AKMET HAFFEZ AND THE INIARE 



like cups coffee which we had to drink, lest an 

 insult might be offered. 



Ameene, our interpreter, now spoke, and 

 told him why our sudden call was made and 

 Akmet Haffez told us that Hashem Bey, the 

 Sheikh of the Anezeh, had been his guest for 

 ten days, but had gone the night before, back 

 to his tribe, which was encamped at a distance 

 of ten or twelve hours' ride. 



The dignified old gentleman then learned we 

 were the people who had been in Antioch three 

 nights before. 



"These then," he asked, "are the people, one 

 of whom has an Irade from the Sultan of Tur- 

 key, and letters from the one Great Sheikh of 

 all the Americ tribes?" 

 "Yes," he was told. 



The old man's eyes filled with tears as he 

 looked at me, and his slaves and secretaries 

 grew more interested, when turning toward 

 Ameene he said: 



"Then you have called on me before call- 

 ing on the Governor of Aleppo and Syria. 

 No such honor was ever paid to a Bedouin be- 

 fore, and if I should live to be one hundred 

 years old, my smallest slave would honor me 

 more for this visit." 



[81] 



