falling back upon the well which we had
drained, and near which we had met with
rather a hostile reception. The mildest
possibility was unpleasant; and we sat on our
mat pensive and somewhat desponding.

It is on such occasions that man exhibits
the wonderful power he possesses of self-
torture. Instead of sleeping off his cares, one of
our servants, huddling under a great basket
of provisions, began to relate a terrible desert
adventure. He said that a long time ago, a
caravan of slaves, ivory, and gold-dust, left
some distant country—no matter what, it was
very far off—and journeyed towards the land
of Egypt. After seventeen days it came to a
well, which the perverse narrator described
so graphically that I knew that he was drawing
from his morning experience. Here the
caravan halted to rest during the heat of the
day; but when night came on, the guards
lighted torches—he would have said lanterns
if he dared—and moving ahead, led the long
pile of camels and pedestrians into the Black
Desert. On all sides rose huge hills of ebony
—pleasant things to hear of, for we were now
in fairy-land, and no ominous application
seemed possible. The red lights flared, the
caravan steadily pursued its way. But
suddenly there was confusion; and it was
announced that the track could no longer be
seen.

The merchants at once gave themselves
up for lost; for tradition said that there   were
demons in those parts who were not permitted
to touch travellers so long as they pursued
the beaten path, but to whom all who strayed
were devoted as victims. Abu Salah, the
principal owner of the caravan, at once suggested
that the whole party should prepare to meet
death; and began to pronounce sentences of
manumission to his slaves. Even Mussulmans
have a secret consciousness that to keep a
man in bondage is to sin. The other slave-
owners followed his example ; so that when
morning dawned all that were in peril were
at least free souls. What consolation this
can have been to the wretched beings who
had been taken there, in obedience to and in
the service of their masters, who can say ?

The entire company wandered on until
they came to a plain of sand, beyond which,
some who climbed upon rocks said they
beheld a lake, and trees, and houses. Upon
this there was a wild cry and a general rush
forward. The camels were urged on as fast
as their drivers could induce them to move ;
and some of the slave-dealers began to cast
covetous eyes on the slaves who had so lately
been their property.

Now it happened that among the captives
who had been manumitted was a young man
named Hassan, and a girl named Zara.
During captivity, they had suffered side by
side, and had loved. When accordingly
Hassan saw the caravan rushing heedlessly into
the plain, he said to himself: "If it be true
that there is safety yonder, our freedom may
be taken from us again. It is better to
perish." So he caught Zara by the skirt of
her single garment, and told her to stay.

"And die?" she said.

"With me," he replied.

She sat down upon the ground—he sitting
beside her—and began to braid her hair,
which had become disordered during their
long journey. In a little while the crowd
of men and animals disappeared amidst the
dust which they themselves had raised, and
the murmur which they sent up gradually
died away.

Hassan then bade Zara arise and follow
him, trusting in God, who might perhaps lend
them back to their own country. Almost
immediately they found the track by which
they had come; and, retracing their steps
reached the well which they had quitted the
previous day. Here they were received by
some Bedouins; and here they changed
their minds as to their destination. An
Egyptian cannot understand that any one
can by preference go to any country but to
his own, and to Cairo accordingly Hassan and
Zara repaired. After much toil and much
suffering from thirst, they reached the city of
the conference; and, being free, prospered.

But what of the caravan ? Centuries afterwards,
some merchants were passing along
the same track. A steady wind had blown all
night long; and they were fearful lest their
land-mark might be covered. Suddenly
they beheld what seemed a vast caravan
moving to their right. They stopped; and
the others stood still. They advanced; and
lo! they beheld a caravan of skeletons. Some
of the ghastly company—Arabs do not pause
to explain such phenomena,—were on their
camels; some on foot; but all exactly in the
position they had occupied when the sand had
been blown over them.

The merchants were at first awe-struck;
but, soon recovering themselves, began
to examine the wares of their deceased
predecessors, and found them to be of
inestimable value. They threw away all their
own merchandise, and loaded their camels
with gold and ivory, regretting that they
had not a thousand camels more. Then they
departed, determining to return from the
nearest place of safety. They did so; but
the wind had again blown; the skeleton
caravan had been once more overwhelmed, and
never since has any trace thereof been
discovered.

Such was the story which regaled our ears
before we slept that night. Next morning
we looked eagerly for the track; and, by good
fortune, found it in a few hours. Then we
laughed at our doubts and fears; recovered
the elasticity of spirits necessary on such a
journey; and proceeded steadily towards the
gloomy defile of which we were in search.
No further accident hindered our march;
and, on the morning of the fifth day, with
empty water-skins, but cheerful faces, we