and there over the plain villages were dotted, and parties of men and
camels were to be seen. Cuthbert now arranged his robes carefully in
Arab fashion, slung the long spear across his shoulders, and went boldly
forward at a slinging trot, having little fear that a passer-by would
have any suspicion whatever as to his being other than an Arab bent upon
some rapid journey. He soon found that his hopes were justified. Several
times he came upon parties of men whom he passed with the salute, and
who scarcely raised their eyes as he trotted by them. The plain was an
open one, and though cultivated here and there, there were large tracts
lying unworked. There was no occasion therefore to keep to the road; so
riding across country, and avoiding the villages as far as possible,
stopping only at a stream to give his camel water, Cuthbert rode without
ceasing until nightfall. Then he halted his camel near a wood, turned it
in to feed on the young foliage, and wrapping himself in his burnous was
soon asleep, for he ached from head to foot with the jolting motion
which had now been continued for so many hours without an interval. He
had little fear of being overtaken by the party he had left behind; they
would, he was convinced, be many hours behind, and it was extremely
improbable that they would hit upon the exact line which he had
followed, so that even if they succeeded in coming up to him, they would
probably pass him a few miles either to the right or left.

So fatigued was he with his long journey that the next day he slept
until after the sun had risen. He was awakened suddenly by being seized
by a party of Arabs, who, roughly shaking him, questioned him as to
where he came from, and what he was doing there. He saw at a glance that
they were not with the party from which he had escaped, and he pointed
to his lips to make signs that he was dumb. The Arabs evidently
suspected that something was wrong. They examined the camel, and then
the person of their captive. The whiteness of his skin at once showed
them that he was a Frank in disguise, and without more ado or
questioning, they tied him hand and foot, flung him across the camel,
and, mounting their own animals, rode rapidly away.

From the position of the sun Cuthbert saw that they were making their
course nearly due east, and therefore that it could not be their
intention to take him to Jerusalem, which was to the north of the line
they were following. A long day's jour