308 
A CRUSADE IN THE EAST. 
there was no hope hut to kill a few more Turks before he died. 
Already he had been hunted like a wild beast throughout 
the length and breadth of the land; his comrades had been 
scattered and shot down till only himself and six or eight 
remained; but they were resolved to sell their lives dearly. 
The Sheik was one of the finest-looking men I had feeen in 
the East. He was about thirty years of age, tall and well- 
proportioned, and easy and dignified in his manners. His 
features were of the true Oriental cast, regular and pleasing 
in repose, but indicative of a fiery temperament, and the un¬ 
limited sway of the passions when once aroused. Nothing 
could be finer than his eyes—dark, brilliant, and piercing; 
at times gentle as a woman’s, yet alternately, as he changed 
from calmer themes to the oppression of the Turks, flashing 
with a savage hatred that was perfectly withering in its 
ferocity. His costume was rich and picturesque. It con¬ 
sisted of a handsome turban, which set off his dark flowing 
beard to great advantage; loose trowsers, profusely embroid¬ 
ered ; a costly vest, ornamented with braid and silver but¬ 
tons ; and over his shoulders an ample robe, resembling a 
poncho, of rich and beautiful colors. There was a natural 
ease in all his movements, an unaffected dignity in his man¬ 
ners, a genuine eloquence in the rich tones of his voice and 
the copious flow of his language, that I have seldom seen 
equaled, and never surpassed, in any other part of the world. 
Within the Khan we caught a glimpse of his wife, a beau¬ 
tiful young creature, who bounded away like a frightened 
fawn as we entered. No wonder the Sheik guarded well his 
ruined Khan, for it held within it a living treasure—-a being 
of grace and beauty—whom he doubtless loved with all the 
passion of his race, whose gentle and confiding eyes were all 
that smiled upon him now. 
No : there was another treasure, dearer to him perhaps 
than his wife. An Arab may have something like a true 
regard for a woman ; there is no reason why he should not, 
except that it is not the custom of the country, and an Arab 
regulates his affections pretty much like ourselves-—according 
to custom. In Oriental countries it is customary to love a 
