CHAPTER XXXVI. 
THE REBEL SHEIK. 
Our road this morning lay along the base of Jebel Egil, 
on the right side of the valley El Huleh, as we faced toward 
Tiberias. We met several caravans of camels and mules, 
and passed numerous herds of cattle and a few Bedouin vil¬ 
lages. The weather was mild and pleasant, with a slight 
sprinkle of rain during the forenoon. On the ridge dividing 
the valley of El Huleh from Lake Tiberias, or the Sea of 
Galilee, we had a fine view of both lakes, the one lying 
in the broad plain through which we had passed, gleaming 
brightly through a mass of verdure; the other, famed as the 
sacred waters of Galilee, almost encircled by barren mount¬ 
ains, dim in the haze, and still and desolate as it lay out¬ 
spread before us in the noonday sun. Far and near, which¬ 
ever way we looked, the mountains were blanched with the 
scorching heat of summer ; and all the rains of autumn were 
still swallowed by the thirsty earth, and still there was the 
same dreary waste of whitish stones and sodless heights; 
dreary and shadowless, yet rich beyond all that earth could 
yield in the history of Him who had stilled the tempest and 
walked upon the waters. 
As we wound our way among the barren rocks we saw sev¬ 
eral Arabs skulking about the cliffs, armed with long guns, 
and apparently watching our motions with keen interest. 
By certain signs they seemed to communicate with others in 
advance ; and now and then, when they thought we were 
not looking, they disappeared and ran along on the other 
side of the ridge, so as to keep pace with us. Our dragoman 
looked uncommonly anxious and downcast, which made me 
think he was very much afraid that some of these suspicious 
vagabonds would get away before he could get a good chance 
