steel of the rails is sacred because it
was built to carry pilgrims to the Prophet's tomb. But some say
not. And those who lost the carrying trade on account of it, and
the tribes that used to lie in wait in mountain-passes for the
Damascus caravan in the month of pilgrimage, say distinctly not.
Between these two opinions there is a third, that of the gentry
who declare it is a curse, to be turned back on the heads of
those who use it.

During four nights we climbed unlovely hills, avoiding villages--to
the disgust of Ali Baba's gang, who would dearly have loved to
pick a quarrel somewhere and loot. They had a thousand excuses
for taking another trail, declaring that Grim had lost the way
or would lose it; that there was sweeter water elsewhere; or
that the hills were not so steep and hard on the camels. But
the moon was nearly full by then, and Grim seemed to carry a
map of the district in his head.

Whether he went by guesswork, or really knew, we turned up
finally a few miles from El-Maan at the exact spot he had aimed
for, and pitched camp soon after dawn within fifty yards of the
track. There was no water in that place and the gang grumbled
badly; but it was not long before the reason of his choice was
fairly obvious.

Tracks across the desert have a way of curving from point to
point, no more following a straight course than the cow-paths
do in other lands. Where there is a rock, or some peculiar
conformation of the ground to attract attention, men and beasts
will head for it, attracted somewhat after the fashion of a
compass-needle by a lodestone or lump of iron.

There was a rock shaped like a flattened egg beyond the track,
two or three hundred yards away from us. It stood all alone in a
dazzling wilderness that was doubtless green at certain seasons
of the year, but now was bone-dry and glittering with flakes of
mica. Close beside that ran a track worn by camels and horses,
and the shadow of that great rock in a weary land was plainly a
halting-place.

Our men wanted to cross over and take advantage of the shade it
would give as the sun climbed higher, but Grim refused to let
them; whereat Ayisha went into a shrewish rage, and ordered her
four men to take up her tent and pitch it over by the rock
whether Grim permitted it or not. So they obeyed her, and Grim
said nothing.

The rest of us set about cooking breakfast after the morning
prayers were over. My prayer-mat was next Narayan Singh's, and it