eg. b.m.) of the village down in the plain rose an
island of hills and also a few more to the east.

The desert was rather more undulating in the eastern portion, but
absolutely flat towards the south-west and to the south, while north-east
of the village stood a weird collection of picturesquely confused
brown-red and whitish mountains.

Most of the cultivation--only a few patches--was visible to the S.W. and
E.N.E. of the village. Palm trees were numerous. A spring of fresh water
ran down the mountain side, through the main street of the village, and
down into the fields, in the irrigation of which it lost itself.

CHAPTER VIII

A visit to the eight-towered village--A hostile
demonstration--Quaint houses--Stoned--Brigand villagers--A
device--Peculiar characteristics of natives--Picturesque
features--Constant intermarriage and its effects--Nature's
freaks--Children--Elongating influence of the desert--Violent
women--Beasts of burden--Photography under difficulty--Admirable
teeth of the natives--Men's weak chests--Clothing--A farewell
demonstration--Fired at.

I climbed up to the village, accompanied by one of my camel men, but our
friend the giant had preceded us and given the warning that a _ferenghi_
had arrived, and we were met on the road by a number of boys and men who
were running down the hill to see the new arrival. The people were not
particularly respectful, and freely passed remarks, not always
complimentary--in fact, most offensive; but as I was bent on seeing all
that there was to be seen, I paid no heed and continued to go up.

[Illustration: The Village of Naiband, and Rock Dwellings in the Cliff.]

The camel man, who was getting quite alarmed--especially when a stone or
two were flung at us--begged me to return to camp, but I would not, and
as I had my rifle with me I thought I could hold my own, and certainly
did not wish the natives to think that an Englishman feared them.

It appears that a European had visited this spot some time previously,
and they had some grievance against him, but although it seemed rather
hard that I should come in for the punishment which should have been
meted to my predecessor, I well knew that the only way out of the scrape
was to face the music. To run away would have been fatal.

So we entered the village by a narrow path, while men, women and children
collected on the house-tops and in the doorways and gesticulate