CH. XX.] A Young Hero, 1 1 3 



suffered from it already. Have you not lost 

 enough tents, and mares, and camels V " We 

 must get them back," he said. " And your lives ? 

 was not Ibn Shaalan killed in the war ? " " Yes, 

 Jedaan ibn Shaalan." " He was killed, — and hj 

 whom \ " " Oh, by one of the Anazeh." ''Wliich V* 

 Meshiir would not answer. " We know it was you 

 who killed him." " Well, it was clone in battle, 

 and with the spear. Look — it went in at his back 

 and came out here," pointing to his right side. 

 " He was dead directly. When he fell I took his 

 mare, but I would not keep her. I let her go, and 

 she followed her companions. I took another mare 

 the same day, but I let them both go."* Meshiir 

 told us all this with the most good-humoured boyish 

 face, contrasting strangely with the deeds he de- 

 scribed. " Jedaan," he said, " was just my age, (" el 

 mesqiiin," poor fellow,) and was a fine horseman,, 

 but it was fated. He was Sotamm's nephew, and he 

 makes the fifth of the family we have killed in com- 

 pensation for my father's death." Mitbatkh ibn 

 Mershid was killed by five men of the Koala tribe,. 

 and this is why Meshtir claimed five lives of the- 

 latter. But if the price of blood had been paid, it 

 would have been for only one life. 



I took Meshur's portrait, and while doing so a 

 middle-aged man rode up and saluted Mr. S., who 

 recognised him as a certain Seyd ibn Barghash, who 



* It is considered a chivalrous thing for a Sheykh to let go th& 

 mare of an enemy lie has killed. 



VOL. II. I 



