cir. xviic] Hoping against Hope. 49 



turned against us, and a barrier of small difficulties, 

 every day accumulating, bars the way to the last 

 and most interesting scene of our adventures. It 

 Vv^ould be too hard, if, after getting up with so much 

 care and so much success all the minor characters 

 of our play, Hamlet himself should have to Ijc left 

 out. Yet we are threatened with the prospect of 

 finishino' our tour amono; the Bedouins without seeinc; 

 Jedaan, indeed a lame and impotent conclusion. 



The great plain, which stretches southwards l3e- 

 fore us to the horizon, contains the object of our 

 hopes, but how are we to reach it ? We could, 

 indeed, start a] one with sufficient water to last us 

 for two or even three days, but we might Ije weeks 

 wandering about before lighting upon the Anazeh 

 camp. If only we could get information of tlie 

 direction it would be enough, and we would not 

 stay a day longer here, l>ut who is to tell us? It 

 was aOTced at last that AV^ilfrid should make a final 

 effort with ]\Iohammed, and then, if that fciiled, 

 that I should remain here with the camp while he 

 and Ghanim rode in on the two mares to Homs, the 

 nearest town, about a hundred miles off, to get 

 information about j\Ir. S., for Homs is a station of 

 the Syrian telegraph, and perhaps find some agent 

 of the Anazeh, such as there are in all the great 

 towns, Avho would assist us. They might be back 

 in five days, and by that time, who knows but the 

 Anazeh or Mr. S. might have arrived. AVitli this 

 plan he Avent in to breakfast at Abdallah's, while [ 



