During the three days we were in suspense a monster vulture kept hovering
over our house. The people said it was a bad omen, and so I fetched my
little gun, though I rather begrudged the cartridge just then; and when
it was out of what they call reach, I had the good luck to bring it down.
This gave them great comfort, and we hung the vulture on the top of the
tallest tree.
At last at midnight on the third day a mounted messenger rode up with
a letter from Richard, saying that all was well at Damascus, but that
he would not be back for a week.
After this excitement life fell back into its normal course at Bludan,
and the only variations were small excursions and my doctoring. _A
propos_ of the latter, I can tell some amusing anecdotes. Once a girl
sent to me saying she had broken her leg. I had a litter constructed,
hired men, and went down to see her. When I came near the place where
she was, I met her walking. "How can you be walking with a broken leg?"
I said. She lifted up her voice and wept; she also lifted up her
petticoat and showed me a scratch on her knee that an English baby
would not have cried for. Sometimes women would come and ask me for
medicine to make them young again, others wished me to improve their
complexions, and many wanted me to make them like Sarai of old. I
gently reminded them of their ages, and said that I thought that at
such a time of life no medicines or doctors could avail.
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