"At Gerasa"

CHAPTER IV.


Though in the village, and therefore relieved of the feeling of
special danger, yet we had much difficulty in securing lodging for
the night. Our arrival seemed to disturb the peace of dogdom in
what otherwise would have been a quiet resting-place. No people
were outside their houses. We picked our way to the nearest light;
the occupant of the house would not come out, but showed his face
at the window--a hole in the wall about a foot square. My dragoman
pleaded for lodging, but in vain. We sought the next house in
which there was a light, but neither would the people of that home
open to us. We tried several other places, but at all of them we
were refused admission. They seemed to look with suspicion upon
our visit to the village. But, finally, a good old Mohammedan
consented to let us spend the night in his rock hut, and gave us
the privilege of putting our horses in his little walled space by
the house. Haleel must spend the night in this yard--he always
slept with the horses. When my dragoman helps me over the stone
door-sill, and we enter the hut, we find that the part allotted to
men consists of but one small room, having a floor of earth on
which are spread a couple of mats. In this room there is no
furniture. Two persons are already asleep on the floor. We do not