Page:Folk-lore of the Holy Land.djvu/135

to remain, amongst them a man renowned for his integrity, who, when the Bedi entered into possession of the cultivated lands deserted by the emigrants, consented to become the “wakil” or overseer of those which fell to the lot of a great Arab sheykh whose own followers scorned to till the lands; and who was therefore glad to secure the services of a person competent to overlook the work of his slaves, and such refugees of the fellahin across the Jordan as had fled to his protection.

The arrangement worked well till, on an evil day, the chieftain quarrelled with the young wife he had lately married, who was the daughter of an emir of some distant tribe. As her father’s tents were far away, she fled to the dwelling of the Christian, and continued there with his family, till reconciled with her husband.

For a time things went smoothly between the couple. Then a fresh quarrel arose, and the sheykh said sneeringly to his wife, “Go! again and ask for shelter in the kennel of that Christian dog.” “He is no dog,” retorted the woman, “but a man of stock, though a Christian. If any one is a dog, it is you;” and to these words she added expressions such as can only fall from the lips of an angry woman. Stung to fury by her bitter tongue, the chieftain resolved to avenge himself upon the Christian. He therefore mounted his mare and galloped to the abode of the latter, who received him with all courtesy and entertained him. Taking leave at length, he mounted his mare, the Christain holding the stirrup. As soon as he was in the saddle, the