The Hidden Treasure
the semi-darkness, while the tribesmen came in by ones and
twos after seeing to their animals for the night. The lady of
the house, her clay pipe in her hand after the labours of the
day, sat in the doorway, joining now and then in the conversa-
tion, but still sufficiently secluded for propriety. The men
knew all the paths, which are more used since smuggling has
become so common,
I decided to let them take me south-east to the lands of the
Larti and Hindimini, and to return to the tribe after a three days'
tour, by which time Hasan, if he were coming at all, should
have arrived.
The funeral, however, which was the subject of interest
at the moment, was to go on all next day, and the Philosopher
asked me to postpone my journey for so long while he went
to visit die tents of the dead. I agreed to this, and retired to
sleep under the porch. On one side it was open to darkness
and to the dim forms of the mares and kine and their herds-
men. On the other, behind the screen of reeds, eyes of whis-
pering unseen women watched my undressing. The roof
was of dry and dusty oak leaves, and cows came lumbering up
in the night to eat at it over my head. On the outskirts of
the camp, the dogs kept up a racket, chasing wolves and pig.
There is never silence in these small oases. And early in the
morning, before it was light, so that I might move undis-
turbed and not outrage the herdsmen by the sight of satin
pyjamas, I woke and dressed and lay down to sleep again and
meditate rill the sunlight should come and the fires be lit for
tea.
This was a Ia2y, pleasant day. The Philosopher left with
Mahmud, and I sat reclined on quilts under the tent awning,
watching while the swaggering young fiance broke in a mule.
He and the mule seemed to me very much alike, and looked
each other in the eye with the same expression of untrust-
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