o the Englishman and patting his mule
significantly. He now showed great alacrity, kissing first the Emir's
hand, then Iskender's, asking where the tent and other baggage might be
found, and promising by the cloak of the Prophet, to have all in
perfect readiness within an hour. The other candidates then fell away,
one or two volunteering to help the winner with his preparations, the
majority sitting down on their heels in the shadows of neighbouring
walls to watch the outcome of it all, the actual start.

The new muleteer was punctual to his word. But by the time the laden
mules came up, luncheon was ready, and the sons of Musa insisted on the
Frank's partaking of the meal. An invitation, the first he had ever
received, to join them at their private table, reconciled Iskender to
this new delay. He told the muleteer to go on in advance, indicating
the road he was to take and naming a good place for that night's
encampment; and saw the mules start off with jangling bells, leaving
behind the horse he was to ride, which was tethered in the yard of the
hotel.

After the meal the Frank was lazy with repletion, and asked to rest
awhile; so that the afternoon was far advanced before they got on
horseback. The Frank was then for a gallop; but Iskender warned him
that that pace was not for travel, and kept him down to the walk.
Passing the house of Mitri, he looked for the girl Nesibeh, hoping she
would see him riding at his lord's right hand, but in vain.

After an hour's journey, having left the orange-gardens far behind,
they forsook the highway and followed a bridle-path through fields.
Big scarlet tulips shone among the green cornstems. Here and there
upon the fertile plain stood forth a grove of olives, their foliage
looking nearly white by contrast with its own dark shadow; a village of
mud-houses set upon a knoll and plumed with palms, with attendant barns
and ovens shaped like beehives; a man with oxen ploughing or a camel
browsing in the custody of a small child. The breeze grew fresher as
the sun declined. The colours of a dove's breast played upon the
barren heights which walled the land to eastward. The sun sank lower
and lower; shadows grew upon the plain; the sea-coast sandhills became
clearly outlined; soon rays went up like fire from off the sea, and the
whole rampart of the eastern heights became empurpled; then a shadow
rose, a cold breeze roughed the corn, and presently the evening star
shone out