The HiMen Treasure
Between them they arranged that I should have Mahmud's
white mare next morning ; it had green leather reins and a
silver pommel to the saddle, and leather flaps embroidered
in mauve and green. The Philosopher on the other mare
was to carry what little luggage we needed, and Sa'id Ja'far,
the cousin, would guide us.
But the morning brought very little sign of movement.
Imperturbable and meditative, the Philosopher, after many
prayers and glasses of tea, continued to fill his little cigarette
cases. The mares were still unsaddled. The family sat chat-
ting leisurely. A guide from the Dusan tribe, through whose
lands we were going, was ready to join us. The young man
with the velvet coat said he was coming too, because he had
a gun; but no one showed any sign of actually moving. I left
them and went over the hill to look at the boy with die snake
bite: his pulse was still racing, but the poisoned flesh looked
healthier. After what seemed a long time, the washing and
bandaging being accomplished, I returned to Sa'id Ja'far's hut
only to find things just as I had left them. We called and
shouted. Sa'id Ja'far was ready himself: he therefore said
that my impatience was only too justifiable. The Philosopher,
however, appearing at last with a grey lock bunched over
either ear and a bulging saddle-bag under either knee, screwed
up his eyes in cheerful and amused surprise and asked where
was the hurry.
" There are tents everywhere," said he. " We will not need
to sleep in the desert even if we do not start till the afternoon."
A point of view unpromisingly non-progressive for someone
about to travel.
At this moment, however, the tables were turned, for it
was discovered that I was taking no passport.
" A passport is always good," said Shah Riza with convic-
tion, and began slowly to make the movements which precede
[102]