CHAP. XIX.] 
BRAVO ZENEB ! 
505 
seizing his lance she disarmed him. Thus armed, she 
rushed into the thickest of the fray. 
“ Bravo, Zeneb ! ” I could not help shouting. Seizing 
a thick stick that had been dropped by one of the 
Arabs, I called Bicharn and our little party together, 
and attacking the few Arabs who still offered resistance, 
they were immediately knocked down and disarmed. 
The leader of the party who had been the first to draw 
his sword, and had received a mouthful of umbrella, 
had not moved from the spot where he fell, but amused 
himself with coughing and spitting. I now ordered 
him to be bound, and threatened to tie him to my 
camels tail and lead him a prisoner to the Governor 
of Souakim, unless he called all those of his party who 
had run away. They were now standing at a distance 
in the desert, and I insisted upon the delivery of 
their weapons. Being thoroughly beaten and cowed, 
he conferred with those whom we had taken prisoners, 
and the affair ended by all the arms being delivered 
up. We counted six swords, eleven lances, and a heap 
of knives, the number of which I forget. 
I ordered the entire party to stand in a line ; and I 
gave them their choice, whether the ringleaders would 
receive a flogging from me, or whether I should tie 
them to the tails of camels and lead them to the Turkish 
Governor of Souakim ? They immediately chose the 
former; and, calling them from the rank, I ordered 
them to lie down on the ground to receive punishment. 
They submitted like dogs; Bicharn and Achmet 
stood over them with their whips, ready for the word. 
At this moment an old white-headed Arab of my 
caravan came to me : kneeling down, he stroked my 
beard with his dirty hands, and implored pardon for 
the offenders. Thoroughly understanding the Arab 
character, I replied, “ They are miserable sons of dogs, 
and their swords are like the feathers of a fowl; they 
deserve flogging, but when a white head asks for 
pardon, it should be granted. God is merciful, and we 
are all his children.’’ Thus was the affair ended to the 
