ed. "But take heart, O my soul; thou and I will go
together one of these days and examine that whole region. We shall
find it yet, in sh' Allah!"

So obliging was his friendliness that he insisted on being a witness of
Iskender's baptism upon the morrow. His presence, with the scarlet
dust-cloak and the silver-mounted whip, astride of a prancing charger,
reflected glory on the little group of peasants who trudged out to the
nearest river, the priest with them. On the return there was a feast
set forth in the house of Mitri, and great rejoicing of the whole
community. Elias was in boisterous spirits, boasting and telling
strange stories; the sons of Musa discussed politics and the price of
money with the rich Aziz; the priest made childish jokes and laughed at
them; while the remainder of the party, mere turbaned fellahin,
swarthy-faced and rough-handed, ate heartily and applauded all that was
said. The only death's-head present was Abdullah. Dismissed by Cook
as a result of the aspersions of the missionary, he now proclaimed his
intention to start business on his own account. But men shook their
heads and winked aside when he talked of it. The testimonials which he
vaunted as his stock-in-trade had been given to an elderly man of
dignity and pronounced decorum, not to this mouthing sheykh of the
dirty raiment and the visage ploughed by dissipation. On the present
occasion he had no appetite for solid food, but sat apart morosely,
tasting from time to time with manifest disrelish the light drinks
provided. It seemed he wished to go, but lacked the strength of mind
required to detach his person from so large a company. His head and
hands kept trembling, and he muttered to himself.

Merriment was at its height when there came a knock at the door. The
priest Mitri opened, and exclaimed in glad surprise:

"Honour us, O khawajah! Come in! Fear not! All my guests are honest
people, and the occasion of our feast concerns thee nearly. We have
this day reclaimed a Brutestant from the way of perdition. Would to
Allah I might baptize thee also, O light of my eyes!"

The belated visitor would have drawn back at glimpse of so large a
gathering, but Mitri took him by the arm and brought him in. It was
the preacher Ward, the humblest of all missionaries, who was sent about
the country on the errands of the proud ones; a modest, pious man, who
spoke good Arabic and scorned not to converse upon a footing with the
n