MY QUEST OF THE ARAB HORSE 



loose. After I had gone, if they could take 

 him, well and good. 



I was getting ready to go to the Governor's 

 office and spring the speech, when Ali himself 

 came out with a broad grin, saying that the 

 Governor had let him off from the murder pro- 

 vided he resumed paying his camel tax, which 

 had been overlooked since the murder was 

 committed. We had hardly stopped laughing 

 and gotten back to our own quarters, when an 

 excited servant came dashing ahead to clear the 

 way and to tell us that the Governor was about 

 to repay our visit. 



When the Governor came, after the usual 

 rush of coffee and cigarettes, we had rather a 

 pleasant visit and talked as if we had not seen 

 each other five minutes before. He was much 

 interested in America and its political customs. 

 At the request of Akmet Haffez, I told him 

 some Silverton stories. He was more than in- 

 terested in my father and requested to be in- 

 formed of the latter's health as soon as I re- 

 turned to America. There was no more talk 

 of Sheikh All's crime and I have often won- 

 dered whether he is paying those camel taxes ! 



[134] 



