CONSCIENCE STRICKEN. 389 



got safe out of my hut, however, he recovered from 

 his fright, and, as if recollecting himself, said, 

 " Ahkeem, will you tell me who stole my fedeenah?" 

 alluding to the wooden prop or pillow for the head, 

 I have before observed, as being so generally used 

 by these people. By a singular accident this very 

 fedeenah had been placed under my head by one 

 of the Hy Soumaulee, as I slept out upon the 

 hillside amongst them at Kuditee, whilst expecting 

 the Wahama would attack us. When I was 

 awakened by Ohmed Mahomed in the middle of 

 the night, and told to return to my hut, the man 

 who carried my mat for me brought away the 

 pillow; whose it was I did not know, but as no 

 inquiries were made about it, I always afterwards 

 rolled it up in my Arab cloak for myself, as I 

 found it very comfortable after a little use. I 

 instantly suspected that this was the one respecting 

 which Allee wanted information, and so, affecting 

 to know all about it, I told him I would not tell 

 him who the thief was, for the sake of peace, but 

 that if he came in the evening I would return it 

 myself to him. This, of course, I did, and quite 

 convinced Allee of my immense power over the 

 Jinn. The evil that resulted from this was, that a 

 rumour was spread among the Kafilah that I had 

 dealings with these spirits of fire, Allee swearing 

 positively I carried one with me confined in a 

 bottle, and that he had frequently seen me consult- 

 ing it. The simple fellow meant my thermometer. 



