his soul, for her soul was strong and aspiring like his, and
Mohammed had inherited his ambition and strong will from his mother
Khadra.

"He thinks as I should think were I a man," said Khadra to herself,
as she sat on the threshold of her door regarding her son. "Neither
should I be contented with our present miserable existence if I were
a man. I, too, should desire to go out and struggle with the world.
Alas! but I am only a poor widow, living a miserable, solitary life,
awaiting the day when death shall call me, and unite me in Paradise
with Ibrahim Aga, my master. But let the young eagle brood and think
until his wings are grown, and then let him fly into the world out
of this miserable, rocky nest. May Allah bless his purpose, and
Mohammed the prophet protect him! Allah il Allah!"

While the mother was praying, and looking out wistfully into the
twilight, Mohammed was sitting in his rocky cave down on the shore.

This was as yet his only possession, his palace! No one knew of this
cave, discovered by the boy while wandering on the shore. He had
crept into a narrow opening in the rock which he had observed among
the cliffs, that was hardly large enough to admit of the passage of
his slender body. He crept on his hands and knees, and noticed with
delight that this opening widened into a cave. He went on, deeper
and deeper into the darkness, when suddenly he saw a bright light
overhead, and discovered that he was in a wide cave, lighted from
above by a round opening as by a window.

Through this opening he could view the sea, and the sky above.