‘A Pilgrimage to Nejd, the cradle of the Arab race. A visit to the court of the Arab Emir, and "Our Persian Campaign."' [‎26] (69/334)

26
A Pilgrimage to Nejd. [ch. n.
keeping well outside the Hauran, a district of the
worst reputation, aud following perhaps a line of
pools or wells which the Bedouins might know.
But just as we had settled this, Mohammed Dukhi
himself appeared unexpectedly at Damascus, and
our plan was changed.
Mohammed Dukhi ibn Smeyr is the greatest
personage in the north-western desert next to Ibn
Shaalan, and as I have said before was at that time
hotly engaged in a war with the Roala chief. His
object in visiting Damascus was as follows : in the
course of the autumn a detachment of fifteen
Turkish soldiers attacked his camp without pro
vocation and, firing into it, killed a woman and a
child. This camp numbered only a few tents, the
tribe being at the time scattered on account of
pasturage, and the Sheykh himself was absent with
most of the men. Those, however, who had
remained at home managed to cut off and surround
the soldiers, one of whom was killed in the fray.
The Welled Ali would have killed the rest but for
Mohammed Dukhi s wife, Herba,* who rushed in
among the combatants, and remonstrated with her
people on the folly of involving themselves in
a quarrel with the Government. Her pluck saved
the soldiers' lives. She took them under her
protection, and the next morning sent them under
escort to a place of safety.
Now Mohammed Dukhi, having the Roala war
* Daughter of Faria-el-Meziad, Sheykh of tlie Mesenneb..