behind him, but I said no word till he
exclaimed in pious horror:

'What a vicious brute! Dangerous--ought to be shot!' when I inquired
to what he was alluding.

'Whose is that savage beast?' he asked, with quite vindictive ire,
pointing to Sheytan, who was disporting on the terrace just below.

'Oh, that's my horse,' I answered, interested. 'He's really quite a
lamb.'

'Your horse! You don't mean that?'

He said no more just then, but went indoors, and then out to the
mission school to see the ladies.

That evening he informed me: 'I shall not require your horse. I had no
notion that it was so strong an animal when I suggested borrowing it.
Old Casim at the school will hire one for me. I should be afraid lest
such a valuable horse as yours might come to grief while in my
charge.'

That was his way of putting it.

We watched the party start one early morning, the clergyman all
smiles, the ladies in a flutter, all three mounted on hired chargers
of the most dejected type, old Casim from the school attending them
upon a jackass. Rashid addressed the last-named as he passed our
house, applying a disgraceful epithet to his employment. The poor old
creature wept.

'God knows,' he said, 'I would not choose such service. But what am I
to do? A man must live. And I will save my lady's virtue if I can.'

'May Allah help thee!' said Rashid. 'Take courage; I have robbed his
eyes.'

I had no notion of his meaning at the time when, sitting on the
balcony, I overheard this dialogue; but later in the day Rashid
revealed to me two pairs of eyeglasses belonging to our guest. Without
these glasses, which were of especial power, the reverend man could
not see anything in detail.

'And these two pairs were all he had,' exclaimed Rashid with triumph.
'He always used to put them on when looking amorously at the ladies.
The loss of them, please God, will spoil his pleasure.'

CHAPTER XIV

THE HANGING DOG

Our English host possessed a spaniel bitch, which, being well-bred
gave him much anxiety. The fear of mesalliances was ever in his mind,
and furiously would he drive away the village pariahs when they came
slinking round the house, with lolling tongues. One brown and white
dog, larger than the others and with bristling hair, was a particular
aversion, the thought of which deprived him of his sleep of nights;
and not the thought alone, for that persistent suitor--more like a
bear than any dog I ever saw--made a g