30 Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates, [ch. xvh- 



■under escort to Dcyr, and the worst a summary 

 execution as Eussian spies, we passed a miserable 

 night, sometimes dreaming wildly of flight on our 

 mares, sometimes of bribing the zaptiehs, and some- 

 times of resistance by force of arms. But in the 

 morning more prudent counsels prevailed, and we 

 aOTeed to wait for the caravan and learn the worst. 

 The worst has proved to be better than we 

 expected. The order was nothing more than that 

 we were to keep close to the caravan till we got to 

 Tudmur, JMohammed and his uncle Hassan being 

 held responsible to the Pasha for our safe arrival 

 there. We agreed then to go on for the present in 

 the direction required of us, trusting to have another 

 opportunity of eluding our guardians and getting 

 away ; but for the moment our hopes are frus- 

 trated. We cannot accompany the Abu Kamis. 

 Mohammed, who is really a good fellow, makes 

 very light of the Pasha's order, and as soon as ever 

 the caravan appeared in sight, said we might as 

 well go on. It didn't matter so long as we kept on 

 the Tudmur road, and it was no use waiting for the 

 others if we had sooner be alone. So on we went, 

 the zaptiehs making no opposition, Wilfrid now 

 spoke seriously to Mohammed, told him exactly 

 what it was we wanted, and asked him to help us. 

 He promised him at the same time a handsome pre- 

 sent on the day we should reach Jedaan's camp, and 

 the Tudmuri without more ado promised to do his 

 best. He only insisted that at present we must go 



