l
exclamation from my dragoman. A few dim lights are seen,--IT IS GERASA!

My dragoman continued his exclamations of praise thus, "I thank my God
for saving my life once more." I said faintly, "Why such words?"
"Well," he said, "all natives are expected to be in their villages by
sundown, tourists at their destination earlier. It is the custom of
this region that tourists must have an escort of soldiers or Bedouins,
even in times of peace; and now THE FEUDS ARE ON; and here we have come
alone, at night, unarmed; and I am responsible for these horses--they
are not mine--and for your life. The ride may have been hard for you,
but the hours of anxiety were more trying to me. I have now done it
once, but I'll never again assume such a risk--NOT EVEN FOR A MILLION
POUNDS!" I had no response that he heard, but mentally I said, "Never
again with ME, Mr. Barakat. NO, NEVER!"

Yet I think I never experienced greater joy on entering my own home
than on that night when entering and riding through the crooked, narrow
lanes of that miserable village of Gilead.

"At Gerasa"

CHAPTER IV.

Though in the village, and therefore relieved of the feeling of special
danger, yet we had much difficulty in securing lodging for the night.
Our arrival seemed to disturb the peace of dogdom in what otherwise
would have been a quiet resting-place. No people were outside their
houses. We picked our way to the nearest light; the occupant of the
house would not come out, but showed his face at the window--a hole in
the wall about a foot square. My dragoman pleaded for lodging, but in
vain. We sought the next house in which there was a light, but neither
would the people of that home open to us. We tried several other
places, but at all of them we were refused admission. They seemed to
look with suspicion upon our visit to the village. But, finally, a good
old Mohammedan consented to let us spend the night in his rock hut, and
gave us the privilege of putting our horses in his little walled space
by the house. Haleel must spend the night in this yard--he always slept
with the horses. When my dragoman helps me over the stone door-sill,
and we enter the hut, we find that the part allotted to men consists of
but one small room, having a floor of earth on which are spread a
couple of mats. In this room there is no furniture. Two persons are
already asleep on the floor. We do not disturb them.

Not having eaten anything since noon, my dragoman