amount of work or danger, are much discouraged
at the prospect of an indefinite delay without employment, which, in my
opinion, is more trying in this climate than work."

Not long after, the round of work and routine duty was varied by a
first-class fight. A Moslem sheikh had become so impertinent one day,
that Lieut. Conder ordered him out of his tent. The sheikh drew a
knife and was promptly disarmed and made prisoner by the British.
Instantly he lifted up his voice, calling for his men. The response
was prompt. They seemed to spring up out of the very rocks, and soon
there were two hundred of them howling and dancing around the handful
of Englishmen. Conder thus relates the happening:

"Lieut. Kitchener and I were immediately surrounded. Three came to me
and asked me with curses what I was doing. An old man thrust his
battle-axe violently into my side, but I did not like to strike him,
though I had now a hunting-crop in my hand. I told them they were mad
and would be severely punished if they struck an Englishman. About
this time other members of the party saw a gun levelled at me five
yards off, but fortunately the man's hand was caught before he fired.
A man now came into the crowd which surrounded me, and dealt me a blow
on the head with a large club with great violence, causing two wounds
on the side of my head, covering my face with blood. A second blow,
directed with full force at the top of my head, must inevitably have
brained me, had I not put my head down to his chest. My servants gave
me up for dead. The blow fell on my neck, which ever since has been so
stiff and swollen that it is impossible to turn it round. The rest of
the party saw me fall.

"As soon as I got up, I dealt this man a blow in the face with the
handle of my whip which staggered him, but my whip flew out of my hand
and left me entirely unarmed. I must inevitably have been murdered but
for the cool and prompt assistance of Lieut. Kitchener, who managed to
get to me and engaged one of the clubmen, covering my retreat.

"A blow descending on the top of his head he parried with a cane, which
was broken by the force of the blow. A second wounded his arm. His
escape is unaccountable. Having retired a few paces from the thick of
the fray, I saw that the Moslems were gradually surrounding us,
stealing behind trees and through vineyards, and I well understood that
in such a case, unless the soldiers arrived at once, we must all