asked the Arab cub in good English if it was not so, and he answered in
good Arabic that it was. I woke up my horse and went my way, smoking.
And presently I said to myself reflectively, "If there is anything that
could make a man deliberately assault a dying cripple, I reckon may be
an unexpected whiff from this pipe would do it." I smoked along till
I found I was beginning to lie, and project murder, and steal my own
things out of one pocket and hide them in another; and then I put up
my treasure, took off my spurs and put them under my horse's tail, and
shortly came tearing through our caravan like a hurricane.

From that time forward, going to Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and the
Jordan, Bethany, Bethlehem, and everywhere, I loafed contentedly in the
rear and enjoyed my infamous pipe and revelled in imaginary villany. But
at the end of two weeks we turned our faces toward the sea and journeyed
over the Judean hills, and through rocky defiles, and among the scenes
that Samson knew in his youth, and by and by we touched level ground
just at night, and trotted off cheerily over the plain of Sharon. It was
perfectly jolly for three hours, and we whites crowded along together,
close after the chief Arab muleteer (all the pack-animals and the other
Arabs were miles in the rear), and we laughed, and chatted, and argued
hotly about Samson, and whether suicide was a sin or not, since Paul
speaks of Samson distinctly as being saved and in heaven. But by and by
the night air, and the duskiness, and the weariness of eight hours in
the saddle, began to tell, and conversation flagged and finally died
out utterly. The squeak-squeaking of the saddles grew very distinct;
occasionally somebody sighed, or started to hum a tune and gave it up;
now and then a horse sneezed. These things only emphasised the solemnity
and the stillness. Everybody got so listless that for once I and my
dreamer found ourselves in the lead. It was a glad, new sensation, and
I longed to keep the place forevermore. Every little stir in the dingy
cavalcade behind made me nervous. Davis and I were riding side by side,
right after the Arab. About 11 o'clock it had become really chilly, and
the dozing boys roused up and began to inquire how far it was to Ramlah
yet, and to demand that the Arab hurry along faster. I gave it up then,
and my heart sank within me, because of course they would come up to
scold the Arab. I knew I had to take the rear again. In my sorrow I