s. Outside the camp, in the deep, deep night was perfect
silence; not a sound broke upon the ear, save now and then the uneasy
growl of the hyena.

"Well, Abdullah," said Selim, "the night has come, and thou must decide
what thou wilt do."

"Dear Selim, I cannot go and leave my brother. Poor Mussoud will not
live till to-morrow morning. I am afraid he is very ill to-night. His
head was so hot, and he did not seem to know me. If thou goest away I
shall be alone of us all. Poor Isa is dead already; Mussoud is dying;
and thou wilt be gone; and I shall be alone."

"Well, Abdullah, if thou dost not go, I shall. I am tired of this life.
I wish to die. I am not afraid of death, but it shall never be said
that Selim, the son of Amer, died like an ass in the road, to be spurned
by the foot of that dog Tifum, like poor Isa was. If I am to die, let
me die like an Arab, with none but my God to pity my wretchedness, with
none but the birds of the air around my bed. Do me this favour,
Abdullah, friend of my heart. If Mussoud still lives in the morning,
tell him Selim is gone, and give him one kiss for me; and before thou
goest to sleep thou must give me one, for when thou wakest up in the
morning, Selim, the son of Amer, will be gone. The lashing of this
clumsy yoke around my neck is already loose; it only requires a second
to be free."

"I thank thee, Selim, for this thought of my brother. I wish thee God's
peace and blessing. If I live after this hard march, I shall dream and
ever think of thee, and shall sometimes whisper thy name in my prayers,
that the angels may carry it to thy ear, and that some memory of
Abdullah, thy friend, may be preserved in thy heart. Thou art a true
Arab, son of Amer, a true friend; thy soul is a jewel, brighter and
purer than the diamond. On the road to thy home look up at night to
those seven stars which thou seest together, and say to thyself,
`Abdullah thinks of me. Poor Abdullah!' May the holy Mohammed take
thee to thy mother, and when thou art welcomed back to thy friends,
think of my mother, and bear to her the kindly remembrance of her son.
Selim, dear friend, I am about to compel myself to sleep, that I may be
ready for my morrow's work. See! I kiss thee with the kiss of lasting
friendship, and, since thou goest, be strong with Abdullah's faith that
Allah will save thee!"

They then both lay down, and, after a few uneasy tossings, Abdullah fell
asleep, while Selim also