THE GREAT ADVENTURE 5 



tea flavoured with mint leaves were handed round to 

 the solemn ekhwan, who took no notice whatever of 

 their fellow guests, consisting of the Governor, the 

 general, the captain of the light cruiser which was to 

 carry the Senussi to Italy, and myself. Omar Pasha 

 made me sit beside the Emir, who suddenly turned to 

 his venerable followers, "Come and salute this lady," 

 he said, and instantly, with the unquestioning obedience 

 of children, they clambered up from their low chairs 

 and moved in a body towards me. "Aselamu Aleikum" 

 they murmured gravely as they shook my hand without 

 raising their eyes, but giving me the Moslem salutation 

 to a Moslem! 



Benghazi was en fete those days. There w^ere so many 

 ceremonies — a review, a great dinner in the Governor's 

 palace in honour of Italy's new ally — so I did not see 

 Sidi Idris again tiU the last night of his stay, when there 

 was a general reception which brought streams of Arab 

 notables as well as Europeans to witness the firew^orks 

 from the wide verandas of His Excellency's dwelling. 

 I saw the Emir standing aloof from the chattering crowd, 

 his ekhwan near him, and wondered what he thought 

 of us all. Half the guests were of his own race and 

 creed, yet not here was his real kingdom, but among 

 the ten thousand Beduin who spring to horse or camel 

 at his word, among the hundred thousand pilgrims who 

 learn the law from his zawias! We stood together on 

 a wind-swept balcony and looked do\Mi at a wild dance 

 of Abyssinian soldiers. A thousand black figures, each 

 bearing a flaring torch, gyrated madly in the moonlight, 

 yelling hoarse songs of victory and prowess. The three 

 things a man may be justly proud of in Abyssinia are 

 kiUing a Hon, an elephant or his enemy! The fantastic 

 dance we saw might celebrate one or other of these 

 achievements. Gradually whirhng into tempestuous 



