SAGACITY OP THE ARABIAN HORSE. 237 



( success, and the Arabs were occupied in packing 

 ' their booty, when the horsemen of the pacha of 

 ' Acre, who had come to meet the caravan, rushed 

 ' suddenly on the victorious Arabs, of whom they 



* killed a considerable number, and made the others 

 ' prisoners ; and having tied them with cords, took 

 ' them to Acre, as presents to the Pacha. 



* Abon el Masseh, the hero of this story, had 

 ' received a ball in the arm during the engagement, 

 ' but as his wound was not mortal, the Turks had 

 ' tied him upon a camel, taking his horse also with 

 ' him. 



' The evening of the day of their approach to 

 ' Acre, the party encamped with their prisoners 

 ' upon the Mountain of Safhadt. The legs of 

 ' the wounded Arab were tied together by a leather 

 ' belt, and he was laid near the spot where the 

 ' Turks slept. Kept awake during the night by 

 ' the pain of his wound, he heard his horsf neigh 

 ' among others picketted round the tents, according 

 ' to the eastern custom. Recognizing its voice, 

 ' he could not resist the desire to go once more to 

 ' the former companion of his life. He crawled 

 ' with great difficulty, with the help of his hands 

 ' and knees, and reached his steed. ' My poor 

 ' friend (addressing him) what canst thou do 

 ' among these Turks, thou wilt be imprisoned, un- 



* der the roof of a kan with the horses of an aga 



