56 THE EMPTY QUARTER

a growing consciousness of physical fitness. The air of the
desert was marvelous, pleasantly warm by day with light
southern breezes bringing up thin wisps of cloud to temper
the sun's rays, and mild by night with thick mists and heavy
dews at dawn. So thick indeed was the mist next morning on
the Abu Arzila downs that our Ramdhan routine suffered a
serious set-back. We had been summoned as usual to our
pre-dawn supper and had actually begun to sup when a
strange light, filtering through the fog, warned us that prayer
time had stolen upon us unawares, after which there might be
neither eating nor drinking. Suwid abruptly interrupted the
meal with the call to prayer. The day's fast had begun and
with it came the first signs of backsliding among my com-
panions, who had not yet had their coffee and shrank from
the long ordeal without that stimulus. After all, said some,
we have already offended unwittingly and our fast is vitiated,
so we may be travellers1 to-day. As well, they meant, be
hanged for a sheep as a lamb ! Not so, replied the more
devout, let them ' travelJ who will for God is merciful, but
for those who willed to fast—the definition in fact embraced
the whole party—it is not too late. Man's actions are judged
by his intentions. Let us pray and eschew the coffee. Put
therefore your trust in God. But the devout were in a
minority of five—'Ali Jahman, Abu Ja'sha, Ibn Ma'addi,
Suwid and myself—against the more numerous backsliders,
who gathered round the coffee-fire and loudly denounced the
would-be monopolists of piety. At their suggestion—for I
had retired to my tent—Sa'dan brought along my usual pot
of tea. I told him to take it to the devil and put a curb on
his tongue, for he knew his scripture well enough to take
advantage of its loopholes when it suited his convenience and
had been airing his learning before his admiring fellow-
* travellers.' What fools are they, he said to me of some of
our companions many days later when we had set out on a
long march with no prospect of finding any game in the
desert, to c travel' to-day when in any case they will go
fasting. It is better to e travel' when we get a whole day to

1 Musafirin used in the technical sense of persons availing themselves of
the dispensation from fasting while on a journey.