ge to say, became thoughtful and silent. He
affected great anxiety for the fate of the companions he had left behind,
but Sidney suspected his melancholy arose from fear of losing his baggage.
He declared too that it was of the greatest consequence for him to reach
Jerusalem in the shortest space of time, and kept a small bundle
constantly near him as if ready for a sudden start should the opportunity
of escape present itself. The anxiety of Lascelles Hamilton had increased
to a nervous pitch, when late one evening Ringlady and Campbell were
suddenly ushered into the tower where our travellers were lodged. Their
delay had been caused in part by the Khamsin wind, and in part by their
sluggish movements.

Next morning, the whole party proceeded to pay Hafiz Bey, the governor of
Gaza, a visit, and obtain his authority to quit his government. Hafiz Bey
received them with great politeness, granted them every thing they asked,
but invited them to ride out with him to see two robbers impaled, and meet
a courier from Mohammed Ali with a small body of Bedoween cavalry. The
invitation was equivalent to a command; so although none of the party had
any curiosity to see the rare sight of an impalement executed by the
express orders of Ibrahim Pasha on two Arab soldiers, who had stolen a few
bushels of beans, still they were compelled to accept the offer without
any appearance of dissatisfaction. Lascelles Hamilton alone attempted to
excuse himself, and only joined the party when he perceived that his
absence would render him an object of suspicion to the Bey. The governor
mounted the whole party, and even Campbell, in spite of his aversion to
equestrian exercise, felt tolerably at home when he perceived that he
could place himself on a quiet looking steed with a round well-padded
cloth saddle.

The scene was well worthy seeing, though we must omit all description of
the impalement, which our travellers refused to witness. Hafiz Bey had
prepared a species of review, the fame of which he probably conceived
might tend to make Lord Palmerston pause before he launched his thunders
against Gaza. The meeting of the Bedoweens from Egypt with the Bedoweens
of Gaza was accompanied by a sham fight, executed with considerable art,
though consisting of little more than an extended combination of single
combats. The captain of each troop rode forward, and when they had
approached sufficiently near, one fired his carbine or pistol, and then
gallo