n. Fakredeen decided upon everything, and no one was
inclined to impugn the decrees of him whose rule commenced by conferring
freedom.

It was only half an hour to sunset. The advanced guard of the children
of Rechab, mounted on their dromedaries, and armed with lances, had
some hours ago quitted the ruins. The camels, laden with the tents and
baggage, attended by a large body of footmen with matchlocks, and who,
on occasion, could add their own weight to the burden of their charge,
were filing through the mountains; some horsemen were galloping about
the plain and throwing the jereed; a considerable body, most of them
dismounted, but prepared for the seat, were collected by the river side;
about a dozen steeds of the purest race, one or two of them caparisoned,
and a couple of dromedaries, were picketed before the pavilion of the
great Sheikh, which was not yet struck, and about which some grooms were
squatted, drinking coffee, and every now and then turning to the horses,
and addressing them in tones of the greatest affection and respect.

Suddenly one of the grooms jumped up and said, 'He comes;' and then
going up to a bright bay mare, whose dark prominent eye equalled in
brilliancy, and far exceeded in intelligence, the splendid orbs of
the antelope, he addressed her, and said, 'O Diamond of Derayeh, the
Princess of the desert can alone ride on thee!'

There came forth from his pavilion the great Amalek, accompanied by some
of his Sheikhs; there came forth from the pavilion Eva, attended by her
gigantic Nubian and her maidens; there came forth from the pavilion the
Emir Fakredeen and Lord Mon-tacute.

'There is but one God,' said the great Sheikh as he pressed his hand to
his heart, and bade farewell to the Emir and his late prisoner. 'May he
guard over us all!'

'Truly there is but one God,' echoed the attendant Sheikhs. 'May you
find many springs!'

The maidens were placed on their dromedaries; the grooms, as if by
magic, had already struck the pavilion of their Sheikh, and were stowing
it away on the back of a camel; Eva, first imprinting on the neck of the
mare a gentle embrace, vaulted into the seat of the Diamond of Derayeh,
which she rode in the fashion of Zenobia. To Tancred, with her inspired
brow, her cheek slightly flushed, her undulating figure, her eye proud
of its dominion over the beautiful animal which moved its head with
haughty satisfaction at its destiny, Eva seemed the impersonation of
som