We had a long and lonely ride through
the same desolate valley plain as yesterday, banked on either side in the
distance by naked, barren mountains, and we were very thankful when the
sun came out. We breakfasted at a ruined khan, and changed our horses.
Then we rode on and on, seemingly for an age, with no change; not a bird
nor a tree nor a sound save the clattering of our horses' hoofs. At
length, when within an hour of Karyatayn, we got a little excitement.
On slightly rising ground about five miles off we espied, by the aid
of field-glasses, something which we discovered to be a large party of
mounted Bedawin. We sounded our whistles, and our stragglers came in
till we all were collected. I ought to mention here that from the time
of our leaving Damascus, stragglers had joined us continually from every
village. Naturally the number of our camp-followers became great, until
we assumed a most formidable appearance, numbering nearly eighty in all.
As soon as our stragglers reached us we formed a line, and the opposite
party did the same. They then galloped to meet us, and we did likewise.
When within a quarter mile of each other we pulled up, and they pulled
up. We fully expected a charge and a skirmish, so we halted in a line
and consulted; they did the same. Three of us then rode out to meet
them; three horsemen of their line then did likewise. They hailed us,
and asked us who we were and what we wanted.
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