MY QUEST OF THE ARAB HORSE 



to part from Akmet Haffez. The Seglawieh 

 Jedranieh mare, whose two sons we had bought 

 and to comjDlete whose purchase we had sent by 

 a soldier the fifty pounds extra demanded by 

 her owner, had not appeared. All through the 

 dinner Akmet Haffez had been noticeably con- 

 cerned over his non-appearance. At first he 

 smiled and said that the heat might have de- 

 layed his coming, or that some accident might 

 have happened. But as the time went on he 

 became more serious. We were compelled to 

 leave that night in order to catch the steamer at 

 Alexandretta four davs later and we had our 

 large string of horses to convey 106 miles. 



As the servants were serving coffee the sol- 

 dier came in out of breath and he had not 

 said many words before Akmet Haffez's eyes 

 blazed with anger and he arose and picked up 

 a rifle from the couch. What was the trouble? 

 This simply: The mare's owner had counted 

 out the fifty pounds brought by the soldier and 

 then had demanded further a revolver he had 

 seen one of our party carrying. 



That was what had roused our host. He 

 had given his word before Allah that we should 

 have the mare and he would keep his word if it 

 took rifles to help him do it, 



[188] 



