Chap. LXXI. ARRIVAL OF SI'dI MOHAMMED. 45 
Here everything, notwithstanding the lateness of the 
hour, bore a festive character, and a large tent had 
been pitched for the noble visitor at the foot of the 
hilly slope, the top of which was occupied by the 
Sheikh's own tents. 
The eldest member of this princely family was a 
man a little above the middle height and strongly 
built, with a fine commanding expression of counte- 
nance, and manners more stern and warlike than 
those of El Bakdy, but not wanting in affability and 
natural cheerfulness. In the position in which I 
was placed, as a stranger, not only of a foreign 
country and nationality, but of an opposite creed, 
and as the cause of so many difficulties to these 
people in their political affairs, I could not expect 
that this man would receive me, at our first interview, 
with remarkable kindness and cordiality. It was there- 
fore not to be wondered at that, in the beginning, 
he asked me a great many questions which it was 
not agreeable for me to answer in the presence of 
strangers. 
Next day, Hammddi, the son of El Mukhtdr, 
the near relative of El Bakay, and the latter's 
chief adversary, and therefore my enemy, arrived 
with several followers at the encampment. El 
Bakdy constrained himself, for his elder brother's 
sake, to remain in the same tent with Hammddi ; 
but Sidi Alawate, the younger and more reckless 
brother, was not to be persuaded to enter the tent 
as long as his hated cousin was there. He spent the 
day in my tent till his enemy was gone. Sidi Mo- 
