Page 323 - Neglected Arabia Vol 1 (2)

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NEGLECTED A KAMA 15

man you get some idea of his willingness to help, for a Bedouin never
works, much less washes if he can help it. On arriving in Anai/.c he
asked leave to go to Boreida, only six hours distant on foot, to see
his family. He promised to be back on the third day and continue to
work for us. He kept his promise. Later when we went to Boreida
we saw his tent, a small lorn open affair not big enough to stand or lie
in and yet here lived Abeed, his wile, his wife’s mother, two little
Abccds and his two newly purchased goats. We left Abeed happier
than when we found him.

The average Arab like his camel believes in ease, therefore if a
Ijcrson is in haste he should avoid the camel and his master. But in
travelling the desert one needs both. It is not surprising that we some­
times resort to force. Four years ago on returning from Riadh we
had the worst kind of Bedouins as cameleers. The first day they
pitched camp at about four o’clock. The second day they wanted to
camp even earlier but I told them that was impossible, we had to travel
until half an hour before sunset. After a good deal of talking the
leader took a camel by the reins to couch him. I jumped off my mount
and with a camel stick beat the beast to keep it moving and prevent it
from couching. The poor beast moved in circles but in doing so was
moving. This kept up for several minutes, my boys in the meantime
provculing die other camel boys from couching their animals. We were
loon again on the move and had no mure trouble the rest uf the trip,
imrliculurly because I informed them that Bin Jalouie, Governor of
lliusa, the man who cuts oil Bedouins’ hands and heads was a friend
of mine and when we arrived in Hassa I would inform him what kind
of cameleers I had.
Besides being lazy most of the royal servants also suffer from con-
udcrable degree of the big head. Last year when we .were coming
home from Boreida it was with the understanding that we were to travel
every day until half an hour befure sunset. The first day things are
pc>cr right and excuses must be accepted. The second day at about
four o’clock 1 saw the four soldiers, escorts of Bin Saoud, scheming
something, and decided 1 had better keep near them, although they
iccrned anxious to have me a safe distance in their rear. They talked
ui such low tones that I could not hear what they said, but it was not
accessary for I knew very well what they were up to. Soon at a
jncm signal all four of them suddenly stopped their camels and began
couching them. 1 rushed to the leader and beat his beast, at the same
tone letting go a verbal volley much as he was used to hearing. Then,
4 bit calmer, 1 said to them, “Return, go back to your governor in
Hurcida and tell him that you could not keep up with that teiiderhiut
Joctor, tell him that you have become loo uld to travel the desert, that
)vu are women—farewell!’’ Then turning to my hospital boys, 1 said.
•Come on, we Americans and Persians are men, not women as these
Auba. We go on.” And on we went. The guard and caravan
followed until we gave orders to stup. As it was it took us eight een
to reach Iiofhuf; hut without force it would have taken us at least
tfcicc more days.

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