382 TRAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



In the afternoon we went for a stroll through the 

 town. There was a bustle and stir in the bazaars 

 that the general appearance of the toAvn did not war- 

 rant us to expect. As we walked, there was a still- 

 ness and closeness in the atmosphere that was op- 

 pressive. It was that kind of stillness of the atmo- 

 sphere which you instinctively feel must be followed 

 by a storm sooner or later. About an hour before 

 sunset we were standing on the bridge of boats, look- 

 ing down upon the Euphrates rolling its dark turbid 

 tide below us. The heaven above was without a 

 cloud ; but suddenly, in the course of a few minutes, 

 as it appeared, we became aware that the western 

 sky was becoming strangely obscure, and as we looked 

 in the direction of the sun, we saw his rays were 

 waxing dim by reason of a vast lurid cloud that was 

 surging up from the western horizon at a pace that 

 was terrific to behold. There was a sudden rush of 

 feet across the bridge, for the people, men, women, 

 and children, were flying in all directions, hoping 

 to find shelter from the deluge which they supposed 

 would, in a very short time, be pouring down upon 

 the town from out of the midst of the ominous pillar 

 of cloud that was building itself up so 'rapidly and 

 with such magic speed in the west. Even an old 

 Turk, who shot by us on his white donkey, wore 

 a countenance perfectly alarmed and panic-stricken. 

 I believe a Turk is the only man among men who 

 looks wholly dignified and composed as he glides 



