Explorations in Bible lands during the 19th century - H. V. Hilprecht

316 EXPLORATIONS IN BIBLE LANDS
uncovering old walls and gathering broken pottery, and
the other they found us eating the wild boar of the jungles,
ignoring Arab etiquette, and violating the sacred and universal
law of hospitality in the most flagrant way,—reasons
enough to regard us either as pitiable idiots whom they could
easily fleece or as unclean and uncouth barbarians to whom a
pious Shiite was infinitely
the superior.
Repeated threats to burn us out had been heard, and various
attempts had been made to get at our rifles and guns.
on
One
night our bread-oven was destroyed, and a hole was cut in
the reed-hut which served as our stable.
Soon afterwards four
sheep belonging to some of our workmen were stolen.
The
thief, a young lad from the Sa'id,asmall tribe of bad repute,
half Bedouin and half Ma'dan, encouraged
success, began to boast, as
steal
by his previous
Berdi told me later, that he would
even the horses of the Franks without being detected.
Though he might have suspected us to be on the alert, he
and a few comrades undertook to execute the long-cherished
plan in the night of the fourteenth of April. Our sentinels,
who had previously been ordered to occupy the approaches
to the camp night and day, frustrated the attempt and opened
fire at the intruders. In an instant the whole camp was
aroused, and one of the thieves was shot through the heart.
This was a most unfortunate occurrence, and sure to result
in further trouble. No time was therefore lost to inform
the 'Afej
chiefs, to despatch a messenger to the next military
station, and to prepare ourselves for any case of emergency.
" Then followed a period of anxious suspense. Soon the
death wail sounded from a village close beneath us," indicating
that the body of the dead Arab had
been carried off
to the nearest encampment. " Then a signal fire was kindled.
This was answered by another and another, until the
whole plain was clothed with little
lights, while through the
still night came the sounds of bustle and preparation for
the attack." On the next morning we decided to avoid