tumulus slightly raised above the wavy level, and showing a
central pit choked with camels' bones: at least, we could find no
other.

And here I was told the Arab legend by the Wakil; who, openly
deriding the Bedawi idea that the building could be a "Castle,"
opined that it was a Kanisah, a "Christian or pagan place of
worship." Gurayyim Sa'id, "Sa'id the Brave," was an African
slave, belonging to an Arab Shaykh whose name is forgotten. One
day it so happened that a razzia came to plunder his lord, when
the black, whose strength and stature were equal to his courage
and, let us add, his appetite, did more than his duty. Thus he
obtained as a reward the promise of a bride, his master's
daughter. But when the day of danger was past, and the slave
applied for the fair guerdon, the Shaykh traitorously refused to
keep his word. The Brave, finding a fit opportunity, naturally
enough carried off the girl to the mountains; solemnly thrashed
every pursuing party; and, having established a "reign of
terror," came to the banks of the Wady Hamz, and built the
"Palace" for himself and his wife. But his love for
butcher's-meat did not allow him to live happily ever after. As
the land yielded little game, he took to sallying out every day
and carrying off a camel, which in the evening he slew, and
roasted, and ate, giving a small bit of it to his spouse. This
extravagance of flesh-diet ended by scandalizing the whole
country-side, till at last the owner of the plundered herds,
Diyab ibn Ghanim, one of the notables celebrated in the romance
called Sirat Abu' Zayd,[EN#76] assembled his merry men, attacked
the Gurayyim, and slew him. Wa' s' salam!