the chief constituents of the caravans--Moors and Blackamoors,
Egyptians, Syrians, Turks, Kurds, Caucasians, and Arabs of every tribe,
each a multitude of themselves, and their passing filled up the
afternoon.

Towards sundown the hurry and rush of the movement perceptibly
slackened. Over in the west there were signs of a halt; tents were
rising, and the smoke of multiplying fires began to deepen the blue of
the distance. It actually appeared as if settlement for the night would
creep back upon the east, whence the irruption had burst.

At a moment when the Prince's interest in the scene was commencing to
flag, and he was thinking of returning to his tent, the rearmost
divisions of the pilgrims entered the Valley. They were composed of
footmen and donkey-riders, for whom the speed of the advance bodies had
been too great. High-capped Persians, and Turks whose turbans were
reduced to faded fezes, marched in the van, followed closely by a rabble
of Takruris, ragged, moneyless, living upon meat of abandoned animals.
Last of all were the sick and dying, who yet persisted in dragging their
fainting limbs along as best they could. Might they but reach the Holy
City! Then if they died it would be as martyrs for whom the doors of
Paradise are always open. With them, expectants of easy prey, like the
_rakham_ [Footnote: Vultures.] sailing in slow circles overhead,
flocked the beggars, thieves, outcasts and assassins; but night came
quickly, and covered them, and all the things they did, for evil and
night have been partners from the beginning.

At last the Prince returned to his tent. He had seen the sun set over El
Zaribah; he had seen the passing of the caravans. Out there in the
Valley they lay. They--to him, and for his purposes, the Mohammedan