XI
THE SACRED GIRDLE
Shortly after midnight five horsemen who rode in advance returned toreport a large encampment, far away upon the left. Then Kanana took thelead as a brave Bedouin chieftain should, and, followed by the caravan,approached the smoldering fires which betrayed the location of the camp.
He rode directly toward the tent of the sheik, which always stands inthe outer line, farthest from a river or upon the side from which theguests of the tribe will be most likely to approach.
As he approached, a shadow rose silently out of the shadows. It sniffedthe air. Then there was a faint grunt of satisfaction and the shadowsank down into the shadows again.
Kanana slipped from the back of the dromedary without waiting for himto lie down, and, running forward to the white camel, whispered, "I knewthat thou wouldst know me."
The Terror of the Desert appeared at the tent door with a hand raised inblessing.
Kanana ran to his father with a cry of joy, and the white-haired sheikthrew his arms about the neck of his son and kissed him, saying:
"Forgive me, Kanana, my brave Kanana! I said that thou hadst come tocurse me with thy cowardice, and lo! thou hast done grander, braverdeeds than I in all my years! Verily, thou hast put me to shame, but itis with courage, not with cowardice."
Kanana tried to speak, but tears choked him. All alone he could calmlyface a score of savage robbers, armed to the teeth, but suddenly hediscovered that he was only a boy, after all. He had almost forgottenit. And in helpless silence he clung to his father's neck.
The old sheik roused himself.
"Kanana," he exclaimed, "why am I silent? The whole tribe waits towelcome thee. Ho! every one who sleepeth!" he called aloud, "awake!awake! Kanana is returned to us!"
Far and near the cry was repeated, and a moment later the people camehurrying to greet the hero of the Beni Sads.
Not only had the brother returned with the white camel and a glowingaccount of his rescue by the veiled messenger of the caliph, but aspecial officer had come, by a passing caravan, bearing to the Terror ofthe Desert a bag of gold and the congratulations of Omar the Great, thathe was the father of such a son.
Now the gifts from Kahled the Invincible arrived, and the hundredhorsemen obeying the voice of Kanana. The Beni Sads could scarcelybelieve their eyes and ears.
Torches were lighted. Fires were rekindled and, before sunrise, thegrandest of all grand Bedouin feasts was in full glory.
Vainly, however, did the old sheik bring out the best robe to put it onhim; with a ring for his hand and shoes for his feet; in a custom forcelebrating a son's return which was old when the story of the Prodigalwas told.
Kanana only shook his head and answered, "My father, Allah knows me bestbarefooted and in this sheepskin coat."
The Bedouin seldom tastes of meat except upon the occasion of somefeast.
When a common guest arrives, unleavened bread is baked and served with_ayesh_, a paste of sour camel's milk and flour. But Kanana was not acommon guest.
For one of higher rank coffee and melted butter is prepared, but thesewere not enough for a welcome to Kanana.
For one still higher a kid or lamb is boiled in camel's milk and placedin a great wooden dish covered with melted fat and surrounded by apaste of wheat that has been boiled and dried and ground and boiledagain with butter.
Twenty lambs and kids were thus prepared, but the people were notsatisfied. Nothing was left but the greatest and grandest dish which aBedouin tribe can add to a feast in an endeavor to do honor to itsnoblest guest. Two she-camels were killed and the meat quicklydistributed to be boiled and roasted. All for the boy who had left them,six weeks before, with no word of farewell but the parting taunt of arat-catcher.
While the men were eating the meat and drinking camel's milk and coffee,the women sang patriotic songs, often substituting Kanana's name forthat of some great hero; and when the men had finished and the womengathered in the maharems to feast upon what was left, the Terror of theDesert, roused to the highest pitch of patriotism, declared hisintention to join the army of Kahled, and nearly two hundred of theBeni Sads resolved to follow him.
It was nearly noon when Kanana and those who were with him went to sleepin the goat's-hair tents, leaving the whole tribe at work, packing thegrain-sacks, loading the camels, and cleaning their weapons for war.
Kanana performed his mission faithfully, little dreaming that Kahled'sone design in placing it in his hands was to keep him with the army forservices of much greater importance.
The time which the general anticipated came when the hosts of Kahled,joined by the Mohammedan armies of Syria and Arabia, were finallyencamped at Yermonk upon the borders of Palestine.
Kanana was summoned to the general's tent and, trembling like theveriest coward in all the world, he fell upon his face before the man towhom was entrusted the almost hopeless task of rescuing Arabia. ToKahled alone all eyes were turned and Kanana trembled, not because hewas frightened, but because he was alone in the tent with one who seemedto him but little less than God himself.
Kahled's words were always few and quickly spoken.
"Son of the Terror of the Desert," said he, "many conflicting rumorsreach me concerning the approaching enemy. I want the truth. I want itquickly. What dost thou require to aid thee in performing this duty?"
Kanana's forehead still touched the ground. Overwhelmed by this suddenorder, an attempt to obey which meant death, without mercy, without onechance in a hundred of escape, he altogether forgot to rise.
Kahled sat in silence, understanding human nature too well to disturbthe boy, and for five minutes neither moved. Then Kanana rose slowly andhis voice trembled a little as he replied, "My father, I would have thyfleetest horse, thy blessing, and thy girdle."
Kahled the Invincible wore a girdle that was known to every soldier andcamp-follower of the army. It was of camel's-skin, soft-tanned andcolored with a brilliant Persian dye, which as far away as it could beseen at all, no one could mistake.
It was part of a magnificent curtain which once hung in the royal palaceof Babylon. It pleased the fancy of the fierce warrior, and he wore itas a girdle till it became his only insignia. There was not a color likeit within hundreds of miles at least, and when the people saw it theyknew that it was Kahled.
"Take what horse thou wilt," replied the general. "I give thee, now, myblessing." Then he hesitated for a moment. Had Kanana asked a hundredcamels or a thousand horsemen he would have added, "Take them." As itwas, he said, a little doubtfully, "What wouldst thou with my girdle?"
In all the direct simplicity which clung to him in spite of everything,Kanana replied: "I would hide it under my coat; I would that it beproclaimed throughout the army that some one has fled to the enemy withthe sacred girdle, and that a great reward be offered to him who shallreturn to Kahled any fragment of it he may find."
Without another word, the general unwound the sacred girdle, and Kanana,reverently touching it to his forehead, bound it about him under hissheepskin coat.
Kneeling, he received the blessing, and leaving the tent, he selectedthe best of Kahled's horses and disappeared in the darkness, alone.
KNEELING, HE RECEIVED THE BLESSING.]
The next morning an oppressive sense of inaction hung about theheadquarters.
The only order issued accompanied an announcement of the loss of thesacred girdle.
Every soldier was commanded to be on the watch for it, to seize and toreturn at once to Kahled, even the smallest fragment which might befound. For this the fortunate man was promised as many gold coins as,lying flat, could be made to touch the piece which he returned.