t should be an affair of blood,' said Butros, 'if----'

'But nothing else but taking horns can be proved,' said Francis El
Kazin.

'There is a good deal in that!' said Rafael Farah.

After confectionery which had been prepared by nuns, and strong waters
which had been distilled by the hands of priors, the chieftains praised
God, and rose, and took their seats on the divan, when immediately
advanced a crowd of slaves, each bearing a nargileh, which they
presented to the guests. Then gradually the conversation commenced. It
was entirely confined to the exploits of the day, which had been rich in
the heroic feats of forest huntsmen. There had been wild boars, too,
as brave as their destroyers; some slight wounds, some narrow escapes.
Sheikh Said Djinblat inquired of Lord Montacute whether there were
hyenas in England, but was immediately answered by the lively and
well-informed Kais Shehaab, who apprised him that there were only lions
and unicorns. Bishop Nicodemus, who watched the current of observations,
began telling hunting stories of the time of the Emir Bescheer, when
that prince resided at his splendid castle of Bteddeen, near Deir el
Kamar. This was to recall the days when the mountain had only one ruler,
and that ruler a Shehaab, and when the Druse lords were proud to be
classed among his most faithful subjects.

In the meantime smoking had commenced throughout the castle, but this
did not prevent the smokers from drinking raki as well as the sober
juice of Mocha. Four hundred men, armed with nargileh or chibouque,
inhaling and puffing with that ardour and enjoyment which men, after
a hard day's hunting, and a repast of unusual solidity, can alone
experience! Without the walls, almost as many individuals were feasting
in the open air; brandishing their handjars as they cut up the huge
masses of meat before them, plunging their eager hands into the enormous
dishes of rice, and slaking their thirst by emptying at a draught a vase
of water, which they poured aloft as the Italians would a flask of wine
or oil.

'And the most curious thing,' said Freeman to Trueman, as they
established themselves under a pine tree, with an ample portion of roast
meat, and armed with their traveling knives and forks, 'and the most
curious thing is, that they say these people are Christians! Who ever
heard of Christians wearing turbans?'

'Or eating without knives and forks?' added True-man.

'It would astonish their weak minds i