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lo The doum tree of Wad Hamid
and snatched him from their clutches. I then put him on a
donkey and told him to make good his escape.
And so it was that the steamer still does not stop here and
that we still ride off on our donkeys for a whole morning and
take the steamer from the neighbouring village when circum-
stances require us to travel. We content ourselves with the
thought th at we visit the tomb of Wad H amid with our women
and children and that we make offerings there every
Wednesday as our fathers and fathers' fathers did before us.
Excuse me, my son, while I perform the sunset prayer—it
is said that the sunset prayer is `strange': if you don't catch
it in time it eludes you. God's pious servants—I declare that
there is no god but God and I declare that Mohamed is His Servant
and His Prophet—Peace be upon you and the mercy of God!
Ah, ah. For a week this back of mine has been giving me
pain. What do you think it is, my son? I know, though—it's
just old age. Oh to be young! In my young days I would breakfast
off half a sheep, drink the milk of five cows for supper,
and be able to lift a sack of dates with one hand. He lies
who says be ever beat me at wrestling. They used to call me
'the crocodile'. Once I swam the river, using my chest to push a
boat loaded with wheat to the other shore—at night! On the
shore were some men at work at their water-wheels, who threw
down their clothes in terror and fled when they saw me pushing
the boat towards them.
'Oh people,' I shouted at them, 'what's wrong, shame upon
you! Don't you know me? I'm "the crocodile". By God, the
devils themselves would be scared off by your ugly faces.
My son, have you asked me what we do when we're ill?
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