Page 338 - Neglected Arabia Vol 2

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Modern Arabian Tales
Du. Louis 1*. Da mis

A SLAVE GETS A FREE EXCURSION (
I T is winter time and there is no work for the men folks of the Pirate S '
Coast. Pearl lishin^ is the great industry, but it lasts only about
live months in the summertime. Of course some work is found for
the slaves. Boats need repairing; tackle and sails must be over­
hauled; wood can be gathered from the desert; donkeys and camels need !i
a new roof for their corral, and perhaps the master wants to go somewhere l
in the buy id a or large rowboat. At least twenty men will be needed for
that. And so work is found for some.
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Others, who were j>erhaps born in their master’s house or who have j
proved themselves good and faithful servants, are given complete liberty f
of action. Their time is their own, provided they are on hand for the \
preparations for the dive and the dive itself. One of these "trusties"
found it profitable to raise a few vegetables a short distance out of town
near a well which supplied water for the undertaking.
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So occupied one day, he was accosted by several Bedouin who had
spent all their money in town for supplies. He was ordered to get on a
camel with one of the Bedouin and olt they rode. After several days they .
reached the town of Baraimi, a good place to dispose of such stolen goods. 1 .
It is a central market and both buyers and sellers make use thereof. Here
our vegetable grower was sold after a few days for Rupees 1,200, or 1
about $400. ;
The new master and slave were on perfectly good terms. They were
travel companions; they ale (lie same food and drank from the same water­
skin; live limes a day they said their Moslem prayers together. During
this act of piety they stood side by side, faced Mecca, uplifted their hands
in unison, bowed, knelt, placed foreheads on the sand, rose, turned faces
heavenward, upheld palms, and again repeated the genuflections. Yet one
was master and the other slave.
Several days passed. At last the blue sea appeared in the distance.
A town became visible. As they approached it they passed a small vege­
table garden which looked the worse for lack of water. Another half hour
and they entered the master’s house.
"Here you may spend the night, Abaid,” said the master. "I’ll talk
further with you tomorrow.”
"1 thank you very much,” replied the slave. "You have returned nic
to my home town. I was stolen and carried otT by those Bedouin two
weeks ago. They took me at the outskirts of town where that withered i
vegetable garden was. 1 am the slave of Captain Fulan. I was born in
his house. My wife and children are in his compound. I thank you most
heartily for delivering me from my captors and returning me home.
Good night.”
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