254 LIFE WITH THE HAMRAN ARABS. 



the members of our establishment (even Albert and 

 Essafi soon forgot their bloodthirsty intentions towards 

 one another), though we could have wished that Albert 

 had more power in checking Mohamed's extravagance 

 in the consumption of our stores ; but lately we have 

 seen that Mohamed was becoming daily more jealous 

 of the notice we took of Ibrahim, and to-day it cul- 

 minated in a row, which would have had a very serious 

 termination had not Vivian returned home at the right 

 moment. It began by Mohamed claiming a large 

 skinning-knife from Ibrahim, which undoubtedly be- 

 longed to Ibrahim, as he proved by a private mark, and 

 a struggle ensued of a desperate kind, though Ibrahim 

 was by far the stronger of the two. Vivian brought 

 it to an abrupt conclusion by appearing on the scene, 

 though a moment too late, for the plucky old soldier in 

 trying to separate the black combatants paid the usual 

 penalty of getting the most injured ; for Mohamed in 

 drawing the knife away made a frightful gash across 

 his hand between the first finger and thumb, from which 

 blood spurted in torrents. They then wisely set to work 

 to bind the thumb to the finger as tightly as possible, 

 and thus partially check the bleeding, and messengers 

 were sent off in search of me. I was fortunately re- 

 turning home, and aided by my assistants the arteries 

 were tied and all bleeding arrested ; and then, faint 

 from loss of blood, the old soldier was laid quietly down 



