proach of two horses, one bay ridden by a man clothed from
head to foot in white burnous, and a led mare as white as the man's
raiment.

"Hahmed! O! Hahmed! Stop them!" had she cried, forgetting the ice
out of which she had elected to hack herself a pedestal. "Oh, you
beauty, you priceless thing!" she continued, when the mare, whinnying
gently, rubbed its muzzle on her shoulder; whereupon she took the rein
from the servant who had dismounted, and led the beast up and down.

Perfect she stood, the Breeze of the Desert, with her flowing tail high
set, her streaming mane, the little ears so close together as to almost
touch, her great chest, and dainty hoofs which scarcely deigned to
touch the sand.

Bit and bridle she had none, her sole harness consisting of a halter
with a leather rein on the right side, and a rug upon her back hardly
kept in place by a loose girth. It seemed that she was of the Al
Hamsa, which, being translated, means being a direct descendant of one
of the five great mares of the time of Mohammed; also she was a
two-year-old and playful but not over friendly, therefore was it
astounding to see her as she listened to the girl's musical voice, and
showed no fretfulness at the touch of a strange hand.

And then there was a quick run, a cry, and a rush of tearing hoofs!
For Jill, in the twinkling of a star, had let fall the enveloping
cloak, standing for one second like some exotic bit of statuary in her
black billowing satin trousers and infinitesimal coatee over a
silver-spangled frothy vest, her great eyes dancing with glee over the
face veil. She had swiftly backed a few yards, and before either man
or horse had guessed her intention, with a quick run and a full grasp
of the great mane had swung herself into the native saddle, and was
away over the desert to wherever the horse listed. Neither was there a
second lost before the bay was racing after the mare; and Jill, riding
with the loose seat of the native, turned and waved hilariously to
Hahmed as he tore like the wind beside her, shouting something she
could not distinguish in the rush of the air past her face.

Half-frightened, half-maddened by her own tremendous pace, the Breeze
of the Desert laid herself out to beat all speed records.

Mile after mile flew under her dainty feet, whilst Jill by little cries
urged her still faster yet, the all-enduring bay keeping alongside
without any apparent effort, until at last the Arab, leaning f