Early History of Arab Horses 45 



a mother when the fleeing horseman 

 stopped for rest at noonday, the new- 

 comer being a filly. 



Being hard pressed the sheik was 

 compelled to remount his mare and again 

 seek safety in flight, abandoning the new- 

 born filly to her fate. Finally reaching 

 safety among his own people, great was 

 the surprise of all, when, shortly after 

 the arrival of the sheik on his faithful 

 mare, the little filly, less than a day old, 

 came into camp also, having followed her 

 mother across miles of desert. She was 

 immediately given into the care of an old 

 woman of the tribe (Ajuz — an old woman) , 

 hence her name, Keheilet Ajuz, " the 

 mare of the old woman," and grew to be 

 the most famous of all the animals in the 

 history of the breed. That such a mare 

 really lived is not to be doubted, what- 

 ever credence we give to the story of her 

 early life. Upton seems in doubt just 

 where to place her. He says that some 

 believe all the present families of Al 

 Khamseh (the five) are descended from 



