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

48 Bedouin Tribes of the EiLphrates. [cu. xvin.
that Moliammecl is to say distinctly to-morrow
whether or not he will help us to go to Jedaan.
At present he maintains that there is no news of
the Anazeh at Tudmur, and thinks we had better
go on to Damascus, unless we are prepared to wait
on indefinitely here. We cannot make out whether
this is a fact, or only the roundabout way Arabs
employ in refusing to do a thing. The Arabs are
always like the son in tlie paral)le wlio said he would
go to the vineyard and went not. They never refuse
point blank to perform a service.
x\s we were leavinoj the town, the Mudir and
his attendant joined us and politely offered to show
us over the ruins. We went with them as in duty
bound, but we were far too pre-occupied to be
greatly interested, though we made pretence of
counting the
columns and reading the inscriptions,
'pouv nous donner une contenance. It was very
hot and the Mudir soon got tired
of walking about
in the sun, so at last we have got rid of him, and
are enjoying a few hours of quiet with the tent
looped up, in full hot weather rig, and the comfortable
sight of our camels and mares, making the most
of their day's rest,
in front of us.
Marcli 31.—AVe had a
gloomy consultation this
morning, Wilfrid and I, about what was next to be
done.
We have come so far and achieved so much
of what we originally put before ourselves as the
object of our journey, that it seems impossible now
we should abandon its comj^letion. Yet luck has