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

CH. xvn.] Two Gentlemen of Palmyra. 19
must wait at least for tlie caravan which is s^oins:
to-moiTow. I will send for the chief men in it, and
they shall be answeral^le for your safety."
Wilfrid,
" Unfortunately our camels have already marched,
and if we do not set out soon we shall not overtake
them." Huseyn (to his servants). " Send for the
Tudmuri, and tell them to come to me at once."
The Tudmuri appeared. There were two of
them, respectable, well-to-do people, if one could
judge by their clothes ; the elder, a man of fifty,.
with a handsome, but, as I thought, foxy face : the
other, a very fine-looking young fellow, with an
out-spoken manner which impressed us fiivourably.
They said it was quite impossible their caravan
could be ready to-day ;
be at the Pasha's orders.
but to-morrow they would
Wilfrid, however, insisted
that at least we must join our camels ; and, after a
long argument and a private conversation between
Huseyn and the Tudmuri, the younger man was
sent to fetch his mare and told to accompany us, as.
soon as we had had breakfast. This was perhaps
not quite what we wanted ;
in the Pasha's hands about going at all,
but, as we were really
Wilfrid did
not think it prudent to make any further objections
;
so, after a last meal and the usual farewells
and good wishes exchanged, we rode away for the
second time from Deyr, with a strange mixture of
gratitude to Huseyn for his kindness, and of resentment
at his interft-rence with our plans. It was a
great thing however to be gone ; and, in spite o£