368 
A CUUSADE IN THE EAST. 
All along the road coming from Mar Saba were long lines 
of pilgrims, mostly on foot, some mounted upon camels and 
donkeys, and all wending their way toward Jerusalem. They 
had been to the Greek convent, and were returning after the 
ceremonies. The priests w r ore long beards and flowing robes, 
and the common pilgrims were ragged and barefooted, and 
walked at a weary pace with their heads bowed down. I 
never saw any thing that so impressed me with the idea of 
earnest devotion. With scarce clothes enough to cover their 
nakedness, poor and friendless, many of these way-worn pil¬ 
grims had wandered from their far off-homes, over, mountains 
and deserts, through scorching suns and dreary wastes, to lay 
their bones near the Sacred City. 
While we were sitting upon the top of the ruin, there came 
out from among the rocks close by a ragged Arab, of most 
uncouth aspect, with a long gun hung over his shoulders and 
a rusty sword swinging by his side. An old pistol and a 
crooked knife were thrust in his sash, which was long and 
flashy, but defaced by the dirt of ages. All the colors of the 
rainbow were combined in his turban, his tawdry vestments, 
and scanty breeches, and his nose was hooked like an eagle’s, 
and his eyes flashed and wandered like the eyes of some wild 
beast that had been caught not long before. I declare, within 
bounds, that he w T as the most ferocious, unshaved, unwashed, 
and dilapidated looking vagabond I had seen in all my trav¬ 
els, and it was not without suspicion that I watched him as 
he approached, and a lurking fear that there were more of 
the same kind not far off. Sure enough, out came another 
pretty soon, just as if the ground had opened and let him 
through from some infernal region below; and another soon 
after, rubbing his eyes; and then another waking himself up 
too, all armed like the first, with long guns mounted all over 
with brass, and rusty swords, and old pistols fastened in their 
sashes, and all looking so ragged and hungry, and so much 
like genuine robbers, that I involuntarily turned to see if 
Yusef had brought his fire-arms to bear upon them. My chief 
dependence was upon Yusef, for I never carried any weapon 
of defense except a penknife, and my companion was likewise 
