Could the young man
rise early, and remain in the saddle for ten hours together? Could
he live upon hard-boiled eggs and brandy-and-water? Could he take
his chance of a tent under which to sleep, and make himself happy
with the bare fact of being in the desert? He saw my hesitation,
and attributed it to a cause which was not present in my mind at the
moment, though the subject was one of the greatest importance when
strangers consent to join themselves together for a time, and agree
to become no strangers on the spur of the moment.
"Of course I will take half the expense," said he, absolutely
blushing as he mentioned the matter.
"As to that there will be very little. You have your own horse, of
course?"
"Oh, yes."
"My dragoman and groom-boy will do for both. But you'll have to pay
forty shillings to the Arabs! There's no getting over that. The
consul won't even look after your dead body, if you get murdered,
without going through that ceremony."
Mr. Smith immediately produced his purse, which he tendered to me.
"If you will manage it all," said he, "it will make it so much the
easier, and I shall be infinitely obliged to you.
Pages:
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29