THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 181 



For a long time they sat quietly puffing their pipes, 

 and probably longing for the stimulus of a battle-cry 

 to rouse them from their torpor. At length one of 

 them, the master of the Nubian, slowly rose from 

 the mat, and challenged an antagonist. Slowly he 

 laid down his pipe, and took and raised the pole in 

 his hand ; but still he was not more than half roused. 

 A fresh horse was brought him, and, without taking 

 off his heavy cloth mantle, he drowsily placed his left 

 foot in the broad shovel stirrup, his right on the rump 

 of the horse, behind the saddle, and swung himself 

 into the seat. The first touch of the saddle seemed 

 to rouse him ; he took the pole from the hand of his 

 attendant, gave his horse a severe check, and, driving 

 the heavy corners of the stirrups into his sides, dashed 

 through the sand on a full run. At the other end of 

 the course he stopped, rested a moment or two, then 

 again driving his irons into his horse, dashed back at 

 full speed ; and when it seemed as if his next step 

 would carry him headlong among the Turks on the 

 mat, with one jerk he threw his horse back on his 

 haunches, and brought him up from a full run to a 

 dead stop. This seemed to warm him a little ; his 

 attendant came up and took off his cloak, under which 

 he had a red silk jacket and white trowsers, and again 

 he dashed through the sand and back as before. This 

 time he brought up his horse with furious vehemence ; 

 his turban became unrolled, he flew into a violent 



