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

cir. xviic] Hoping against Hope. 49
turned against us, and a barrier of small difficulties,
every day accumulating, bars the way to the last
and most interesting scene of our adventures. It
Vv^ould be too hard, if, after getting up with so much
care and so much success all the minor characters
of our play, Hamlet himself should have to Ijc left
out. Yet we are threatened with the prospect of
finishino' our tour amono; the Bedouins without seeinc;
Jedaan, indeed a lame and impotent conclusion.
The great plain, which stretches southwards l3efore
us to the horizon, contains the object of our
hopes, but how are we to reach it ? We could,
indeed, start a] one with sufficient water to last us
for two or even three days, but we might Ije weeks
wandering about before lighting upon the Anazeh
camp. If only we could get information of tlie
direction it would be enough, and we would not
stay a day longer here, l>ut who is to tell us? It
was aOTced at last that AV^ilfrid should make a final
effort with ]\Iohammed, and then, if that fciiled,
that I should remain here with the camp while he
and Ghanim rode in on the two mares to Homs, the
nearest town, about a hundred miles off, to get
information about j\Ir. S., for Homs is a station of
the Syrian telegraph, and perhaps find some agent
of the Anazeh, such as there are in all the great
towns, Avho would assist us. They might be back
in five days, and by that time, who knows but the
Anazeh or Mr. S. might have arrived. AVitli this
plan he Avent in to breakfast at Abdallah's, while [