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From: | Bridget Roth |
Subject: | [Gnue-sb-commits] repetition |
Date: | Mon, 11 Sep 2006 15:42:56 -0400 |
Pain of the slightest had been my obsession and
secret terror, from aboy.
The situation had sensibly changedsince Mauluds
victory. He and I took affectionate leave of one another. They disbelieved even his
yarn thatAli and I would try the Yarmuk bridge that night. Had I now been drugged
with it, to bewilderment?
Consequently he deserted to Kuweit, where again he
had been amorous.
He and I took affectionate leave of one
another.
This was anunexpected generosity, the Wuld Ali
being not yet of our fellowship.
So by January the seventh Maulud wascontaining Maan
directly.
The TurkishGovernment interfered, and he found life
very hard in the prison atMedina. This was an open He, because their camel-brands
were Faiz.
I needed hard riders and hard livers; men proudof
themselves, and without family.
Some of his ill-clad menactually died of exposure.
We passed Bair long after dark, when only its latest tent-fires
stillshone.
I explained that I had business there, and was
alreadyfootsore. When I was pushed in hekept his head down, and waved the guard
out.
Had I now been drugged with it, to bewilderment?
All the plain was wet,and our poor camels slithered and fell time and again. Some of
his ill-clad menactually died of exposure.
Thence I went up to Allenbys headquartersbeyond
Gaza. He wasborn in Boreida, and while young had suffered from the civil power
forhis impiety.
He begged that we would not do him shame
bybetraying his error. On its door hung a suit of shoddyclothes.
His first use of this pass was tore-visit the
guard-room with cigarettes for the military police. Hisreputation grew: but the
mutiny at Wejh turned ibn Dakhil into anambassador. There were too manywitnesses for
fight or flight, so I went readily.
Before dawn he was blubbering with self-pity; but
softly, lest Ihear him. The breaking of ourintention we took quietly.
It had seemed a chance to getaway, but one held me
all the time. All the plain was wet,and our poor camels slithered and fell time and
again.
After their drink we eased them for half an hour.
The British seemed curiously dense about Medina.
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