Chap. LXVIII. ANNOYING CIRCUMSTANCES. 
471 
tested to my friend that it was my earnest desire to 
set out on my home journey as soon as possible, and 
that I felt not a little annoyed at the continual pro- 
crastination. 
Several circumstances concurred at this time to 
make me feel the delay the more deeply, so that not- 
withstanding my sincere esteem for my protector, 
I thought it better, when he again left the town 
in the evening of the 27th, to remain where I was ; 
for after my return from our last excursion, in 
consequence of the severe cold during the night, I 
had been visited by a serious attack of rheumatism, 
which had rendered me quite lame for a day or two. 
With regard to the means of my departure, the Wa- 
lati, whom I had sent out at a great expense to bring 
my horses and camels from the other side of the river, 
had brought back my horses in the most emaciated con- 
dition. As for the camels, he had intended to appro- 
priate them to his own use ; but I defeated his 
scheme by making a present of them to the Sheikh. 
This brought all the Waldti's other intrigues to light, 
especially the circumstance of his having presented a 
small pistol (which I had given to himself) to Hani- 
madi, the Sheikh's rival, intimating that it came from 
me, and thus endangering my whole position, by 
making the Sheikh believe that I was giving presents 
to his rivals and his enemies. But my protector 
acted nobly on this occasion ; for he not only 
warned me against the intrigues of the Waldti, and 
would not lend an ear to his numerous calumnies 
H H 4 
