Bedouin Tribes of the Euphrates Vol 2 - The Search For Mecca

1 Bcdotiin Tribes of tJie Etiphraics. [ch. xvir,
open, or the post would not have arrived, foiv
thouQ;h the river has risen nine or ten feet in the
last three days, it has not yet cut the track ; and
the cause of Mr. S.'s delay must be looked for
elsewhere.
Wilfrid, to ensure a start to-day, had the camelsbrouo;ht
into the town over-nio-ht, and loaded the
first thino; in the mornino-, and sent them on, with
orders to wait for us just out of sight of Deyr, over
the brow of the hill. He then went to the Serai
and announced our departure.
The Pasha affected
at first extreme surprise to hear that we were
leaving him, although Ave had told him of our intention
yesterday, and asked in which direction we
were going. " We are starting," Wilfrid said, " on
the Tudmur road, and if Ave do not come across
the Anazeh, Avhom of course Ave should like to see,
AA^e shall go on as far as that toAvn, and so to Damascus.
We think that perhaps the Consul Beg hasbeen
delayed at Aleppo, and may have gone straight
to Tudmur to saA^e time, and that we may find him
there." Hiiseyn. " But the road is not safe ; it is
impossible you should go alone. You Avould not
find your AA\ay ; there is no Avater, and the country
is inhabited only by robbers." Wilfrid. "Yet we
came through the Jezireh alone, and no harm happened
to us. AVe are Avell armed and well mounted ;
and you have told us that the Anazeh are far aAA^ay,
fighting the Eoilla in the south. Common robbers-
Avould not A^enture to attack us." Huseyn. "You