sought
those tigers vainly that I put away my gun.

The sheykh's son asked me for the loan of it, and I consented in the
absence of Rashid; who, when he heard what I had done, defiled his
face with dust and wailed aloud. Suleyman, who happened to be with us
at the moment, also blamed me, looking as black as if I had committed
some unheard-of sin. It is unlucky for a man to lend his gun to
anybody, even to the greatest friend he has on earth, they told me
sadly; and that for no superstitious reason, but because, according to
the law, if murder be committed with that weapon, the owner of the gun
will be considered guilty no matter by whose hand the shot was fired.

'How do they know the owner of the gun?' I answered, scoffing.

'For every gun there is a tezkereh,'[8] answered Rashid; 'and he who
holds the tezkereh is held responsible for every use to which that gun
is put.'

It was, in fact, a rough-and-ready way of saying that the gun licence
was not transferable. I remarked with satisfaction that I had no
tezkereh, but that did not appear to reassure them in the least. They
still were of opinion harm might come of it.

Then I fell ill and knew no more of daily life until I found myself
in a hospital of the German Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, where
the good sisters nursed me back to health.

Among the Arab visitors from far and near who came to see me as I lay
in bed, was the youth who had borrowed my gun, together with his
father and his brethren, who wept real tears and prayed for my
complete recovery, talking as if they were beholden to me in some
signal way. Their manner puzzled me a little at the time; but I had
quite forgotten that perplexity when, discharged at last from
hospital, I travelled back into the mountains with Rashid.

On the very day of my return I got an invitation from that young man's
father to dine with him at noon upon the morrow. Rashid made a grimace
at hearing of it and, when I asked him why, looked down his nose and
said:

'He has our gun.'

'Aye, to be sure, and so he has!' I said. 'To-morrow I must not forget
to ask him for it.'

Rashid looked big with tidings, but restrained himself and merely
growled:

'You will not ask for it. I know your Honour! Nor will that rogue
return it of his own accord.'

At the sheykh's house next day I found a largeish company assembled in
my honour, as it seemed. Innumerable were the compliments on my
recovery, the pretty speeches and rema