e was
fat and unwieldy, there was no apprehension of his running away. As for
me, I was not permitted to leave the tents, but was, for the present,
employed in shaking the leather bags which contained the curds from
which butter was made.

In order to celebrate the success of the expedition, an entertainment
was given by the chief to the whole encampment. A large cauldron,
filled with rice, was boiled, and two sheep were roasted whole. The
men, consisting of our chief's relations, who came from the surrounding
tents, and most of whom had been at the attack of our caravan, were
assembled in one tent, whilst the women were collected in another. After
the rice and the sheep had been served up to the men, they were carried
to the women, and when they had done, the shepherds' boys were served,
and, after they had devoured their utmost, the bones and scrapings of
dishes were given to us and the dogs. But, when I was waiting with great
anxiety for our morsel, having scarcely tasted food since we were taken,
I was secretly beckoned to by one of the women, who made me screen
myself behind a tent, and setting down a dish of rice, with a bit of
sheep's tail in it, which was sent, she said, by the chief's wife,
who pitied my misfortune, and bade me be of good courage, hurried away
without waiting for my acknowledgements.

The day was passed by the men in smoking, and relating their adventures,
and by the women in singing and beating the tambourine, whilst my poor
master and I were left to ponder over our forlorn situation. The mark of
favour which I had just received had set my imagination to work, and
led me to consider my condition as not entirely desperate. But in vain I
endeavoured to cheer up the spirits of my companion; he did not cease
to bewail his hard fate. I brought to his mind that constant refuge of
every true Mussulman in grief, '_Allah kerim!_--God is merciful!' His
answer was, 'Allah kerim, Allah kerim, is all very well for you who had
nothing to lose; but in the meantime I am ruined for ever.' His greatest
concern seemed to be, the having failed to secure the profits which he
had expected to make on his lamb-skins, and he passed all his time in
calculating, to the utmost farthing, what had been his losses on this
occasion. However, we were soon to be parted. He was sent off the
next day to the mountains, in charge of a string of fifty camels, with
terrible threats from the chief that his nose and ears should pay f