312 
A CRUSADE IN THE EAST. 
The little iron-gray, upon which the tall Southerner rode, 
was, perhaps, the most ferocious and determined of the whole 
cavalcade, when aroused from his habitual sobriety, by any 
inspiring cause. We never came in sight of the Portuguese 
party, consisting of Dr. Mendoza, the Madam, Emanuel Bal- 
thos, and their muleteers, that the iron-gray did not become 
perfectly frantic, and cause all his companions to become fran¬ 
tic by his capers. I don’t know what was the reason—I only 
know that there was no beautiful little palfrey called Zulieka 
in our party. 
Yusef’s famous steed of the desert, Syed Sulemin, was part 
and parcel of himself. They certainly must have been born 
at the same time ; nursed in the same manger; educated in 
the same school; inspired by nature with the same warlike 
spirit and the same savage propensities ; so .congenial were 
their souls, so well adapted the one to the other ; so thoroughly 
identified were they in all the relations of life. If Yusef said, 
let us go, it was go ; if he said, let us stay, it was stay ; let us 
dance, it was dance ; let us fight, it was fight. No matter 
what he thought, said, or did, Syed Sulemin thought, said, and 
did the same—not that they spoke exactly the same language, 
but there was a perfect understanding of tongues between them. 
The only material difference that I could discover in their 
points of character was, that when any thing like a real en¬ 
emy appeared, Syed Sulemin never stopped until Yusef said 
stop, rather decidedly ; and it was evident that he did so then 
more from habit than any positive desire he had to avoid a 
hostile meeting. It was really affecting to witness the ten¬ 
derness that existed between our dragoman and his beloved 
horse. Every morning, regularly, before mounting, Yusef 
greeted Syed Sulemin in the most brotherly manner. He 
asked him how he felt; how had he slept; what was the 
general state of his health; had any body stolen his oats; 
and upon being answered, as Syed Sulemin was in the habit 
of answering, by a peculiar working of the ears, a neighing 
and nickering, and other well-understood signs, Yusef could 
never restrain his affection, but invariably hugged him round 
the neck, exchanged kisses with him, and shook hands with 
