THE WAR MARE IN THE DESERT 



the keen edge of the Bedouin lance given when 

 she had seen both horse and rider fall from 

 the thrust of the spear of the Great Sheikh who 



had ridden her. 



So for a long time we waited together — the 

 mare and I, in the gathering dusk, and as we 

 waited I almost wished that we could always 

 be alone. The call of the desert came strong 

 to both of us then. 



But we were not to be left alone for long. 

 The mare and I had ridden far in advance of 

 the caravan, but now the people were gallop- 

 ing along in an effort to catch up. They soon 

 reached us and Akmet Haffez, who would not 

 let me go astray in the desert, took his place 

 on my left, and so we rode and talked on and 

 on into the beautiful night. I was tired from 

 the excitement of the secret which only Wad- 

 duda and I knew and it was a relief to have 

 Moore and Thompson tell me something that 

 rested me. We were going to stop about mid' 

 night at the camp of a cousin of Akmet Haffez. 

 We were to have a midnight dinner and start 

 before sun-up toward the Anezeh. 



But it was after midnight when we came to 

 the singing and joyous Bedouins, who were 



