UN THE lii.M (.)[■' TiiK i)i:si:!ri- 153 



spcciiiK'n tlint we oiicoiintered, Adiiiiet Ben Saiul by 

 name, a, oood-lookiiio- o-entleinaii witli a Scotcli faee and 

 courteoii.s inaiiiicis. I su]»p()S(' that lie had iic\ci- heen 

 ill the conipau)' ol luiiu_[)eans hefori', lor lie loolc an 

 intense interest in all my proceedings. Whenevc]- nny- 

 lliiiiLt' hai>])('ii('(l he seized niv liand and liowed his head 

 over it; us, I'or instance, when I slijtpcd and recovered 

 myself, also when 1 faihd to do so; again if I understood 

 what he s.aid, or equally when I did not. J\[ost effusively 

 of all when I offered him some tobacco and thin paper 

 wliii'h 1 liap])cii(Ml to ha\o in ni\' pocket; the climax 

 beino- reached wlicn J lii-hted his cio'arette with niv sun- 

 glass. But this was a forbidden joy which he would have 

 piously refused if any of his friends had been by. W hen 

 luncheon tinu> arrived 1 was very hungry and particularly 

 anxious not to share my store with Achmet. I knew he 

 had brought nothing with him, for they are the most 

 abstemious race, and I hoped that Ins sciu]>h'S would 

 |»rove stronger than his ap})etite. With >oinr confid(>nce, 

 and with a great show of politeness, 1 handed iiim my 

 slices of meat, well knowing that he had seen them fr\-ing 

 in grease. This was of course rejected, and bread also. 

 A biscuit he nibbled with extreme caution, c\idiiii]\ in 

 terror lest some fragment of fat should poison his soul. 

 There remained the honne hoi'che of ni\- hiiKheou. a 

 hanillul of biscioiis dates. 80 tar I had got all the ei'i'dil 

 of mv UL-nerositN'. without havimj; lost aii\ liiiieheun. 

 Grown over - conli(h'nt, 1 chanc-ed it, and handed the 

 ]\'K'ket to him. To mv lion-oi- his ev<'s L!'li~^tened with 

 eager jox . his lean lingers outstretched and clas[)ed the 

 whole liiowii mass, gathering it togetle r to the l.isl fruit. 



