g
of the zeal of these religious Moslems, these desert sons of Allah.
This man had obviously wasted himself to a skeleton. Truly, his
reasoning powers were in heaven; his religious ecstasies had well-nigh
bereft him of his senses.

Michael asked him if he was ill or if he was only faint from want of
food. The saint did not know; physical exhaustion overpowered him. At
intervals he called loudly upon the name of Allah, in almost the same
phraseology as the ancient Egyptians called upon Amon-Ra, the Lord of
all worlds, whose seat was in the heavens. In the unchanging East,
expressions never die. Akhnaton taught his disciples to pray to "Our
Father, which art in Heaven."

As Michael listened to his appeals to Allah, he felt totally at a loss
to know what to do for the material benefit of the zealot. He was
afraid that he would die from exhaustion. He was relieved when Abdul
and the bearers came to his assistance. Abdul soon persuaded the man
to drink some of the water which he had brought in a cup. As he did
so, he noticed with satisfaction that the saint's head was resting on
Michael's arm, that his master was totally self-forgetful in his act of
charity. Christian though he was, he was sincerely obeying the
teaching of the Prophet Jesus, the one sinless Prophet of Islam, the
Prophet Who, next to Mohammed, is best beloved of the faithful.
Mohammed considered Jesus sinless; to his own unrighteousness he often
alluded. In this act of grace, at least, the Effendi had not failed
Him.

When Michael offered the man another cooling drink, he swallowed it
eagerly. It was like the waters of paradise to his parched throat.
His flaming eyes tried to express his gratitude to his deliverer. Who
was this heretic whose fingers had the gift of healing, from whose
heart flowed the divine waters of charity?

Michael understood. Inspired by the love in his heart for all
suffering humanity, with something akin to the graceful imagery of
words which comes naturally to the humblest native's lips, he spoke to
the man in a suitable manner. Rendered into English it would sound
absurd.

The servants appeared with some food which was sustaining and
appetizing, but the effort necessary for swallowing anything solid
proved too much for the exhausted pilgrim.

"Bring him to the camp, Abdul," Michael said. "I will give him some
brandy. As a medicine it is not forbidden?"

"No, Effendi, it is not forbidden."

The total absen