almost spent; some of the
skins which had held it flapped empty against the sides of the camels,
and too well the travelers knew that if they loitered on their way, all
must perish of thirst.

Amongst the travelers in that caravan was a Persian, Sadi by name, a
tall, strong man, with black beard, and fierce, dark eye. He urged his
tired camel to the side of that of the foremost Arab, the leader and
guide of the rest, and after pointing fiercely toward one of the
travelers a little behind him, thus he spake:

"Dost thou know that yon Syrian Yusef is a dog of a Christian, a
kaffir?" (Kaffir--unbeliever--is a name of contempt given by Moslems,
the followers of the false Prophet, to those who worship our Lord.)

"I know that the hakeem (doctor) never calls on the name of the
Prophet," was the stern reply.

"Dost thou know," continued Sadi, "that Yusef rides the best camel in
the caravan, and has the fullest water-skin, and has shawls and
merchandise with him?"

The leader cast a covetous glance toward the poor Syrian traveler, who
was generally called the hakeem because of the medicines which he gave,
and the many cures which he wrought.

"He has no friends here," said the wicked Sadi; "if he were cast from
his camel and left here to die, there would be none to inquire after
his fate; for who cares what becomes of a dog of a kaffir?"

I will not further repeat the cruel counsels of this bad man, but I
will give the reason for the deadly hatred which he bore toward the
poor hakeem. Yusef had defended the cause of a widow whom Sadi had
tried to defraud; and Sadi's dishonesty being found out, he had been
punished with stripes, which he had but too well deserved. Therefore
did he seek to ruin the man who had brought just punishment on him,
therefore he resolved to destroy Yusef by inducing his Arab comrades to
leave him to die in the desert.

Sadi had, alas! little difficulty in persuading the Arabs that it was
no great sin to rob and desert a Christian. Just as the fiery sun was
sinking over the sands, Yusef, who was suspecting treachery, but knew
not how to escape from it, was rudely dragged off his camel, stripped
of the best part of his clothes, and, in spite of his earnest
entreaties, left to die in the terrible waste. It would have been less
cruel to slay him at once.

"Oh! leave me at least water--water!" exclaimed the poor victim of
malice and hatred.

"We'll leave you nothing but your own worthless d