CH. X. CONTEST -WITH THE SHEIK. 257 



ther. When it was found that he stuck doggedly to this 

 resolution, Hooker judiciously resolved to assume a more 

 resolute tone. ' Tell him,' he said to Abraham, ' that the 

 Sultan has issued his order that we should go to the snow 

 — El Graoui has ordered that we shall go the snow 

 - — the Kaid of Amsmiz has ordered that we shall go to the 

 snow — if he refuses to carry out their orders, we shall 

 return to Amsmiz, and send a courier to the Viceroy and 

 to El Graoui, and we shall see what will be the conse- 

 quence.' After some delay, the answer came, that if we 

 went to the mountain, it would be necessary to take an 

 escort of fifty armed men. ' Tell him,' was the reply, 

 ' that he may take as many men as he likes — five men, or 

 fifty men, or none at all — we do not care as to that ; but 

 the Sultan's command must be executed ! ' The sheik sul- 

 lenly gave way, and promised that all should be ready for 

 the next morning. After achieving this victory, we pro- 

 ceeded to dust the floor profusely with insect powder, and 

 to spread our mattresses : our insect enemies either held 

 aloof, or performed their operations so deftly that we were 

 imconscious of their assaults, and slept till the first gleam 

 of dawn showed in the eastern sky. 



When we sallied forth at 5 a.m., on the morning of 

 May 22, the air was cool, but a light mist hung between 

 us and the mountains, the usual precursor of a hot day. 

 When our preparations for starting were complete, the 

 sheik was not to be seen ; but presently a message came 

 to say that he had gone on ahead, and would await our 

 arrival on the banks of the torrent below the \illage. It 

 seemed as if it involved an unnecessary detour to return 

 by the path which we had ascended the day before, instead 

 of aiming at a point higher up the valley ; but a native 

 who was left to act as guide, insisted on keeping to the 

 steep rocky path with which we were already acquainted. 

 At the appointed place, by the bank of the torrent, we 

 found the sheik, with four or five ragged fellows, of whom 

 but two were armed with long guns. Anticipating any 



