rations. I gave it them at once, but could not satisfy them; they must
have some more for all their brothers (meaning the _blackguards_ who
had just arrived), or they would strike work. This stirred my blood; I
took back what I had given, and resolutely declined to be passively
cajoled out of anything, let happen what may. They saw I was
determined not to submit to them; and suddenly, as if the same thought
struck every one of them at the same instant, they dashed down the
hill, flying over the bushes and stones in their way, with yells and
shouts, and, seizing a goat from a neighbouring flock, killed and
quartered it without a moment's hesitation. At this juncture, just as
the robbed shepherd came crying to me for the price of his goat, Imam
arrived from Goriat, and tried to reason with him that it was no
business of mine, and I could not be expected to pay it. The injured
man then swore he would have justice done him at the sultan's hands,
and all yelled again for dates and rice. As they could not get it, the
young prince, ever full of boyish tricks, now seized up a mussack
(water-skin), and said I should have no more water until I complied
with their demands. The others, following his example, picked up as
many more as they could find, and left but one mussack remaining. This
one I immediately captured, and requested Imam to fill from a spring
farther down the hill; but the men, thus far outdone, rather than
allow it, said they would kill him if he dared attempt to go now. As
Imam showed alarm at their wild threats, I took the water-skin myself
and walked off to fill it, upon which the savages threw themselves out
in line, flourishing their spears and bows, and declared they would
kill me if I persisted in going. On I went, however, and had just
passed through their line, when the sultan's eldest son, Mohamed Aul,
fortunately arrived, and rebuked them, together with his brother, for
allowing me to be ill-treated. Finding Mohamed Aul very reasonable and
obliging, I begged him to send Abdullah away as a nuisance, for I