384 
A CRUSADE IN THE EAST. 
by reason of which, not being able to see, he stumbled against 
the struggling man, whom he grappled by the throat, and 
we all three rolled over in a heap together. Finding it ut¬ 
terly impossible to distinguish friend from foe, I again called 
to Yusef for help. “ Help, Yusef, help—-we’ve got him ! 
Strike a light quick, or he’ll get away ! A light! a light!”— 
It was all in vain ; there was neither an answer nor a light, 
and the dreadful thought occurred to me that this Bedouin 
had stabbed Yusef, or cut his throat, and then crept over to 
serve my friend and myself in like manner. “ Never mind,” 
said the tall Southerner, coolly ; “ he’s all safe. I have him 
by the throat. You grope about and find my knife, General; 
we’ll fix him presently.” I can not say that I approved of 
this proposition. It was not pleasant, the idea of groping 
about in the dark, after what had happened. I might find 
something more than a knife ; perhaps I might find another 
Bedouin. The struggle that had just taken place, quite sat¬ 
isfied me that one Bedouin was as much as I could conven¬ 
iently manage. “ No,” said I, “you keep him down while I 
strike a light. I have a match in my pocket, if I can only 
find it. Hold on to him, if you can.” It was as much as 
the tall Southerner could do to retain his grasp of the man’s 
throat, who, upon hearing the word “knife,” struggled like a 
maniac ; but my athletic friend was too strong for him. He 
held him down with the grip of a vice. While they were 
struggling, I got the match out of my pocket, and succeeded 
in lighting it; by which time the old Sheik and his wife, 
alarmed at the frightful noises that we made, were calling 
upon us in the most heart-rending tones to spare their lives. 
The sight that met my eyes, upon holding up the match, was 
one that I shall never forget. Had I beheld a grizzly bear 
in the hands of my friend, or a rhinoceros, or even a seven¬ 
headed dragon, it might possibly have surprised me ; but I 
was completely stunned and overwhelmed with astonishment 
at the actual spectacle. There, in the extreme corner, lying 
on his back, his eyes starting from their sockets by reason of 
being choked in the iron grasp of the tall Southerner, who 
held him down by the throat, was no other than our faithful 
