THE MAN WHO KEEPS GOATS
I
The next morning broke as all mornings break in the desert, firstyellow, then white, and always silent. The air bore the scent of sage.The hobbled camels had broken every shrub within their reach, andstunted herbage is, almost always, aromatic.
Abdullah gave no heed to the sun. He who for ten years had been themost energetic man of the desert had overnight become the mostnonchalant. Like Achilles, he sulked in his tent.
At five o'clock Ali ventured to bring his master's coffee. He foundAbdullah fully dressed and reading a paper, which he hurriedly thrustinto his burnoose when he was interrupted.
"Your coffee, master," said Ali. "We have twelve leagues to maketo-day."
"Ali," said Abdullah, "the night before we started I asked you wholived in the house with the green lattices--the next house beyond themosque--and you promised to tell me in the morning."
"Yes, master," said Ali, "but in the morning you did not ask me."
"I ask you now," said Abdullah.
Ali bowed. "Master," he answered, "the house is occupied by Ilderhim,chief of the tribe of Ouled Nail. He hires it for five years, and heoccupies it for the three months, Chaban, Ramadan, and Chaoual, of eachyear. He has also the gardens and four water-rights. He deals in ivory,gold-dust, and dancing-girls. He formerly lived in Biskra, but theFrench banished him. They have also banished him from Algiers, and hehas been warned from Cairo and Medina. He has a divorced wife in eachof those cities. They are the mothers of the dancing-girls. The one inBiskra is Mirza. Every one in Biskra knows Mirza. Doubtless you,master--"
"Yes," said Abdullah, "but the damsel. Who is she?"
"His daughter," replied Ali.
"How know you this?" demanded Abdullah, fiercely.
"Master," said Ali, "last night, when you were looking at the starswith the mistress, I had a word with the maid. She came to me, while Iwas asleep by the dun leader, and shook me as if I had been an oldfriend.
"'Save her,' she whispered, as I rubbed my eyes.
"'Willingly,' I replied. 'Who is she?'
"'My mistress,' said the maid. 'They are taking her to Biskra. She hasbeen sold to Mirza. She will dance in the cafes. This sweet flower willbe cast into the mire of the market-place. Save her.'
"'How know you this?' I asked.
"'Ah,' she answered, 'this is not the first time I have crossed thedesert with one of Ilderhim's daughters. Save her.'
"'Does the damsel know nothing of this--does she not go with her eyesopen?' I asked.
"'She thinks,' said the maid, 'that she goes to Biskra to be taught themanners and the learning of the French women--to read, to sing, to knowthe world. Her heart is even fairer than her face. She knows no evil.Save her.'"
Abdullah groaned and hung his head.
"Forgive me, Allah," he said, "for that I doubted her. Forgive me forthat I burned the flowers she gave to me," and he went out.
"Your coffee, master," cried Ali, but Abdullah paid no heed. He wentswiftly to the little tent, and there was the damsel, veiled, andalready mounted on the lame camel, ready to march.
"Beloved," said Abdullah, "you must dismount," and he lifted her fromthe back of the kneeling beast.
"Ali," he cried, "place the damsel's saddle on the black racer, and putmine on the dun. We two start on at once for the oasis of Zama. We canmake it in thirteen hours. Give us a small water-skin and some dates. Ileave everything else with you. Load, and follow us. We will wait foryou at Zama. I go to counsel with the Man who Keeps Goats."
In five minutes the black racer and the dun leader were saddled.
"Come, beloved," said Abdullah, and without a word she followed him.She had asked no question, exhibited no curiosity. It was enough forher that Abdullah said, "Come."
They rode in silence for some minutes. Then Abdullah said: "Beloved, Ido not know your name."
She dropped her veil, and his heart fell to fluttering.
"The one who loves me calls me 'beloved,'" she said, "and I like thatname."
"But your real name?" said Abdullah.
"I was baptized 'Fathma,'" she said, smiling.
"Doubtless," said Abdullah; "since all women are named for the motherof the Prophet; but what is your other name, your house name?"
"Nicha," she answered; "do you like it?"
"Yes," he said, "I like it."
"I like 'beloved' better," said the girl.
"You shall hear it to your heart's content," said Abdullah.
They went on again, in silence, which was broken by the girl.
"Master," she said, "if you do not care to speak to me further, I willput up my veil."
"Do not," exclaimed Abdullah, "unless," he added, "you fear for yourcomplexion."
"I do not fear for my complexion," said the girl, "but for myreputation; and she smiled again.
"That," said Abdullah, "is henceforth in my keeping. Pay no heed toit."
"I am not yet your wife," said the girl.
"True," said Abdullah, "and we are making this forced march to learnhow I may make you such. Who is your father, beloved?"
"Ilderhim," she answered; "but why do you ask? You saw him when westarted from El Merb."
"Do you love him?" asked Abdullah.
"I scarcely know," answered the girl, after a pause. "I have not seenhim often. He is constantly from home. He buys me pretty clothes andpermits me to go to the cemetery each Friday with my maid. I suppose Ilove him--not as I love you, or as I love the camel that brought me toyou, or the sandal on your foot, or the sand it presses--still, I thinkI must love him--but I never thought about it before."
"And your mother?" asked Abdullah.
"I have no mother," said the girl. "She died before I can remember."
"And why do you go to Biskra?" asked Abdullah.
"My father sends me," said the girl, "to a great lady who lives there.Her name is Mirza. Do you not know her, since you lived in Biskra?"
Abdullah did not answer. Something suddenly went wrong with his saddle,and he busied himself with it.
"I am to be taught the languages and the ways of Europe," continued thegirl, "music and dancing, and many things the desert cannot teach. I amto remain two years, and then my father fetches me. Now that I considerthe trouble and expense he is put to on my account, surely I shouldlove him, should I not?"
Abdullah's saddle again required attention.
They rode for hours, sometimes speaking, sometimes silent. TwiceAbdullah passed dates and water to the girl, and always they pressedon. A camel does not trot, he paces. He moves the feet of his rightside forward at once, and follows them with the feet of his left side.This motion heaves the rider wofully. The girl stood it bravely for sixhours, then she began to droop. Abdullah watched her as her head sanktoward the camel's neck; conversation had long ceased. It had become atrial of endurance. Abdullah kept his eye upon the girl. He saw herhead bending, bending toward her camel's neck; he gave the cry of halt,leaped from the dun, while yet at speed, raced to the black, held uphis arms and caught his mistress as she fell.
There was naught about them save the two panting camels, the brownsands, the blue sky, and the God of Love. Abdullah lifted her to theearth as tenderly, as modestly, as though she had been his sister. Itis a fine thing to be a gentleman, and the God of Love is a great God.
It proved that the girl's faintness came from the camel's motion andthe cruel sun. Abdullah made the racer and the dun kneel closetogether. He spread his burnoose over them and picketed it with hisriding-stick. This made shade. Then he brought water from the littleskin; touched the girl's lips with it, bathed her brow, sat by her,silent, saw her sleep; knelt in the sand and kissed the little handthat rested on it, and prayed to Him that some call God, and more callAllah.
In an hour the girl whispered, "Abdullah?"
He was at her lips.
"Why are we waiting?" she asked.
"Because I was tired," he answered.
"Are you rested?" she aske
d.
"Yes," he answered.
"Then let us go on," she said.
They rode on, hope sustaining Abdullah, and love sustaining Nicha, forshe knew nothing but love.
Then, after eight hours, on the edge of the desert appeared a littlecloud, no larger than a man's hand.
Abdullah roused himself with effort. He watched the cloud resolveitself into a mass of green, into waving palms--then he knew that Zamawas before him, and that the march was ended.
He turned and spoke to the girl. They had not spoken for hours."Beloved," he said, "a half-hour, and we reach rest."
She did not answer. She was asleep upon her saddle.
"Thank Allah," said Abdullah, and they rode on.
Suddenly the trees of the oasis were blotted out. A yellow cloud ofdust rolled in between them and the travellers, and Abdullah said tohimself, "It is he whom I seek--it is He who Keeps Goats."
The Turquoise Cup, and, the Desert Page 11