274 ALARM THE WHOLE KAFILAH. 



very evident interest. Fortunately, the only injury 

 I received was a severely contused burn of the 

 whole of the palm of my hand, but the Bedouins 

 thinking I must be killed outright rushed from the 

 hut in a great hurry ; Moosa dropped the bullet 

 he held in his hand, another, the powder of the 

 only barrel it appeared, that I had drawn the 

 complete charge of, whilst each of the others 

 seemed anxious to get as far away as he possibly 

 could. The fellow whom I had upset, rolled over 

 and over in an agony of mind, in too great a 

 hurry, to get on his legs and run. 



Ohmed Mahomed, and Ohmed Medina, expecting 

 the worst from the stir that was so suddenly occa- 

 sioned, came with two or three of the Tajourah 

 people to my aid, as soon as they could snatch 

 up their spears and shields, for the commotion and 

 rush to arms had now become general. Quiet, 

 however, was soon restored upon my endeavouring 

 to laugh at the accident, as my friends came 

 up, and who certainly were very sorry to see the 

 state of my hand, the extent of injury to which 

 I could not ascertain, so contracted were my 

 fingers over the palm. Himyah, the matchlock 

 man, was the only one who enjoyed the accident, 

 and he laughed with most unrestrained mirth, as 

 he pointed to the cut on his cheek, not yet cured, 

 and called my attention to the fact, of my having 

 laughed as immoderately, on the occasion of his 

 accident, as he did now, at mine. Having washed 



