BATHS OF DAMASCUS. 
269 
my eyes, and here he rubbed so effectually that the pain was 
too exquisite to he borne. “ Water, water !” I roared, in the 
very extremity of agony, “ water, you villain! quick, or I’m 
blind for life ! “ Mooe suggested the captain from his bank 
of suds on the other side, “ call for mooe, that’s the Arabic ; 
he’ll understand it better than English!” “Mooe!” 1 
screamed in the madness of anguish ; “ Mooe! you rascal!” 
There was a guttural sound of assent from outside the coating 
of lather; it was impossible to see an inch ; but I heard a 
dabbling as if in water, and thought I detected something 
like a fiendish inward laugh. Next moment my brain seemed 
to be scorched with a hissing flame of fire, and my body felt 
as if a thousand devils were tearing strips of skin off it with 
red hot pincers. For a while I was entirely incapable of ut¬ 
terance. I could only writhe madly under the grasp of the 
live mummy, who held me down with one hand, while he 
continued to pour the scalding flood over me with the other, 
till a momentary cessation of the torture enabled me to call 
for aid. “ Captain ! oh heavens, captain ! he’s boiling me in 
earnest!”. “ Cold water !” said the captain in Arabic ; “put 
some cold water on him !” There was a pause now, while 
the man went in search of cold water, during which I sat 
simmering in a puddle of suds, afraid to stir lest my entire 
suit of skin should drop off. In a few minutes he returned, 
and, holding the bucket over my head, he poured down a 
stream of fresh water that sent a shock into my very core. It 
was a relief, however, as it eventually enabled me to open 
my eyes. When I did open them, the first object in view 
was that diabolical wretch, grinning horribly, and squinting 
with a malicious satisfaction at the results of his labors. I 
was red all over, a perfect boiled lobster in external appear¬ 
ance. “ Tahib ?” said he, signifying, Good, is’nt it ? “ Ta- 
hib, hey ?” And then he took from a large bowl of suds a 
familiar-looking instrument, a brush, which he fastened on 
his hand, and seizing hold of me by the arm, commenced 
rubbing with all his might. To be carded down in this 
manner with a hard brush, the wooden part of which now 
and then touched up some acute angle, was not productive 
