " he added ; " have 

 you forgotten the behest of Yesha ? " 



Mak-el-Frit passed on, and the pilgrim then stepped behind a tree, 

 took a club from his sack, and, after readjusting his bundle, followed 

 the old man with rapid steps. Before he returned we forded the 

 brook and resumed our journey. The heat of the day had moderated, 

 and we hoped to reach Beth-Raka before night. 



About three miles west of the ford we overtook a man whom I had 

 seen at the laborers' camp, and who seemed to have passed us while 



* Aboo-1-kalb, padre de un lobo, R. \ Sorghum vulgare, a kind of millet. 



% " Foundation," in the original. In the second hemistich of this verse eddem (foot) 

 should be substituted for ed-demneh (footing, or foundation), for the sake both of the 

 sense and the metre. 



