t yet spoken.

"I have seen but one of the women of Rua," answered Khamis, "and she was
the wife of the son of Sayd, the son of Habib, a tall, lithesome girl of
sixteen years or so. Her lower limbs were as clean and well-made as
those of an antelope. She walked like the daughter of a chief. Her
eyes were like two deep wells of shining moving water. Her face was
like the moon, in colour and form. Oh! the colour was almost as clear
and light as thy son Selim's, Amer. She was beautiful as a Peri-banou--
God be praised!"

"Thy tongue runs away with thee, Khamis," cried Amer, in a slightly
offended tone, "or hast thou imbibed too much of the strong drink of the
Nazarenes, for the celebration of thy late success? Light-complexioned
women, of the colour of my son Selim's face! Where art thou, Selim, son
of Amer, pride of the Beni-Hassan? Thou chief's son by birth and blood,
and apple of thy father's eye! Come hither."

"Behold me, my father, I am here," said Selim, who had bounded lightly
to his feet, and now stood before his father, after kissing his right
hand for the affectionate terms lavished on him.

"Speak, son of Abdullah; behold, my boy, and regard his colour, which is
like unto that of rich cream. Is he not as white as any Nazarene? and
wilt thou repeat what thou hast said about the Pagan wife, of Sayd's
son?"

"Khamis, the son of Abdullah, debauches not himself with the strong
drink of the foolish Nazarenes. I lie not. I said I have seen a
daughter of the Warua whom Sayd's son has taken for wife, and she is
almost as light in colour as thy son, Selim, and far lighter than the
face of the boy, Isa, son of Sheikh Thani."

"Wonderful! Wallahi!" echoed the group. "It is most wonderful. We
shall all go to obtain wives from the Warua."

"Then, kinsmen and friends," cried Amer, "Khamis speaks the truth, and
speaks of wonderful things. Is it agreed that we go to Rua with the son
of Abdullah, to get ivory, slaves, and copper, and light-coloured
wives?"

"It is," they all replied, so deeply impressed were they with what
Khamis had said.

"I am glad to hear it, my friends," said Khamis; "but ye must now agree,
before we break up, as the sun is fast setting, upon the day of
departure. I cannot wait long, because I am nearly ready, but I am
willing to wait a few days, if ye will all promise to be ready by the
new moon, twenty-four days from this evening. Ye must also promise to
take as many of your