Page 319 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

NEGLECTED A RAM A l.i

liccn there and had just left fur Kiadh, so they retraced their step* and
caught up with us.
Saalem was a talkative young fellow, very proud of knowing a few
verses of the Koran and eager to learn more, for though not yet a
member of the Ikhwan, he was striving to become one of them. They
travelled with us to Kiadh and Aqaab was our first operative case, lie
made an uneventful recovery in spite of a sand storm starting while we
were operating on him and blowing pecks of sand and dust over us and
everything we possessed. Saalem and I became great friends but even
with constant post-operative care and dressing 1 was never able to get
mure than a yea or nay and a sour look out of Aqaab.

You’d know that attractive look in a boy of about twelve due either
ti, whole-souled interest or admiration. That’s the kind of look Abdulla
had as he was sitting in the clinic doorway of our improvised hospital
at Kiadh. And he remained right there as we saw patient after patient
until having seen the last one he came up entirely unafraid and said.
"Hakeem, I have a brother at home, bigger than I, very sick. Would
jou come with me and see him?" 1 was glad of the opportunity and
went ul once. L was led into an open court yard to a place where a
buy of about twenty lay under a covering protecting him from the
sun. As I drew near him a scowling old man approached him from
the other side and said not a word. I sat on the ground beside the ben,
put the stethoscope into my ears and was leaning forward to make an
examination when I got a sudden surprise. With a rough jerk the
itethoscope was pulled out of my ears and flung to the ground. The old
man was sitting upright in great dignity giving vent to a torrent of
eloquence, "I will not let you cut open my son’s belly. You can kill
j^uple in Bahrein and Hofhuf but you cannot do it here, I will not
have you in my place. Up and out, you Kaffir, etc., etc.”
One of my teachers used to say that there were times when it was
very useful to have either presence of mind or absence of body. Since
| could not avoid being there, I tried the former. I just sat and
listened until he tired himself out. Then I picked up my stethoscope,
landed it to him and asked him to show me where there might be any
kind of a cutting instrument with which to operate. I then explained
Mi use and little Abdulla who had done as I did, sat still, said to me,
"Don’t pay any attention to that old man, he's my father and a ‘gasheem’
[fool).’’ Then turning to his father he said, ‘‘There’s no harm in that,
1 *aw the Hakeem use it on many people this morning and he never
hurt anyone.” We had no more trouble after that.
A little child shall lead them.

\\c had come out of the Wadi Hanifa and were approaching the
Jcbcl Tuweik range. There was a lone traveller some distance ahead
us, going afoot. At about sunset we camped for the night, the camel
men sending the camels out to graze. 1 noticed that all the camel men
imiained in camp that evening, and not as usual, one absent to remain
• uli the camels. On inquiring I learned that one of the Bedouins,
leading his camels to graze, had caught up with the lone traveller and