He felt himself comforted and
strengthened, and better prepared to execute or submit to
whatever his destiny might call upon him to do or to suffer.
Meanwhile, the party of Saracens regained their saddles, and
continued their route, and the tale-teller, Hassan, resumed the
thread of his narrative; but it was no longer to the same
attentive audience. A horseman, who had ascended some high
ground on the right hand of the little column, had returned on a
speedy gallop to El Hakim, and communicated with him. Four or
five more cavaliers had then been dispatched, and the little
band, which might consist of about twenty or thirty persons,
began to follow them with their eyes, as men from whose gestures,
and advance or retreat, they were to augur good or evil. Hassan,
finding his audience inattentive, or being himself attracted by
the dubious appearances on the flank, stinted in his song; and
the march became silent, save when a camel-driver called out to
his patient charge, or some anxious follower of the Hakim
communicated with his next neighbour in a hurried and low
whisper.
Pages:
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499