CH. XI. A GRATEFUL SOLDIEE. 285 



plain so as to rejoin the beaten road from ]Marocco to 

 Mogador. Having ascertained that the distance from 

 Seksaoua to the kasbah of the Governor of Mtouga is no 

 more than an easy day's ride for men travelling without 

 luggage, Kaid el Hadj of Mogador with two of his men 

 was despatched on a mission to Mtouga. He was to 

 ascertain the truth as to the stories that had reached us, 

 and to require the Governor, in case he considered extra 

 protection necessary, to send additional soldiers to escort 

 us through his territory, thus, as we hoped, committing 

 us to keep to our intended route as far as Mtouga. 



About this time we became a good deal interested in 

 one of the soldiers of our escort who had travelled with us 

 throughout our journey. He was a large man, with black 

 skin, but with hair and lips of less pronounced Negro type 

 than we see among the natives of western equatorial 

 Africa. When leaving Mogador he had an ulcerous sore 

 on one hand, which was much swollen and almost useless. 

 The sore, under Hooker's treatment, was quite healed, and 

 he was genuinely grateful for the benefit. Alone among 

 the soldiers of our escort he did what he could to forward 

 our desire to explore the mountain valleys ; and of late, on 

 more than one occasion, he had given useful information 

 that helped us to defeat the petty intrigues of Kai'd el 

 Hasbi. By our direction Abraham made some inquiry as 

 to his previous history, and he quite readily told his story. 

 He belonged, as it appeared, to one of the tribes that in- 

 habit the skirts of the Great Desert on the south side of the 

 Great Atlas. They led a predatory life, gaining an uncer- 

 tain living by robbing travellers, and killing those who 

 made resistance. After some years passed in this way, 

 our friend seemed to have taken a dislike to the mode of 

 life, and enlisted as a soldier in the service of the Sultan 

 of Marocco. In his new position he had gained or 

 developed some elementary notions of religion and moral- 

 ity, and he now expressed a strong opinion as to the im- 

 propriety of robbery and murder. 



