THE BEDOUIN. 201 



relations. Sheik Achmed would lie on the sand for hours 

 listening to Hall's relation of the events in the life 

 of Joseph; and I could see his keen eye light with the 

 story at its salient points, and show his full appreciation 

 of it. 



" ' I'll try Achmed this evening on a story out of the New 

 Testament,' said Hall one day as he rode by my side ; 

 and in the evening, when the stars were looking down on 

 us in a deep gorge between two lofty rocks, Stephen told 

 the story of the Fall of Man and the Passion of the Son 

 of God. I translated it, watching Achmed's eyes. 



" It was a weird scene, that group of Bedouin listeners, 

 with flashing eyes hearing the history of the king of a far 

 country, who ransomed his subjects at such cost. They 

 understood the story well. Every point told on their keen 

 intellects, and they exchanged glances of intelligence at 

 every new passage. 



" The next morning, as we were riding slowly up a val- 

 ley toward the northeast, Achmed closed up by my side, 

 and began a conversation. 



'"The story that Howadji Stephano told last night — ' 



" ' Yes, Sheik Achmed.' 



" ' You think it a true story as well as the Howadji Ste- 

 phano.' 



" ' I ? How know you that I think it true ?' 



" ' By your eye and voice. Besides, I have heard it be- 

 fore.' 



" ' Where, and when ?' 



" ' You told me part of it once, that night we were out- 

 side the Deir San Saba ; and then I heard it again from 

 Father Paul, at the convent at Jebel Mousa. He told it 

 to me one evening when he was shut out, for he had been 

 to see a sick man in the tents of the Oulad-Said. He 



